Calling out microaggressions on campus should start at the top

In 2024, we all deserve to feel safe, valued and respected in the workplace. However, research from the advocacy organisation Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA England) has found that one in three people have experienced microaggressions or discriminatory behaviour from a manager in the past six months.

Examples are wide-ranging, from misspelling or mispronouncing names to making assumptions based on age, working patterns, personal life or physical or mental health. These microaggressions might seem insignificant by themselves, but this is not how people experience them and, when they are inflicted repeatedly, the associated feelings of self-doubt, hurt, frustration and unease can have a real impact on well-being.

In the MHFA England survey, one in five people who had been the victim of discriminatory behaviour said these experiences had a negative impact on their mental health. One in seven had considered quitting their job as a result. And there is no reason to think that such behaviour is less common in higher education than it is everywhere else.

Often linked to group stereotypes, microaggressions and discriminatory behaviour disproportionately affect black and minority ethnic people, as well as women, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people and those from working-class backgrounds. The MHFA England survey found that 47 per cent of white British workers have experienced discriminatory behaviour from managers, rising to 57 per cent among Asian or Asian British workers and 72 per cent of black or black British employees.

For students, common microaggressions include having your name mispronounced, being ignored or having your lived experiences minimalised and trivialised. These experiences could be one of the factors contributing to awarding gaps, whereby white British students are more likely to receive first or upper second class degrees than their minority-ethnic counterparts.

Whether intentional or unintentional, microaggressions have the same impact, wearing away at people’s sense of identity and belonging. They also directly affect people’s careers. Women, for example, are often expected to be “better” at pastoral and administrative roles. In a previous institution, I was once asked to supervise a challenging student because I was told that, as a mother, I would be better at it. Although UK higher education has become more diverse, such behaviour is doubtless part of the reason why it is still predominantly white and male-dominated in senior leadership and professorial roles.

Universities have a responsibility to help create psychologically safe environments for both students and staff, making them feel able to bring their whole selves to the classroom or the lab. Well-being and productivity fuel one another and people thrive when all voices feel encouraged to speak up with ideas, questions or concerns, without fear of embarrassment or retaliation.

It is important to have clear policies on diversity and inclusion that everyone can refer to, including zero tolerance for discriminatory behaviour. And, for further advice, MHFA England has created free resources, including its new Guide to creating inclusive workplace cultures.

However, such policies and advice need to be acted on. Higher education organisations exist to prepare students for life and to act as agents of social mobility by developing skills, knowledge and critical thinking. As such, they must not only raise awareness of how microaggressions can affect individuals: they must also challenge and call out negative behaviours on their own campuses.

Nor is doing so the sole responsibility of victims. Everyone working in the higher education sector should practice allyship. And that starts from the top. Senior leaders must champion inclusion and belonging to ensure that policies are promoted and practised throughout their organisations.

Culture is created in each moment and interaction, and small changes can have a big impact. By fostering open communication, encouraging people to be aware of their language and the impact it can have on others, we can work to create a psychologically safe space where everyone can thrive.

Melissa Carr is lecturer in international human resource management and director (equity, diversity & inclusion) at the World of Work Institute at Henley Business School.