Living Black at University

At the 2024 Living Black at University conference, the sector shared what they’ve done to improve Black students’ living experience as a result of our research. Here’s what they’re doing, and what we’re doing.

In 2022, Unite Students set up a sector-wide commission to activate the recommendations of our Living Black at University report, which explored students’ experience in UK student accommodation. With the Commission now in its second phase and run in partnership with CUBO, we caught up with the new Commission chair, Carol Thomas.

Led by Unite Students in partnership with CUBO (College and University Business Officers), the Living Black at University Commission is hosting its second conference in Canterbury on Tuesday 8th October. Here’s what you need to know.

We are delighted to announce that the next stage of the Living Black at University Commission will be jointly led by Unite Students and CUBO (College and University Business Officers), as we look to continue the Commission’s work on supporting equity, inclusion and belonging in student accommodation and beyond.

Hot off the launch of the new Living Black at University Commission report, we’re continuing our focus on the future of sustainability within purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) with this month’s episode on race and inclusion in student accommodation.

Jen Steadman, Commissioning Editor of the new 2022/23 Living Black at University Commission report, explains why there’s a new Living Black at University report, what it covers and what’s next for the Commission.

A key finding from last year’s Living Black at University report was that a lack of culturally relevant services in many UK cities contributed towards many Black students feeling like they didn’t belong at university. As part of the Unite Students Commission on Living Black at University, we wanted to take action so that Black students could more easily acclimatise to university life. Here’s how we co-created a brand new resource to support Black students moving away from home for the first time.

In June 2022, Unite Students launched a three-year Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB) and Wellbeing strategy. More than a year on, we outline the progress we’ve made against the strategy, and some of the ways in which we’ve embedded diversity, inclusion and belonging into Unite Students for the benefit of both students and employees.