From insight to implementation: what happens after Living Black at University?
Since the publication of Living Black at University, much of the sector conversation has focused on understanding the experiences of Black students in accommodation. The more difficult question is what happens next.
At the University of Leeds, this became the starting point for further work. Building on the original research, we collaborated with the residence life team to explore how its findings could be translated into institutional practice. You can read there case study here.
From research to action
The original report acted as a catalyst for change across the sector, prompting new collaborations, resources and ongoing work across higher education.
At Leeds, this moved into a second phase: implementation.
‘Teleola Cartwright designed and led a mixed-methods study exploring the lived experiences of non-white students in accommodation. This combined survey data with facilitated focus groups, bringing together quantitative evidence and lived experience.
The findings informed the development of our bespoke training for residential life teams, supporting staff to respond confidently and effectively to the issues identified through the research.
Accommodation as a site of inclusion
Accommodation is not peripheral to the student experience. It is central.
Experiences in halls shape belonging, wellbeing and, ultimately, student success. This reinforces a wider point: inclusion cannot sit only within the curriculum. It must extend to the environments in which students live.
The challenge of implementation
While the sector has made progress in recognising inequities, implementation remains uneven.
Institutions are now grappling with how to:
embed cultural competency in residential life
design reporting systems students trust
ensure inclusion work is properly resourced
These are not technical challenges alone - they are structural and cultural.
Continuing the work
This work forms part of a wider programme of research and practice focused on inclusion, belonging and institutional change.
We are continuing to develop this through a forthcoming book, Living Black at University: Anti-racist Praxis Beyond the Curriculum (Manchester University Press, 2026), which we are co-editing with Osaro Otobo. The book explores how institutions can move beyond recognising inequity to embedding change in practice. You can register interest in the book here.
Where next?
The sector now has a strong evidence base.
The question is no longer whether change is needed, but how it is delivered.
The next phase of this work will depend not on new insight alone, but on the ability of institutions to act on what they already know.
