Stop hiring porters to the police, says SU

The Cambridge Students’ Union (SU) has called on universities to stop employing police and armed forces porters out of concern for the welfare of students.

76% of those who took part in the student council on Monday evening (October 14th) voted for the resolution. This comes after research revealed that students have long-standing concerns about the behavior of providers, particularly towards students from ethnic minorities.

The resolution, proposed by Women’s Campaign Chair Rosie Freeman, calls on colleges to prioritize welfare when recruiting porters and to “stop recruiting porters into the police and armed forces, recognize the caring role of the porter and commit to recruiting and Training of universities to use their sponsors accordingly.

An SU study found that up to 26% of those currently employed at universities were previously employed by the police or armed forces.

This comes after Louise Casey’s 2023 review of the Metropolitan Police found the force to be institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic, with more than 1,100 officers in England and Wales currently under investigation for sexual and domestic abuse.

Since 2020, at least 18 colleges have received complaints about the conduct of sponsors, with students alleging that they were subjected to racial profiling by their sponsors at the university. During a debate on the motion, SU welfare officer Esheni Eshete described the issue of racial profiling as “such a point of contention for our students”.

According to SU research, 18 out of 27 colleges offer equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training, while 12 offer mandatory unconscious bias training.

Both King’s College and Caius College were recently the subject of a study University Examining students’ experiences of discrimination by college providers. Along with King’s, Caius is one of the universities offering EDI training.

One student claimed that there were “very few colleges I could attend without being questioned and basically bullied,” and reported that he did not feel comfortable walking around without white friends.

That investigation also cited a report published by End Everyday Racism in 2020 that revealed that “racist incidents by college officials” were a “repeated occurrence.” A second report from 2023 reiterated the importance of “comprehensive training on non-discriminatory practices” for higher education providers.

Currently, 13 of 27 colleges offer mandatory mental health first aid training, while fewer than five offer specific training on student well-being issues such as drug and alcohol awareness, sexual harassment and suicide prevention.

The SU resolution recommends recognizing the “supervisory role of the provider” in the recruitment and training practices of universities. Of the 64 university recruitment documents published and shared with the SU since 2020, only 24 mention student wellbeing or mental health as part of the position’s responsibilities. Additionally, only five packages include social or mental health training as essential or desired criteria for the job.

This comes after several college officials came under fire last semester for racist and homophobic comments online. Emmanuel College SU described a provider’s behavior as “homophobic and transphobic” and said they “totally condemn the repetition of such views by a provider who is alleged to do so.” Be a person of trust.”

A spokesman for Gonville & Caius College said: “Caius Porters are highly qualified, respected and valued members of the college community with a wide range of professional backgrounds. Any claim that a military or police background is a negative for a Porter perpetuates an unhelpful stereotype and is false.”

A King’s College spokesperson said: “Dignity at Work training is mandatory for all King’s staff and focuses on equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.” Further training on a range of EDI topics, including unconscious bias, is also mandatory.”

“Porters are part of our safety and welfare protection as they help ensure that we provide a safe living, working and learning environment for all members of our community,” they continued.

The University of Cambridge has been contacted for comment.