Optimising the activities and the products of academic and student collaborative networks to achieve equality, diversity and inclusion goals in higher education

The student and staff experience within Middlesex University (MDX) is of paramount importance to all teaching and learning staff in the Adult, Child and Mental Health Nursing and Midwifery Department. Students are predominantly black and minority ethnic (BME) and also culturally and linguistically diverse, speaking as many as four languages in addition to the mother tongue. Student expectations and anxiety are centred on the experiences of the existing partnership and learning relationships that they have with BME lecturers. The purpose of this article is to present a case study of the lived experiences of BME staff and students when formulating networks; it is authored by students and lecturers from the ‘Healthcare Academics Race Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Network and Strategic Advisory Group’ (HAREDIN and SAG) and the student mirror network, ‘Student Healthcare Academics Race Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Network’ (SHAREDIN).