BAME Students' Network

• Report discrimination issues with a module
• Read the BAME Action Plan
• BAME handbook

The Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Students’ Network was originally established as an informal group to petition for name-blind applications at the University in 2019. In August of 2020 we became an official subcommittee of the Students’ Association, convened by the SRC BAME Officer.

We exist to provide a strong community, adequate resources, and effective support to the BAME students at the University. While we acknowledge that the term BAME may not be entirely representative, we want to ensure that we are all-inclusive, and open to all minority students who may need support, help, or guidance.

Our aims are as follows:

1. Create a network that provides resources, support, and a sense of community for BAME and minority students.
2. Serve as a link between the University's administration and the student body, and work in collaboration with both to address and act on issues and concerns linked to race, racism, and ethnicity.
3. Liaise with other student societies and subcommittees to promote BAME interests.

We understand that the BAME student experience comes with multiple challenges of its own, and it is often easy to feel isolated and alone as an ethnic minority student, but we want to assure existing and incoming students that while we maybe a small community, we’re extremely strong and close knit.

Over the coming year we will be holding multiple events, both virtual and eventually in person, to address and improve the BAME student experience at the University. These will include mixers for freshers and existing students, as well academic and culture-based talks and activities.

We host various events in Freshers' Week, Multicultural Week, Refreshers' Week, etc and facilitate the BAMEfest weekend in Semester 2. The St Andrews Multicultural Week was established in 2019, as a celebration of cultural diversity at the University. Every year we hold events such a movie marathon, a food festival, career and internship support sessions and an art exhibition as part of this. BAMEfest is a weekend packed with fun activities such as Chai and Chill, potlucks, ending with International Cocktail Night which always has live music by our very own students! We finish our year with FUSE - a night spent dancing away to the best music in town!

Apart from our presence through events, we want to work in collaboration with the University and other student representatives to address minority representation, academic curriculum, careers, and alumni, as well as discrimination and reporting.