Action plan to address antisemitism
Antisemitism is not tolerated at Goldsmiths and we are acting against such behaviour as a form of racism.
We are taking action after an independent inquiry commissioned by Goldsmiths' Council, our governing body, concluded that Jewish students and staff have experienced antisemitism in the course of the studies or work at Goldsmiths.
The inquiry led by Mohinderpal Sethi KC, of Littleton Chambers, also found that the university could have done more when responding to reports of antisemitism and that our processes and protocols must be improved.
The Council and Executive Board of Goldsmiths fully endorse the findings of the inquiry.
Goldsmiths has appointed Professor Adam Dinham to lead a two-year antisemitism action plan. This will build a culture of belonging for all Jewish students and staff, and for all religions and beliefs at the university, nurturing evidence-based dialogue, positive activism and engagement.
With antisemitism sadly shown to have risen across the university sector, reflecting a broader increase across society, we felt it was vital to have a clear picture of the situation at Goldsmiths. The resulting report makes for hard reading and gives us a clear mandate for taking decisive action to ensure that there is no antisemitism at our university.
Chair of Goldsmiths Council Tom Sleigh
The Chair of Council added: "Thank you to all who contributed evidence to the inquiry, and participated in any way. I am especially grateful to Mohinderpal Sethi KC and his team for their tireless work on this important matter.”
Why we commissioned the independent inquiry
In recent years the Community Security Trust, a UK charity that works to protect Jewish people from antisemitism and other threats, has reported a significant increase in antisemitic incidents on UK university campuses.
The purpose of the independent inquiry was to determine whether Jewish students or staff had experienced antisemitism in the course of their studies or work at Goldsmiths, since September 2018.
The inquiry points out similarities between the Jewish student experience at Goldsmiths, at other universities and in the NUS.
Welcoming recent progress, the inquiry invites Goldsmiths to reset its culture through a restorative, relational approach, understanding antisemitism as a form of racism. The inquiry makes 17 practical recommendations to improve the student and staff experience, including training, complaints and acceptable behaviour.
The inquiry’s recommendations are explicitly designed to be compatible with protections for legitimate political protest. This aims to reassure concerns about freedom of speech for those seeking to criticise Israel and promote the cause of Palestine on campus.
Our commitment to action
Goldsmiths accepts the independent inquiry’s findings without reservation. We commit to implementing all 17 recommendations through a two-year antisemitism action plan. Within this action plan, a key initiative is to put in place a university framework for positive activism and engagement.
The action plan is being led by Adam Dinham, Professor of Religion and Belief Literacy and University Lead for Culture and Inclusion. He will be supported by the newly-established Religion and Belief Group. This brings together academic and professional expertise in religion and belief literacy, activism, inclusion, and social justice.
Our targets
By the end of Autumn term in academic year 2025/26, Goldsmiths will:
- Establish an advisory panel, drawn from the Jewish community, students, and staff
- Re-design Goldsmiths antiracism training to recognise antisemitism as racism
- Develop better mechanisms to report and track antisemitism
- Improve support services for students and staff affected by antisemitism
- Expand chaplaincy, interfaith work, and community spaces
By the end of academic year 2026/27, Goldsmiths will make progress in five areas:
- Leadership and governance to prevent antisemitism through better decision-making
- Scholarship on antisemitism, religion and belief literacy, conflict resolution, and interfaith dialogue
- Training staff and students to understand and notice antisemitism
- Policy and procedures for robust prevention and intervention, including regular reports
- Campus culture to foster a community in which Jewish students and staff can flourish
Goldsmiths will be guided by these principles, based on the inquiry recommendations:
- Our restorative, relational approach will build a culture of positive activism and engagement at Goldsmiths, through dialogue
- Protect academic freedom and freedom of speech – evidence-based dialogue will be nurtured as an important tool for free expression, alongside, not instead of, other forms of activism and protest
- Personal attacks, harassment, and discrimination will not be tolerated. No student or staff should feel unsafe or unwelcome
- Support for anyone harmed by antisemitism in our community
Antisemitism has no place at Goldsmiths. As with all forms of racism, antisemitism prevents people from entering, enjoying and contributing fully to our university. The inquiry sets out a disturbing picture and I am sorry that our community and culture fell short of the behaviours we expect.
Professor Frances Corner, Vice-Chancellor of Goldsmiths
Professor Corner added: "The report rightly states that we owe it to former, current and future Jewish students and staff to learn from our mistakes.
“We share responsibility, as a community, to show Goldsmiths can be a place where Jewish students and staff feel valued, supported, and proud to be part of our university.
"As the inquiry highlights, we are already making progress on key issues. Today, we commit to lasting cultural change with respect to Jewish students and staff, and for all religions and beliefs, drawing on our intellectual heritage and our longstanding belief in social justice."