ABSTRACT
In the early 1990s equal opportunities was hardly on the agenda at Oxford Brookes. The atmosphere was comfortable and self-affirming. This state of affairs was hardly surprising because there were no difficulties attracting students, no problems recruiting or retaining staff, and no hint of financial difficulties. Furthermore, Oxford Brookes was recognized within the polytechnic sector as a high-quality institution. However, in terms of equal opportunities, all of the classic warning signs of potential discrimination were present. Here was a predominantly white, middle-class, non-disabled place with a preponderance of men in top management positions. The challenge for equal opportunity activists was how to act as change agents when they had little or no role power and when there were no fora for institutional networking. Senior management said they were in favour of equal opportunities but gave no indication that they were keen to change the status quo.
