About the Episode
What does diversity, equity, and inclusion in content creation look like? To Mikki Collins, it was this: real, unfiltered stories told by more than one student in a format that could both go deep and was built to last. So, she built a podcast for the University of Chichester centered around authenticity and honesty. In the third series of the podcast, she wanted to feature true stories from her campus’ minority and underrepresented groups, even when the stories weren’t all positive. As a result, the university reached almost 10 times its student population on social, doubled the engagement from non-followers, and won a few awards, including the ContentEd Champion for DIversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2022 and the National Student Pride Inclusive University of the Year Award in 2023.
Watch the Be You podcast series three episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMwhF7NaFQJxaE1X4LMUj7Y6Bq-cwRxEh&feature=shared
Key Takeaways
- Authenticity Builds Trust: Creating content that shares both the good and bad experiences fosters a more genuine and welcoming campus culture.
- Inclusive Storytelling Increases Engagement: The diversity-focused podcast series doubled the engagement of previous seasons, reaching far beyond the campus community.
- Simplicity Drives Impact: Small changes, like adding pronouns to email signatures, can significantly enhance inclusivity and make students feel welcomed.
- Repurpose Content for Lasting Impact: Snippets from the podcast were used across social media to educate and engage, achieving a wide-reaching and sustainable influence.
Episode Summary
What Inspired Mikki Collins to Create a Diversity-Focused Podcast?
Mikki's inspiration for the DEI-focused podcast stemmed from recognizing a gap in authentic representation. Although there were targets for increasing diversity on campus, stories shared were often selectively positive, leading to skepticism and disengagement. As the social media manager, Mikki saw firsthand the limitations of controlled narratives and felt the need for students to share their real, diverse experiences. After coming across a heartfelt blog post by Ray, a trans student, Mikki realized how impactful it could be to amplify voices from various minority groups. Ray’s post detailed his personal journey, including how something as simple as an academic advisor’s pronoun usage made him feel safe, underscoring the importance of authentic, student-led storytelling.
How Was the Podcast Developed and Structured?
Mikki and her team built the podcast series slowly, first establishing a format with lighter topics before moving into DEI-focused content. To gather stories, Mikki leveraged existing relationships with students involved in the Student Union and also used social media to invite students to participate. This approach helped gather a diverse mix of voices for each episode. The final series included topics ranging from “Being a Black Student” to “Being a Student with a Disability,” with each episode featuring multiple students to avoid presenting a single narrative as representative of an entire group. Importantly, the tone of the podcast was conversational and minimally edited, fostering a candid and comfortable atmosphere for participants to share their experiences.
What Challenges Did the Team Face in Gaining Approval?
One of the biggest challenges was securing approval from university leadership, especially since DEI topics can be sensitive. However, Mikki's team had previously proven the success of the podcast format with other, less contentious topics, which helped establish trust. For the DEI series, they used a strategic approach: recording initial episodes on less controversial topics to demonstrate the format’s value. Once leadership saw the positive feedback from early episodes, they became more supportive. Only a few episodes required direct review, allowing Mikki and her team to largely maintain the series' authenticity without extensive oversight.
How Did the Series Impact Student Engagement and Campus Culture?
The series exceeded all expectations, doubling the reach of previous seasons. The podcast episodes garnered over 2,600 views and hundreds of listens—a significant achievement for a university with 5,500 students. Even more impressive, snippets from the episodes reached nearly 50,000 people on social media, a testament to the power of authentic content to resonate beyond campus boundaries. This engagement went beyond numbers: the content prompted students to reach out, share their own stories, and even inquire about future episodes. Students who had previously been hesitant to participate in university media were now eager to contribute, transforming the podcast into a truly inclusive platform.
What Lasting Changes Did the Podcast Inspire?
The podcast had a ripple effect, fostering lasting institutional changes at the University of Chichester. Inspired by student voices, the university painted permanent progress flags on both campuses and expanded DEI-focused training for staff, some of which became mandatory. The series also encouraged more staff to add pronouns to their email signatures, a small but meaningful shift that created a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students. Additionally, the podcast episodes were featured in the Student Union’s application for the National Student Pride Awards, where Chichester was recognized as the most inclusive university—a prestigious honor that cemented the podcast’s legacy.
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