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What does it mean to say that a university, as an institution, is or is not racist? What conception of racism can we use to determine whether or not the values and power relations examined, evaluated, transmitted, and defended by universities promote greater inclusion of actors “regardless of race”? This raises the question of the relevance and meaning of the notion of “institutional racism” when applied to universities as specific institutions. The article argues for a conception of institutional racism that goes beyond the dichotomy between individual and systemic racism by emphasizing a dynamic and relational conception of the academic institution. Using the tools of critical phenomenology, institutional racism at the university is redefined as a process of institutionalizing habits or regularities that produce or reproduce racial inequalities, while consisting of unnoticed experiences at the same time.