Faculty of Laws: Equality and diversity plan 2013/14
1.1 Introduction: The UCL White Paper aims to recruit attract, reward and retain outstanding staff from
diverse backgrounds. The Faculty of Laws’ Equality and Diversity Plan supports this strategic aim and the
aims of the UCL Equality & Diversity Strategy 2011-2014 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/equalities/, as well as
the November 2012 Paper to Council: Steps to progress Equality and Diversity at UCL
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/equalities/corporate/Council_papers.php.
The Faculty’s Equality and Diversity Plan will help it realise its public sector equality duty to have due
regard to the need to:
1. Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited
by the Equalities Act.
2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and
those who do not.
3. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do
not.
It will also help promote the understanding of how to advance equality by:

Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected
characteristics.

Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different
from the needs of other people.

Encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities
where their participation is disproportionately low.
1.2 The Protected Characteristics
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Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion and belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
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2.1 Faculty Structures and Leadership:
The Dean has overall responsibility for the Faculties E&D plan and is accountable for the targets therein.
The Faculty of Laws has no departments and so in the absence of a Head of Department the primary
responsibilities (as defined in the Academic Manual part 8, 2.1), for appointing a Departmental Equal
Opportunities Liaison Officer (DEOLO) and for promoting equality and diversity within the Department
in accordance with UCL Policy, fall to the Vice-Dean: Staffing
The Dean and Vice-Dean Staffing are supported by the Dean’s Team, and the Vice-Dean: Staffing is in
turn supported by the DEOLO in his responsibilities. In addition to the Dean’s Team the Laws Equal
Opportunities Committee (LEOC) and Faculty Teaching Committee take forward more detailed work.
3.1 Staffing:

The Proportion of BME staff in all grades in the Faculty shows a small improvement from 7% - 9%
between 10/11 and 11/12, which means we are slightly ahead of the 1% per annum
improvement target, but still a long way off the aspirational target. Actions: Ensure where
possible that BME staff are trained and involved recruitment and selection.

2012 figures show the proportion of BME support staff at Grades 1-8 at 8%, double the 2011
proportion of 4%. An analysis of current employment would indicate that we expect to improve
in 2013 to a proportion of 16%. There are a number of known changes to professional staff
2013/14 and so there is the possibility of plateau or further improvement during this period
assuming we retain current BME staff. However as it stands we do seem to be moving
positively - and significantly beyond the target improvement rate of 1% per annum - towards
UCL’s aspirational target of 31%. Action: we will ensure that BME support staff at grades 7 and
above are trained and involved in support staff recruitment panels.

Proportion of female staff - all grades The Faculty currently performs quite well coming in at 48%
female staff in 2011 but with a slight drop to 46% in 2012. The decline in proportion should be
noted against a general increase in numbers of 6%. The Faculty already makes sure that there is
appropriate representation by female staff on recruitment panels indeed we sometimes have
the reverse problem in terms of balance.
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Proportion of female staff at Grades 9-10. Against the UCL aim for a 50/50 split of male to
female staff at grades 9/10 the Faculty across both reported years is showing at just over 30%
again with a small decline in 2012 again despite an increase in no’s. Action: To carry out
further analysis to look at what factors might be contributing to this and consider what actions
to take in response.

Gender Pay gap – non-clinical Professors. Although a pay gap remains - it has improved
between 2011 and 2012 reducing from 13.5% to 7%, following EHRC guidance on significant
differences between groups undertaking like work (over 5%) the Faculty is undertaking on going
analysis and continuing to take corrective action to address this imbalance. Action: The Dean to
continue to review professorial pay for disparities on the grounds of equity and equality and
take action as appropriate, and with the Vice-Dean: Staffing to ensure appraisals of non-clinical
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professorial staff are conducted in time for the professorial re-banding exercise, and the Faculty
office to ensure timescales and processes are communicated in good time to enable relevant
staff to be considered for rebanding.
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Disability disclosure rates: A very small decline and possibly relating to the loss of a single
member of staff. It is difficult to judge this statistic except against other benchmarked norms
taking into account other factors such as age. We aim to create a culture that is supportive and
where people are happy to disclose and understand that the Faculty will help put reasonable
measure in place to support them but it is not an issue or area for disclosure that can be forced.
Action: However we will as per RASC agreement ask staff on an Annual Basis to review and
update their equalities data.
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Other protected characteristics: As it stands we not had sufficient data to carry out analysis of
all of the protected characteristics nor on staff with combinations of protected characteristics.
Action: We will ask staff on an Annual Basis to review and update their equalities data, so that
we can develop data for analysis.
3.2 Students:

Widening Participation: The Faculty monitors its widening participation progress and
demonstrates slow but steady progress year on year against a background of considerable
engagement through a range of Law firm, UCL Outreach and externally funded initiatives such
as Pathways to Law (http://www.pathwaystolaw.org/). The Faculty has recently been
successful in securing funding for a further 3 year phase of Pathways to Law from the Sutton
Trust. Actions: to continue to develop and work with the Sutton Trust and other partners on
the Pathways to Law programme to maximise its impact, whilst also working closely with UCL
Outreach and Law firms.
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Equalities monitoring: We are aware from centrally provided data that the Faculties
differential between proportions of BME British and white British students gaining a 1st or 2:1 is
around 7.3% which is better than average for UCL Faculties but clearly still a figure that needs
improving. Action: To develop a suite of equalities data on student recruitment, progress and
retention. This will be monitored on a regular basis and will help identify actions to support
improvements in performance.
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Issue and area
for action
identified
Actions
Timescales
Accountability Responsibility Success
Measures
August 2013 – July
2014
LEOC
1. Faculty engagement
To improve Faculty
engagement and
awareness of E&D issues.
i. DEOLO / LEOC to commit to
consulting with UCL equality
specialists (The Equalities and
Diversity Team, UCL
Outreach, the LGBT Equality
Advisory Group, the 50:50
group (gender equality) and
the Race Equality Group)to
ensure insight and knowledge
and good practice can be
brought into and shared in
the Faculty.
ii. Ensure staff who have been
in post for longer than 5 years
undertake the updated online
E&D training
DEOLO
More informed action
plans arising from input
and discussion at LEOC
and through advice
from the DEOLO.
Best practice brought to
the attention of the
Faculty through boards,
committees, policy
development.
LEOC
• Vice-Dean: staffing
• HR Officer
• Faculty Manager
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Area for
action
identified
Actions
Timescales
Accountability Responsibility Success
Measures
i. From July 2013
and ongoing.
Vice-Dean: Staffing
2. Improving the proportions of BME staff
To improve the
proportions of BME
staff at all grades.
i. Ensure where possible that BME
staff in academic and research
roles are trained and involved
recruitment and selection.
ii. Ensure that BME support staff at
grades 7 and above are trained
and involved in support staff
recruitment panels.
 Vice-Dean:
staffing
 HR Officer
 Faculty Manager
ii. By October
2013
i. identified staff offered
training in recruitment
and selection and
proactively considered
when drawing up
recruitment panels.
ii. all relevant staff
having attended
training and been
provided with an
opportunity to sit of a
recruitment and
selection panel.
iii. yearly improvements
in the proportion of
BME staff.
3. Improving Gender Balance
Improving gender
balance especially at
grades 9-10 from
30% to 50&
i. To carry out further analysis to
look at what factors might be
contributing to this and consider
what actions to take in response.
ii. Conduct a survey of all staff
regarding academic leadership
roles to identify barriers and
support requirements.
By August 2013
Dean
Vice-Dean: Staffing
DEOLO
HR Officer
Faculty Manager
An action plan in
response to analysis
and survey outcomes.
Annual improvements
in the gender balance at
grades 9-10 moving
towards 50/50.
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Area for
action
identified
Actions
Timescales
Accountability Responsibility Success
Measures
4. Reducing the Gender pay gap for non-clinical professors
Continue to reduce
the gender pay-gap
until it reaches a
negligible level.
The Dean to continue to review
professorial pay for disparities on
the grounds of equity and equality
and take action as appropriate,
and with the Vice-Dean: Staffing to
ensure appraisals of non-clinical
professorial staff are conducted in
time for the professorial rebanding exercise, and the Faculty
office to ensure timescales and
processes are communicated in
good time to enable relevant staff
to be considered for rebanding.
By July 2014
Dean
Vice-Dean: Staffing
Dean
Vice-Dean: Staffing
A reduction in the paygap at least less than
5%.
By July 2013 and
each year
thereafter.
LEOC
DEOLO
HR Officer
Improved disclosure
rates
5. Disability disclosure rates
Improve disability
disclosure rates.
i. ask staff on an Annual Basis to
review and update their equalities
data.
ii. monitor and ensure that we are
appropriately supporting the
needs of disabled staff.
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Area for
action
identified
Actions
Timescales
Accountability Responsibility Success
Measures
By July 2013 and
each year
thereafter.
LEOC
6. Other protected characteristics
Improve data on
other protected
characteristics
i. Ask staff on an Annual Basis to
review and update their equalities
data.
DEOLO
HR Officer
ii. Develop data to support
analysis, target setting as
appropriate and action as
required.
i. Improved information
ii. Data to support
action if required
7. Students
7.1 Continuing
improvements in
access agreement
and other WP
measures.
7.2 Developing E&D
monitoring and
action plans for
recruitment,
progression and
retention.
i. Formation of Pathways to Law
steering group.
ii. Close working with UCL
outreach
iii. Ongoing review and finessing of
LNAT requirements
i. Work with Equalities team and
SRS to develop information sets
for analysis.
i. June 2013
Faculty Tutor
Faculty Tutor
Pathways to Law
Steering Group
Faculty Teaching
Committee (FTC)
Improvement on access
agreement and other
WP measures.
i. By December
2013
Faculty Tutor
Data reports to LEOC
and FTC
ii. By March 2014
FTC
Faculty PG coordinator
Faculty Tutor
UG and G office
managers
ii. Development action plans to
address areas of concern.
ii. Ongoing
iii. annual review
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