LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
EQUALITIES AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
Wednesday 12 November 2014
MINUTES
PRESENT:
Professor Graham Hart (Chair)
Ms Fiona Addison
Ms Wendy Appleby
Ms Hajera Begum
Professor Annette Dolphin
Ms Sarah Guise
Ms Marcia Jacks
Ms Bella Malins
Ms Annie Tidbury
Mr Nigel Waugh
In attendance: Reverend Charlotte Ballinger and Ms Rachel Port (Secretary)
Apologies were received from Dr Caroline Bressey, Professor Anthony Finkelstein, Mr Rex Knight, Professor
Anthony Smith, Professor Eva Sorensen and Professor Nick Tyler.
Key to abbreviations
BME Black and Minority Ethnic
DARO Development and Alumni Relations
EDC Equalities and Diversity Committee
HEIs Higher Education Institutions
HoDs Heads of Department
HR
Human Resources
HRPC Human Resources Policy Committee
IOE
Institute of Education
LEAG LGBT+ Equality Advisory Group
LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
LGBTQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer
RESG Race Equality Steering Group
SMT Senior Management Team
STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
SWAN Scientific Women’s Academic Network
UCLU UCL Union
Preliminary Business
1
TERMS OF REFERENCE, CONSTITUTION AND 2014-15 MEMBERSHIP
Noted:
1.1
The terms of reference, constitution and membership of the Committee at EDC 1-1 (14-15).
Equalities and Diversity Committee – Minutes – 12 November 2014
1.2
Dr Cecil Thompson, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, who chaired the
RESG had left UCL. Ms Marcia Jacks, Institute for Women’s Health, had joined EDC as the
RESG Chair.
1.3
Ms Hajera Begum, Black & Minority Ethnic Students’ Officer, and Ms Annie Tidbury,
Women’s Officer, had been nominated to serve as the two UCLU sabbatical officers on
EDC this session.
Reported:
1.4
The Chair welcomed all the new members to the Committee.
1.5
In response to a query about the purpose of the Committee, the Chair considered that EDC
was a hugely important committee in terms of UCL given its strong commitment to
equalities and diversity. It was also able to discuss and consider relevant proposals before
they were submitted to the Provost’s SMT and Council for consideration and/or approval.
UCL now had very good equalities and diversity objectives compared to the situation in
UCL a few years ago, and that while it had been highly successful at Athena SWAN
matters, progression need to be made around BME issues. It was considered difficult for
individual groups to make an impact at UCL but having a formal committee meant that the
interests of those individual groups that did exist were progressed. The Director of HR
added that while EDC could assist the SMT it could also hold it to account since each ViceProvost and Faculty Dean would be required to prepare an action plan against each
equality and diversity objective within the revised UCL Equalities and Diversity Strategy,
that would be considered at EDC in due course.
2
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF 30 JUNE 2014
Confirmed:
2.1
The Minutes of the meeting of EDC held on 30 June 2014 [EDC Mins.13-20, 30.06.14].
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MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
3A
‘Why isn’t my professor black?’ – Next Steps
Noted:
3A.1 A working group had been formed to develop a proposal on studentships specifically for
BME students for discussion as a future EDC meeting. [see also Minute 5.4 below]
3B
UCL Equalities and Diversity Strategy 2014-19
Noted:
3B.1
Subsequent to the last EDC meeting, the final version of the revised UCL Equalities and
Diversity Strategy 2014-19 was circulated to the committee for final comment and was
approved via Chair’s action. It had been approved by the Provost’s SMT and would be
considered at the Council meeting in May 2015.
3B.2
The draft appendices to the revised Strategy at EDC 1-2 (14-15) had been considered at
HRPC and members were invited to email any comments on them to the Head of Equalities
and Diversity.
ACTION: EDC Members (to note)
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Equalities and Diversity Committee – Minutes – 12 November 2014
Business for Discussion
4
CHAIR’S REPORT
Received:
4.1
An oral report by the Chair.
Reported:
4.2
The Chair explained that UCL intended to apply for an institutional Silver SWAN award and
would submit in April 2015 ahead of the required renewal date and the implementation of
stricter submission criteria. It was noted that the Provost was chairing a committee to take
forward UCL’s work on the Race Charter Mark and that the Vice-Provost (International) was
also involved in that activity.
5
UCL EQUALITY GROUPS – UPDATE REPORTS
Received:
5.1
Oral reports by the Equality Group Chairs/ Champions:
•
•
•
Sarah Guise (Gender / Religion and Belief / Staff Disability Forum/ Age)
Fiona Addison (LGBT)
Marcia Jacks (RESG).
Reported:
5.2
The Head of Equalities and Diversity noted that the Gender 50:50 Group was in the
process of preparing its institutional Athena SWAN submission as well as considering the
Fellowships and Gender Bias paper prepared by Professor Dolphin. The second meeting of
the Staff Disability Forum was held the previous week and there was discussion around the
UCL Disability Action Plan and the forthcoming Disability History Month. There was nothing
to report on Age and Religion and Belief activities since the last EDC meeting.
5.3
LGBT – Ms Addison noted that the one of the LGBT’s community outreach projects was
with the Albert Kennedy Trust where members of Out@UCL mentored five young people.
The Trust supported young LGBT people in crisis, such as being forced out of their home
due to their sexuality. Many of the individuals in crisis were interested in applying for higher
education and the mentoring scheme was to help them in making an application to any HEI,
not just UCL. The group’s volunteers for this scheme were waiting for mentees and this
activity was funded by the special projects funding from UCL HR Equalities and Diversity
Team. Participation on the scheme would also help UCL in its application to Stonewall for
inclusion in its Top 100 Workplace Equality Index since UCL had not faired well previously
in the ‘community engagement’ section.
5.4
The LEAG had recently launched its LGBTQ Research Network as it was keen to establish
a hub for research on sexuality and gender identity. The Network would host its first event
‘Queer Zoo’ at the Grant Museum on 12 December 2014. The LGBT co-chairs intended to
meet with the Vice-Provost (International) to talk about LGBTQ issues in relation to UCL’s
International Strategy and noted that LGBTQ students seemed to face discriminatory
situations in being protected abroad. It was also intended to produce guidelines about
supporting LGBTQ issues for the UCL community. The LEAG was also trying to promote its
work across UCL and had produced two types of stickers which were welcomed by EDC as
a simple way for both LGBTQ and heterosexual individuals to support the Group’s work and
indicate their support for LGBTQ equality.
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Equalities and Diversity Committee – Minutes – 12 November 2014
5.5
RESG – The Group had been discussing UCL’s submission for a Race Charter Mark. The
Chair was preparing a paper exploring the benefits of a sponsorship scheme for senior
BME staff, to be discussed by the RESG when completed. It was also hoped that
unconscious bias training would be run on an annual basis. Further to Minute 3 above, a
representative from DARO was had been invited to the October meeting of the Group to
talk about targeting scholarships specifically for BME students. The Group was awaiting
feedback from the Provost’s Office about his recent visit to Yale University and had
submitted a request for funding to UCL’s International Office for funding to visit Yale
although it was also considering visiting New York University. The Group was also looking
at its structure in light of the forthcoming UCL-IOE merger in December 2014.
Discussion:
5.6
The Chair noted that UCL would continue its collaborative agreement with Yale and that the
arts and social and historical sciences disciplines might be part of the agreement as the
Yale President was hugely enthusiastic about a collaboration with UCL. However, it was
noted that US HEIs operated in a vastly different legal framework and funding base
compared to the UK while UCL also wished to collaborate with NYU and it needed to
exercise care in deciding which US HEIs to collaborate with. It was also noted that UCL
might enter into a more strategic relationship with Yale with the leadership of the newly
appointed Vice-Provost (International).
6
UCLU STUDENT LIBERATION GROUPS – UPDATE REPORT
Received:
6.1
An oral report by the UCLU sabbatical officers on the activities of the student liberation
groups.
Reported:
6.2
The Black and Minority Ethnic Students’ Officer reported on UCLU activities relating to
disabled students and BME students. A new UCLU Disabled Students Officer had just been
elected and the UCLU intended to run an access week ‘Try it’ project whereby activities
such as wheelchair events to show staff and students the difficulties in accessing parts of
UCL would be recorded. UCLU was also keen that this activity would help in UCL training
for Hall Wardens and Personal Tutors in dealing with disabled students. Secondly, in
relation to BME students, UCLU was working with the RESG to cover issues in relation to
curriculum design and careers progression, where it was latterly in liaison with the UCL
Careers Office and DARO as it was keen to engage with BME alumni.
6.3
The Women’s Officer reported on UCLU activities covering LGBT issues and the Women’s
Network. UCLU was currently working on a programme of events and activities for LGBT
History month to be held in February 2015. This was a very active network which covered
volunteering programmes in schools and trans issues in the medical curriculum. The
Network hoped to set up a volunteering project whereby they visited schools to speak about
STEM subjects. However, its main priority this session was work on a student-led ‘zero
tolerance’ sexual harassment campaign and a fortnight of related activities would
commence on 25 November 2014.
Discussion:
6.4
In relation to a query about UCLU undertaking work on sexism, it was considered to be
difficult to run a campaign on the topic although there had been plenty of discussion at
Cardiff University in recent weeks on this issue as it was a significant concern for some
Student Unions. Some EDC members had recently attended a UCL seminar titled ‘Why is
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Equalities and Diversity Committee – Minutes – 12 November 2014
my curriculum white?’ and considered that a link to it should be shared across the UCL
community. The UCLU intended to circulate the link to students using different mailing
groups and blogs. In relation to UCLU Clubs and Societies that had not yet signed up to
UCL’s zero tolerance sexual harassment campaign, it was hoped that they would have all
signed up by the end of the current term, especially in light of the press interest in this area.
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LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY REPORT
Received:
7.1
The above report at EDC 1-3 (14-15), introduced by Sarah Guise, Head of Equalities and
Diversity.
Reported:
7.2
The Head of Equalities and Diversity explained that a couple of years ago there was a
recommendation to look into the workstream for HoDs and that she put herself forward to
lead on the project to look into this issue. The report covered the transparency of the
process, training, determining factors for women in taking on such roles, ideas about
leaders, ethnicity and made a number of recommendations. EDC was invited to give any
comments on the report and discuss who would be the best audience for taking the
recommendations therein forward.
Discussion:
7.3
In relation to the process for becoming a HoD, it was noted that it was set out in UCL’s
Regulations for Management and that to make any amendments to those Regulations
would require Council approval. A job description for HoDs was also available in the UCL
Academic Manual. The Director of HR considered that the report was excellent and that its
findings were especially alarming. The Provost had asked HR to prepare a report on
refining the process for the selection and appointment of HoDs at UCL as well as the
associated allowances and reward. Although UCL had already moved to open recruitment
using external search firms for senior appointments at Vice-Provost and Faculty Dean level,
moving to such recruitment methods at HoD level was considered to potentially lead to
financial difficulties in some parts of UCL, given the costs involved. The Director of HR
added that UCL was currently looking at preferred recruitment consultancy suppliers for
UCL who would continue to be contractually obliged to prepare a diverse long list and short
list for senior positions at UCL. The Chair noted that he intended to move to open
competition to recruit for Heads of Research Departments in his Faculty.
7.4
EDC considered that the available pool of individuals to become HoDs needed to be
increased internally. It was suggested that the role and responsibilities of HoDs could be
included in the UCL Future Leaders Programme. The Registrar was currently undertaking
the UCL Leadership Training programme for HoDs which she considered to be very
comprehensive and noted that some attendees were undertaking the training with a view to
taking on a HoD role on a trial basis in the first instance. The Chair noted that within his
Faculty individuals were able to try out being HoD for a year before committing themselves
or deciding the role was unsuitable for them.
7.5
It was considered that some of the content in the above report should be included in the
report on the Future Leaders Programme. It was intended that the complete report be
circulated to the 50:50 group. EDC proposed that the report be submitted to HRPC and the
Provost’s SMT for consideration with both the Director of HR and the Head of Equalities
and Diversity in attendance and that, subject to their approval, it be submitted upwards to
UCL Council.
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Equalities and Diversity Committee – Minutes – 12 November 2014
RESOLVED:
7.6
That the report at EDC 1-3 (14-15) be submitted to both HRPC and the Provost’s SMT for
consideration and, subject to their approval, for upwards submission to Council.
ACTION: Sarah Guise / Nigel Waugh
8
RACE CHARTER MARK
Received:
8.1
An oral report by Sarah Guise.
Reported:
8.2
The Provost had endorsed the proposal that UCL participate in the pilot for the new Race
Equality Charter Mark in higher education and would personally oversee its development.
Institutional leads had been identified for specific themes for the Charter and they would be
supported by the Provost’s SMT whilst the HR Equalities and Diversity Team would supply
the required data for the submission and the overall editing. The deadline for the application
was April 2015. The Provost would use his article in a forthcoming edition of The Week
@UCL newsletter 1 to talk about this submission and that HoDs might be asked to pilot
certain activities in their respective areas, as well as being required to supply certain data.
Business for Information
9
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Reported:
9.1
Under Any Other Business, the Chair queried whether it was possible to formulate job
descriptions that could specifically target potential BME applicants. The Director of HR
noted that this was an untested area and that he would liaise with the Chair outside of the
meeting about this issue.
ACTION: Nigel Waugh
10
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Noted:
10.1
The next meeting of the Committee would be held on Tuesday 3 March 2015 at 11.00am in
the Boardroom, 1st Floor – Suite A, Maple House.
RACHEL PORT
Governance Officer (and Research Governance Co-ordinator)
Academic Services, Student and Registry Services
[telephone 020 7679 8879, UCL extension 28879, email: r.port@ucl.ac.uk]
January 2015
1
An article was included in the 15 November 2014 edition of The Week@UCL.
6