Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Objectives 2016-20
Overarching Aim
Create a more inclusive and successful learning community for our
students and staff by increasing our focus on equality and diversity.
Bringing together the commitments made in our Corporate Plan, Learning,
Teaching and Assessment Strategy, Research Strategy, People Strategy,
Employability Strategy, and those endorsed by our Senate Committees
following the work of the QESC QEA on differential achievement of students
across socio-demographic groups, the Disability Working Group and the
Access Agreement Steering Group, we will:
1. Work in partnership with colleagues across our university to identify,
monitor and address differential patterns across the protected
characteristics in the recruitment, progression and achievement of
our staff and students.
1.1 This involves a university-wide commitment to improving data
collection and analysis in order to ensure our ED&I activity remains
meaningful and is evidence-based. The student data analysis will focus
on progression, retention, satisfaction and achievement and staff data
analysis will examine recruitment, sabbatical, appraisal and promotion
statistics. Systematising the regular collation and analysis of equality
data across different work streams is an important element of this
objective, as is the commitment to increase the proportion of women
at senior management and professorial level and the number of role
models from protected groups within the staff population.
1.2 We commit to improving our collection, analysis and subsequent action
planning based on what the data tells us. Following the regular analysis
of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion data, we will determine key
priorities each year on which we will focus activity.
2. Celebrate, communicate and promote equality, diversity and
inclusion.
2.1 This objective responds directly to our public sector equality duty to
foster good relations between protected groups. A Celebrating
Diversity campaign in partnership with the Students’ Union has been
the focus of recent discussions. Ideas for specific actions include the
development of promotional materials to raise awareness of the
diversity of our staff and students, SU-led campaigns, Welcome Week
activities and student, staff network and community events.
3. Embed good equality, diversity and inclusion practice into our daily
activities and decision making processes.
3.1 Within this objective we commit to carrying out a review of the current
structure of ED&I-related policies for both staff and students and of our
institutional approach to equality analysis.
4. Promote and embed inclusive learning, teaching and assessment.
4.1 This student-focused objective supports the work on inclusive practice
led by Anglia Learning and Teaching and that of the Disability Working
Group who have identified priority actions in order to embed inclusive
learning, teaching and assessment practices across the institution.
These include developing a CPD framework on inclusive practice, an
accessibility review of our online resources and the implementation of
a peer support initiative for students.
4.2 Embedding an inclusive approach to learning, teaching and assessment
will benefit all students across all the protected characteristics. The
implementation of these priority actions will involve cross-campus,
cross-faculty and cross-service collaboration and will be championed by
Student Services.
5. Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in our institutional research
activity.
5.1 This objective will involve reviewing the equality profile of our staff
engaged in research to identify their characteristics and assess whether
there are any patterns of activity or institutional support which we
need to address. We will draw upon our Athena Swan submission and
action plan, and monitor data including our REF submissions, our
preparatory REF audits, and our institutional support for
researchers. Activities in response to findings could include positive
action strategies to increase the diversity of our researchers, including
strategies to better identify and meet the development and support
needs of research active staff.
Approved by CMT on 21st March 2016.