Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

We are committed to creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for our students and staff regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The School’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team is committed to monitor EDI-related issues, raise awareness of key issues on inequalities and discrimination, and to provide solutions for positive change to raise the School’s profile in equality, diversity and inclusion, for students and staff.

We bring students together to celebrate diversity through social events, speaker engagements and peer mentoring, and aim to act as an interface between students and staff on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. Our activities also cover curriculum-development initiatives for diversification and decolonisation (for an example, see our contribution to the FutureLearns MOOC on Decolonising Educational Practices).

Our action plan follows the “Fostering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion” theme in the University’s vision and strategy.

  • Athena Swan Bronze Award
    The School established a self-assessment team in September 2019 which reviewed policies and practices within the School and their effect on gender equality. The School has achieved a Bronze Award from the Athena Swan Charter.
  • Student Equality Committee
    The Student Equality Committee consists of student volunteers who provide feedback to staff on equality issues from a student perspective.
  • Diversifying the Curriculum
    The Student Equality Committee advised staff that they would like to see changes to the focus of the curriculum to make it more diverse and inclusive.
  • Mentoring Scheme
    We run a mentoring scheme for undergraduates from overseas and from ethnic minority backgrounds.