Delivering Diverse St Andrews
“In 2023, the University published the Diverse Action Plan (DAP) setting out an initial set of actions to deliver on the University’s ambitions to become a beacon of inclusivity outlined in the University Strategy. Having a plan is, of course, only the start and here we report on what has been delivered over the past year and priorities for the year ahead.
“None of this progress would have been possible without the ideas, commitment and contribution of colleagues, and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for everyone working to support inclusion and diversity across the University.
“Should you have any questions, suggestions or feedback about this update or our work to support a Diverse St Andrews please do email me direct or contact [email protected].”
Dr Rebekah Widdowfield
Vice-Principal (People and Diversity)
Progress in 2023/24
Initial delivery of the DAP focused on development and completion of charter work aimed at addressing inequalities. In March, we received an institutional Athena Swan Silver award in recognition of our progress in advancing gender equality across the University and plans for further progress focused around a number of priorities including increasing representation of women in the professoriate and senior roles, supporting career pathways, and addressing intersectional inequalities.
Among the progress highlighted in the application and acknowledged by the assessment panel was the work to address gender-based violence, recognised in St Andrews becoming the first University to be awarded the EmilyTest Charter in November 2023. This included providing trauma-informed accommodation options, and the creation of innovative consent and bystander intervention training.
Most recently, we were delighted to secure a Race Equality Charter Bronze award. This was a detailed self-assessment of our staff and student experience, curriculum and culture leading to a comprehensive plan setting out a suite of actions to advance race equality, including strengthening race equality leadership, reforming recruitment, and bolstering antiracist pedagogy.
All three Charter awards are the culmination of a great deal of effort by a great many people across the University over a number of years. Equally, we are clear that Charter awards are not an end in themselves, and attention is now firmly focused on ensuring delivery of the action plans. To that end, we have bolstered our EDI governance arrangements with a new EDI Committee, are establishing an Athena Swan Implementation Group (ASIG) – for which members and a Chair are being sought – and a similar group is being set up to support delivery of the REC action plan.
Other key developments over the past year, outside the Charter work, include:
- Launching a new Diversity and Inclusion Calendar as a mechanism for bringing together and promoting diversity initiatives across the University around bi-monthly themes, and providing key resources to help foster a culture of understanding and inclusion. The first theme focused on Accessibility, and the second on Race and Ethnicity.
- Strengthening staff networks recognising their important role in supporting belonging at St Andrews role. This has included looking at terms of reference, governance and funding. Further information on the BAME Staff Network, Staff with Disabilities and Neurodivergence Network, LGBTQI+ Employee Network and the Parents and Carers Network can be found on our newly updated webpage.
- A revised mandatory student EDI training course was introduced in August 2024 which all students must complete during matriculation. The course covers themes such as protected characteristics and class, inclusive language and pronouns, forms of bias, bullying and harassment, allyship and bystander intervention, and freedom of expression.
- Reviewing and revising our pay gap reporting to ensure it provides comprehensive data and actionable insights, with the latest pay gap reports published on our website.
Priorities for 2024-25
We have identified the following key priorities for the next 12 months:
- A suite of actions around behaviours including development of a set of behavioural expectations, reviewing and redeveloping core EDI training for staff, further rolling out Active Bystander Training, and building trust in our Report and Support system. We have also established a working group to explore how Freedom of Speech can best be operationalised within the St Andrews community context.
- Building belonging and community including progressing actions related to bringing staff together socially from across the institution, strengthening support for new staff, and exploring how we might enhance our use of role models.
- Running a campaign toencourage staff to update their personal information as the basis for identifying and addressing any issues of under-representation, accurately reporting diversity progress and improving policy development and implementation.
What can I do to continue supporting this work?
Everyone has a part to play in ensuring a diverse and inclusive St Andrews. Here are just some of the ways you can get involved:
- Read and raise awareness of institutional action plans (including the Diverse, Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter action plans) and reflect on how you and your School, Unit, Society or Network can support delivery of these actions.
- Explore opportunities to be more involved in this work, for example, joining a School/Unit EDI committee, expressing interest in being part of the Athena Swan Implementation Group, or Race Equality Charter Monitoring and Implementation Group.
- Read information and engage with the Learn and Do sections presented under each Diversity Calendar theme and consider contributing a reflection piece or information on relevant projects, events or initiatives.
- Share information on any events you are running related to EDI with [email protected] to support visibility and opportunities for our community to come together.
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