Findings: Sector-leading and innovative practice in advancing equality and diversity Report to HEFCE by the Equality Challenge Unit April 2017 © HEFCE 2017 1 Glossary of terms used in this report = Allies: Within an equality, diversity and inclusion context, ‘ally’ is used for an individual who – while not sharing the equality characteristic – is a declared supporter and advocate of those who have this characteristic. = BME/BAME: ‘Black and minority ethnic’ or ‘Black, Asian and minority ethnic’. Wherever possible we have replicated the preferred usage from the original submissions. For the latest statistics on BME staff and student representation in higher education see Equality Challenge Unit’s (ECU’s) 2016 Equality in Higher Educational Statistical Report = Disability: HEIs use the term disability to refer to a range of impairments and long term health conditions including mental, physical, unseen and visible impairments. For the latest statistics on disabled staff and student representation in Higher Education see ECU’s 2016 Equality in Higher Educational Statistical Report = DSA: Disabled Students’ Allowance = E&D/ED/EDI: Abbreviations for ‘equality and diversity’ or ‘equality, diversity and inclusion’ often used to identify a particular strategy or policy, or a particular team responsible for such work within an institution = HEFCE: Higher Education Funding Council for England = HEI: Higher education institution = LGBT/LGBTQ/LGBT+: Refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning. For this report we have endeavoured to use the terminology used by the submitting institution or group. = Professional services: Used throughout to refer to a range of non-academic staff roles. = Reasonable adjustments: The Equality Act 2010 permits institutions to treat a disabled person more favourably than a non-disabled person, and places a duty on them to make reasonable adjustments for staff, students and service users in relation to: a provision, criterion or practice; physical features; auxiliary aids. The extent of the duty to make adjustments will differ depending on context. There is an anticipatory duty to provide reasonable adjustments for students, which requires HEIs to take a strategic approach to addressing the barriers that potentially impede disabled students. This will involve institutions putting in place systems that can be activated as appropriate for disabled students, staff and/or visitors. Alongside this, disabled students and staff are entitled to individual reasonable adjustments for specific requirements. There is no anticipatory duty in the field of employment. = Specific learning difficulty/difference: Used to refer to a range of conditions such as dyslexia, or dyspraxia. = STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics = Support services: Used throughout to refer to a range of formal services, resources and personnel provided by the university to offer support and advice (usually related to welfare, wellbeing, health, or funding to a group of students or staff (or both). = Trans and transgender: ‘Trans’ and ‘transgender’ are inclusive umbrella terms for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex (male or female) they were assigned at birth. The term may include, but is not limited to, trans men and women, non-binary people and dual-role people. Not all people that can be included in the term will associate with it. 2 Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5 Key findings ........................................................................................................................ 6 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 9 Evidencing practice ........................................................................................................ 9 What is ‘sector-leading’ and ‘innovative’ practice? ........................................................ 9 Assessing examples ...................................................................................................... 10 Institution-wide initiatives to embed equality.................................................................. 11 Equality champions ...................................................................................................... 11 Initiatives to combat gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment ............. 12 Networks to promote equality ..................................................................................... 14 Pay gaps ....................................................................................................................... 16 Cultural change ............................................................................................................ 17 Departmental data ........................................................................................................... 18 Events .............................................................................................................................. 19 Governance and policy ..................................................................................................... 20 Staff ................................................................................................................................. 23 Recruitment ................................................................................................................. 23 Staff progression and development ............................................................................. 24 Mentoring .................................................................................................................... 26 Maternity leave and career breaks ............................................................................... 27 Disability ...................................................................................................................... 29 Training ........................................................................................................................ 30 3 Flexible working options .............................................................................................. 33 Students ........................................................................................................................... 34 Outreach work ............................................................................................................. 34 Promotion of Higher Education ................................................................................. 34 Specific courses ......................................................................................................... 36 Careers and industry .................................................................................................... 37 Supporting transition to higher education ................................................................... 39 Teaching and Learning ................................................................................................. 40 Student support, retention and attainment ................................................................. 42 Experience ................................................................................................................... 46 Training ........................................................................................................................ 47 Initiatives to watch ........................................................................................................... 49 Qualitative and quantitative evaluation ........................................................................... 52 Recommendations for future exercises to identify sector-leading and innovative practice ......................................................................................................................................... 53 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 55 Annex A: Criteria used to evaluate practice ..................................................................... 56 List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ 58 4 Introduction In the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE’s) 2016 Grant Letter from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE was asked to collect evidence of sector-leading and innovative practice in advancing equality and diversity across the higher education sector in England www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2016/CL,162016/. HEFCE sees equality and diversity as essential pre-conditions for excellence in the higher education sector. Ensuring staff and student communities are diverse and representative is a legal obligation for institutions receiving HEFCE funding, as part of their public sector Equality Duty. It is also a matter of social justice and good business practice, so these principles should be hard-wired into universities' missions and values. The evidence received from 49 higher education institutions (HEIs) across England highlights the sector’s commitment to equality and diversity. Many of the examples received were exemplary and highlight that equality work in the higher education sector often has a much broader reach than a single institution. Examples have been received of partnerships between