University of Essex - Committee Minute
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
8 February 2011
(2– 4pm)
DRAFT MINUTES
Chair / Mrs Stamp
Present / Dr Wayne Campbell, Mrs Sue Endean, Ms Rachel Fletcher, Ms Angela Jones, Mr Syd Kent, Mr Saeed Mohamed, Prof Peter Patrick, Ms Hannah Prime, Dr Kate Rockett, Prof Jane Wright
Apologies / Prof Colin Riordan, Mr Neil Barnard
Secretary / Ms Karen Bush
In attendance / Ms Marianne Provan, Mrs Karen Stephenson
APOLOGIES
Noted / The Chair noted apologies had been received from Prof Colin Riordan and Mr Neil Barnard / 01/11
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 16 November 2010
Approved
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
a) Caring Responsibilities Project (M.79/10) (EADC/10/28)
Reported / Ms Fletcher reported that, as agreed at the last meeting of EADC, a scoping meeting to discuss the feasibility of setting up a project to investigate issues around staff and students with caring responsibilities had taken place. The meeting had agreed a project-based approach that looked at both staff and student issues was appropriate and that, given that the project cannot be funded through TALIF, it should be funded through the Professional Services operational budget for 2011-12. / 02/11
Noted / The Committee expressed great support for the project. / 03/11
Agreed / A costed proposal, which would include recommending appointing a part-time Project Officer, should be put together by Student Support and Equality and Diversity. / 04/11
Action / Mrs Stamp to write a letter noting EADC’s support for the project for inclusion in the project proposal. / 05/11
Reported / Mr Kent reported that the First Aid room owned by Security and located in Biological Sciences, is now available for use as a facility for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Paul Humphries, the Security Manager, has been consulted and has approved this extended use of the room. Advice has been sought from the specialist breast-feeding unit at Colchester General Hospital as to how to appropriately furnish the room. A dedicated room is still however being sought and a bid has been submitted to the Space Management Group. / 06/11
Agreed / Appropriate equipment and furniture for the room for pregnant and nursing mothers should be purchased. / 07/11
(b) LGBT issues (M102/10, M.103/20, M.104/10)
Reported / Mr Kent reported that after making enquiries about the experiences of HEIs who are members of Stonewall and receiving overwhelmingly positive responses, he has arranged meeting with a representative from Stonewall on Wednesday 23 February to discuss the matter further and will report back to EADC in May.
Equality and Diversity have also collaborated with the LGBT Society in inviting staff to join a special Stonewall History lunchtime meeting on 23 February. / 08/11
Action / Mr Kent to report back on his meeting with a representative from Stonewall at the next meeting in May. / 09/11
(c) ECU Religion and Belief Survey (M.107/10)
Reported / There were 75 staff responses and 112 student responses from Essex to the survey. It was not possible to get any other institution-specific data. / 10/11
EQUALITY ACT 2010 – DRAFT REGULATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY (PSED)
Reported / Ms Bush outlined the requirements of the PSED which include publishing, by 31 July 2011, information to demonstrate that the University is compliant with the general equality duty, including evidence of analysis undertaken and details of engagement carried out. In addition, equality objectives must be prepared and published by 6 April 2012. / 11/11
DRAFT EQUALITY POLICY AND STRATEGY (EADC/10/29)
Reported / Ms Bush reported that the production of the draft Equality Policy and Strategy was the culmination of six to nine months work, led by the Implementation Group. The Committee was asked to consider the draft, suggest amendments and approve it to go forward to USG for consideration. / 12/11
Noted / The Policy section is an amalgamation of the existing suite of equality schemes, codes of practice and policy statements and was developed in conjunction with staff that have responsibility for specific areas of operation mentioned in the Policy such as the admission of students and the recruitment of staff. This approach was adopted to avoid duplication of information and to be as concise as possible without ‘watering down’ relevant equality issues.
The strategy contains five components and has been designed to align with the University’s strategic aims.
The components of the action plan mirror that of the strategy. Each component has a number of objectives. The actions corresponding to the objectives were developed using results from the recent staff and student surveys, the Disability Survey 2009 and evidence from a range of other sources. In addition, some outstanding actions from previous schemes have been carried forward to this action plan. / 13/11
Approved / The Committee approved the draft, subject to a few minor amendments, for submission to USG who will be asked to approve it to go forward for consultation with the wider University community. / 14/11
Noted / The Committee welcomed the draft and extended its thanks to the Single Equality Scheme Implementation group for its work. / 15/11
Action / Ms Bush to incorporate changes into document and submit it to USG to ask their approval for it to go forward for consultation. / 16/11
Action / Ms Bush to draw Section 2.6.2 ‘Equality responsibilities of service and facility providers’ to the attention of the Registrar and Secretary, the Director of Finance and the Deputy Director (Purchasing) of the Estate Management Section. / 17/11
REPORT FROM HAN REVIEW GROUP (EADC/10/30)
Noted / Mr Kent summarised the report and the group’s main findings which were that the network is generally working well, there is an important continuing role for it and that no major change to the way in which it operates is necessary. The
main suggested changes and recommendations are as follows:-
§ The introduction of an outsourced mediation service should be explored as an additional means of resolving disputes
§ The Harassment Advisory Group (HAG) should be re-constituted to provide governance and strategic oversight for HAN
§ There should be the opportunity for students to become advisers if they wish to take this up early in their time at Essex
/ 18/11
Agreed / The possibility of outsourcing mediation services and the cost implications of this should be explored. In addition the University should look at providing this service in-house and at opportunities for partnering with other HE Institutions with a view to sharing a pool of trained mediators.
Rather than re-constitute the HAG, the Equality and Diversity Committee should assume responsibility for the network.
Students should be given the opportunity to become advisers and a trial of this for a finite period of time should be arranged. Student advisers should only be permitted to take student cases, not staff cases.
/ 19/11
Action / Ms Endean to explore ways of providing a mediation service and present a costed proposal to USG. / 20/11
Action / Ms Bush to amend the Terms of Reference for EADC to include ‘assume responsibility for the HAN network’ and ask Council to approve this change.
/ 21/11
Action / Mr Kent to make arrangements to recruit and train student advisers. / 22/11
Action / A formal response to the HAN Review Group, based on the minutes of the EADC meeting, to be drafted and sent to the Chair. / 23/11
STUDENT STATISTICS
(a) Student admissions equality data (EADC/10/31)
Noted / The total percentage of undergraduate applicants rejected for entry in 2010 was 26.1% and in the same year the total percentage of disabled applicants rejected was 26.5%. The Committee was reassured by these figures that no discrimination of disabled applicants appears to be taking place. / 24/11
(b) Equality summary report from Disciplinary and Membership Panel
(EADC/10/32)
Noted / The Committee noted the report. / 25/11
(c) Student Complaints equality data (EADC/10/33)
Noted / 25% of complaints were upheld and 69% were dismissed, but it was unclear from the report what had happened to the other 6% of cases (they had been withdrawn). The number of complaints has doubled since 2004 but it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions due to the small numbers involved.
Students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China are less likely to make a formal complaint (one complaint since 2004) and students in the ‘other Asian’ category and those not disclosing their ethnic origin produce proportionally the highest complaints compared to their representation in the student population (7.4% and 24.1% respectively). The reasons for this are unknown but it could be due to cultural and attitudinal differences.
/ 26/11
Agreed / Future reports from the Disciplinary and Membership Panel should explicitly note the % of cases that are withdrawn. / 27/11
(d) Student Support and Counselling Service equality data (EADC/10/34)
Reported / Ms Fletcher reported that the diversity profile of Student Support clients closely matches the diversity profile of the student population. Not many EBS students in Southend use Student Support services but the figures are distorted because not the same level of service is offered in Southend. Ensuring parity of service is a key issue for Student Support in 2011 and the arrangements in both Southend and Loughton will be reviewed.
The appointment of a Community Police Support Officer, Alex Willmot, has been very successful and the role will continue for another year. / 28/11
(e) Careers Centre equality data (EADC/10/35)
Noted / Dr Campbell pointed out that the report was not very useful as it simply looks at the equality profile of students who access the Careers Centre against a benchmark and it highlighted the need to review the gathering and analysis of equality-related statistical information. / 29/11
(f) Student Satisfaction Survey equality data (EADC/10/36)
Noted / The Committee welcomed the report but would have found it helpful to have had an over-arching summary of this information. Some concern was expressed that the information was not being looked at collectively although the data was considered at Department level and this issue should also be factored into the review of the provision of statistical information.
The statistics reveal lower levels of satisfaction with Learning Resources amongst disabled students and the Committee noted that addressing this had been incorporated into the draft action plan of the new equality policy and strategy. / 30/11
Agreed / It would be helpful to receive an over-arching summary of this information in future. / 31/11
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS (EIAs)
Noted / The final report on the EIA on the Progress and Retention of Undergraduate Students will be submitted to the May meeting of EADC.
A ‘fast track’ EIA had been completed on the Annual Review of Academic and Research Staff and the Committee were asked to recommend that a ‘full’ EIA should be conducted on this policy. In order to avoid confusion, the ‘fast track’ method of conducting an assessment of the equality impact should have a different name to the ‘full’ method.
/ 32/11
Agreed / The form used to conduct ‘fast track’ equality impact assessments should be called an EIA Pro-forma, rather than an EIA Template and the process of conducting an EIA on an area of operation should be called an Equality and Diversity Impact Review. / 33/11
Action / Mr Kent to convene a panel to conduct an Equality and Diversity Impact Review on the Annual Review Procedures for Academic and Research Staff. / 34/11
DISABILITY MATTERS
Noted / The Committee noted the report from the Access Forum / 35/11
Reported / Ms Provan reported that the Access For All Students’ Union Minibus is now running and available for all to use. / 36/11
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Noted / The SU LGBT Society had asked for funding to pay for a banner for use at various Gay Pride events taking place in 2011. / 37/11
Agreed / The Committee supports the production of a University of Essex banner that explicitly mentions the 40th anniversary of the SU LGBT Society and agreed that the cost of producing it should be split between Equality and Diversity and Students’ Union. / 38/11
Action / Mrs Stephenson to liaise with the President of the SU Society to make arrangements for the production of the banner. / 39/11
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Noted / The date of the next meeting is Thursday 12 May 2011. / 40/11
Karen Bush
Policy and Projects Officer, Human Resources
March 2011