Equality and Diversity

Annual Report

2011-12

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT 2011-12 Contents FOREWORD ...................................................................................................................................... 2 SECTION 1: EQUALITY & DIVERSITY OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT .................................... 3 INTRODUCTION TO THE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY OFFICE ........................................ 3 REPORT ON CORE ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................... 4 REPORT ON EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY PRIORITIES 2011-12 ........................................... 9 PRIORITY 1: COMPLIANCE WITH EQUALITY ACT AND DUTY ........................................ 9 PRIORITY 2: RACE EQUALITY POLICY AND RECOMMENDATION ............................... 13 PRIORITY 3: EQUALITY ISSUES FROM STAFF SURVEY ...................................................... 22 REPORT CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 24 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY OFFICE OBJECTIVES 2012-13................................................. 25

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Equality and Diversity Committee meeting, June 2012

FOREWORD As this report demonstrates, the University has made considerable progress in advancing the equality and diversity agenda over the past year. Of particular note are our efforts to promote awareness of equality issues through forums and speakers on campus; the development of much-improved web pages containing a range of information and data concerning equality and diversity; and the steps we have taken to implement the race equality action plan. In addition, the Equality and Diversity Committee has considered carefully the results of the recent staff survey, and has identified a number of priority areas for action in the light of what staff tell us about their experiences on campus.

The Equality Act 2010 gives greater prominence to the needs of individuals with a wide range of protected characteristics (age, disability, race, gender, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief or non-belief and gender reassignment). This fits with the values of the University of York, which seeks to ensure that all members of our diverse and international community are able to achieve their full potential in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. I am grateful to the staff of the Equality & Diversity Office for leading our work in this area, but also to the many thousands of students and members of staff who wholeheartedly support this agenda. We look forward to making further real progress in the year to come.

David Duncan Registrar and Secretary 2

SECTION 1: EQUALITY & DIVERSITY OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT

INTRODUCTION TO THE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY OFFICE The University of York has a dedicated Equality and Diversity team consisting of a full-time Senior Equality and Diversity Adviser (Lois Gregory), a full-time Equality and Diversity Adviser (Linda Whiting) and a part-time (50%) Administrator (Lena Barrett). The office is located within the Registrars and Planning Department with the Senior Equality and Diversity Adviser reporting to the Registrar & Secretary. Information, advice and support on disability issues is provided by Disability Services, located within Student Support Services. The role of the Equality and Diversity Office at the University of York is:    

To provide information and support to staff and students on a wide range of equality matters To develop awareness of equality and diversity through publicity, training and networks To advise on legislation and good practice and inform the University‟s work through committees and publicity To co-ordinate the University‟s anti-harassment work and the network of Harassment Advisers and provide guidance to those who experience discrimination, bullying or harassment.

A section reporting on these core areas of work is included in this Annual Report. The work on equality in the University is supported by a number of equality and diversity policies which aim to ensure that everyone working and studying at the University is treated fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect. The University‟s Equality and Diversity Committee, which meets 3 times a year, oversees a strategic approach to ensure that equality policies and principles are translated into action. The Committee is chaired by the Registrar & Secretary and members include student union representatives from the University of York Students‟ Union (YUSU) and the Graduate Students Association (GSA) as well as academic and support staff. Each year, the Equality and Diversity Office, in conjunction with the Committee and the Registrar & Secretary, identify key priorities which become the focus of the work for the forthcoming year. The priorities for 2011-12 are the focus of this report and are listed in the relevant section below.

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REPORT ON CORE ACTIVITIES 1.

Staff Equality Networks The Equality and Diversity Office supports two staff equality fora which offer opportunities for networking, support and development and a means of consulting with staff on key issues.

2.



The Staff Race Equality Forum: Rita Sanderson of York Racial Equality Network (YREN) spoke about YREN‟s work and the support provided to individuals experiencing racial harassment in the city at the meeting of the forum in March 2012. Forum members were also kept informed throughout the year via regular updates on national initiatives for example Black History Month events.



LGBTI Matters (Staff Sexual Diversity and Equality Forum): one meeting was held during 2011-12 at which issues arising from the 2011 Staff Survey in relation to lesbian, gay and bisexual staff were discussed. Two further meetings of a working group to progress the work in relation to the survey were held during April/May 2012 (reported on in Priority 3). Forum members on the confidential mailing list were regularly updated throughout the year on information about national initiatives such as relevant research reports and conferences.

Complaints related to harassment and bullying 2011-12 A core area of work of the Equality and Diversity Office is to give advice, support and guidance in relation to allegations of harassment and bullying. The emphasis of the work is on early resolution at an informal stage, where appropriate. This work includes giving advice and support to individuals and to managers and other staff (for example academic supervisors in relation to student cases) on the resolution of complaints and giving support and advice to Harassment Advisers on handling complex cases. Numbers of ‘cases’: During the reporting period 1 September 2011 – 31 May 2012, 13 members of staff and 11 students raised allegations of harassment directly with the Equality and Diversity Office. We note that this is not the full picture of incidents of harassment within the University as, in line with the University‟s Code of Practice, individuals are encouraged to raise their complaint as close to the source of the alleged harassment as possible. Staff members may raise issues with a senior manager within departments and/or with their HR manager, for example. Students can raise complaints with a number of officers and this often depends upon the setting in which the issue has arisen. Furthermore, the number of „cases‟ above indicates where an allegation of harassment has been made and not that is has been found to have occurred. Of the cases raised with the E&D Office, 14 (7 relating to staff and 7 to students) required further action to be taken by the E&D Office, including liaising with managers, HR, Service Managers, Student Support Services, by providing guidance to Harassment Advisers. The remainder were less complex queries involving the provision of advice/guidance to the individual(s) raising the complaint and no further action. During this reporting period no cases proceeded to the formal procedure of the Code of Practice on Harassment.

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Types of harassment: The complaints of harassment/bullying brought to the attention of the E&D Office for this reporting period are varied in nature. Amongst students who contacted the office, the most common types of complaint were allegations of:  

Harassment/bullying via Facebook or other forms of electronic communication. Harassment/bullying by housemates in private accommodation off-campus.

Amongst staff complainants the most common types of allegations were:   

bullying by managers peer-to-peer bullying/harassment inappropriate communication during times of stress - for example reacting to disagreements immediately giving rise to complaints of inappropriate behaviour There were also a number of allegations emerging when performance/capability issues were being addressed by managers. 3.

Advice and guidance on equality-related issues During the reporting year 1 June 2011 – 31 May 2012 the Equality and Diversity Office gave advice and guidance on 17 equality-related issues raised by individuals. These covered the range of protected characteristics and some general fairness issues. There have been a cluster of queries in relation to religion and belief, for example the timetabling of prayers coinciding with essential timetabled activity and a number of queries around identifying private space for breastfeeding for both members of staff and students.

4.

Harassment Adviser Network The Equality and Diversity Office supports the network of Harassment Advisers, trained members of the University who provide a first point of contact for staff or students experiencing harassment or bullying. A list of Harassment Advisers is on the web and includes contact details and a short profile of each Adviser. Contact is maintained via an email list. The office maintains an information forum web page accessible by Harassment Advisers only with links to resources and the statistical forms which Advisers use to provide anonymised information on contacts. During the reporting year 1 June 2011- 31 May 2012, Harassment Advisers received 23 contacts for advice on issues related to harassment and bullying. 10 contacts were from students, 7 from staff and 6 were from unknown sources. Of these 23 contacts, 6 resulted in informal resolution, 2 remain unresolved/ongoing, 5 chose not to pursue further, 2 were referred to the E&D Office, 2 were referred to HR and 3 were referred to other sources of help. The outcome of 3 contacts is not known. The E&D Office ran a workshop for Harassment Advisers in April 2012 on the new Code of Practice. HR colleagues presented on the Grievance Procedure and the University‟s Mediation Service.

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5.

Sharing Good Practice and Networking Events a)

North East Universities Equality and Diversity Group (NEUEDG) The Equality and Diversity Office is represented on the North East Universities Equality and Diversity Group (NEUEDG), a practitioner network of representatives with responsibility for equality and diversity. Meetings are held termly with rotating chairing and hosting by member institutions. The November 2011 meeting was hosted at York. One of the key areas under discussion at this meeting was the forthcoming requirement to publish equality objectives in line with the Equality Act. Gary Loke and Chris Brill of the Equality Challenge Unit led a presentation/discussion on the challenges of developing the objectives. The opportunity was taken to present to other equality and diversity specialists on the University‟s progress on gender equality; a presentation on Athena Swan at York was given by Professor Paul Walton of the Chemistry Department to the network followed by a general discussion.

b) Higher Education Equal Opportunities Network (HEEON) HEEON is an independent national network of Equalities Practitioners, and those interested in Equality and Diversity, in Higher Education. The Equality and Diversity Office regularly attends their conferences and was represented at the January 2012 conference on meeting the new equality-specific duties.

c)

Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) The ECU works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education. The Equality and Diversity Office this year was represented at the following ECU events:  Research Excellence Framework and Equality Workshop  Race Equality Workshop

d) WorkAge Project In February 2012 the Equality and Diversity Office hosted a visit from five Polish HR Managers working in partnership with York College on their WorkAge Project (www.yorkcollege.ac.uk/equalityanddiversity/workage/). Three presentations were given by University of York staff:  An overview of Equality and Diversity at York: Lois Gregory, E&D Office  The mechanics of recruitment: Rob Hargrave, HR Shared Services Manager  Recruitment Policy: Corinne Howie, HR Manager

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6.

Other equality related work - events/projects a) Faiths on Campus On 18 October 2011 the Senior Equality and Diversity Adviser co-hosted the “Faiths on Campus” event with colleagues from Student Support Services. This event is held annually during the first week of the academic term. The aim of this event is to provide an opportunity for new students to meet with faith contacts and other students. It has been a successful event in terms of inter-faith dialogue and as one of a range of activities and events aimed at welcoming new students to the University. b) Off-campus harassment In view of the increase in numbers of complaints in relation to conflict amongst students living off campus in shared private rented accommodation, the Equality and Diversity Office is currently (June 2012) working with colleagues in Student Support Services to develop strategies to address this. An awareness-raising campaign aimed at students is planned, and the introduction of initiatives such as training in basic mediation skills for members of staff is being investigated. This work has included liaison with private landlords to seek their support in displaying key information within the houses they are letting to students of the University.

c)

Crime Reduction The Equality and Diversity Office is represented at the Crime Reduction Group meetings held regularly on campus.

d) Prevent Strategy The Equality and Diversity Adviser attended an awareness-raising workshop on the government‟s Prevent Strategy which aims to prevent people from being drawn into extremism. The workshop was run by Carolyn Hardman of North Yorkshire Police and Jackie Jackson of Safer York. 7.

Provision of equality and diversity training The E&D Office provide training and briefings on equality related issues. This year significant progress has been made around the provision of awareness-raising at staff University inductions and Diversity in the Workplace Face-to-Face sessions. Many other tailored one-off sessions have been provided. Training provided by the office to meet the requirements of the Equality Act and Duty is outlined in Priority 1d below. A further list of all training provided is available at Appendix A.

8.

Publicity and Promotion of Equality and Diversity The E&D Office aims to raise awareness of equality and diversity issues through a variety of different media. The principal ways are through the website: www.york.ac.uk/admin/eo which is frequently updated, via YorkExtra, publicity material (for example leaflets, posters and postcards), student handbooks and the Equality and

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Diversity Roadshow. initiatives.

9.

See Appendix B for further details and examples of these

Training courses attended by E&D Staff Staff of the Equality and Diversity team have continued to update their skills and knowledge through attending regular training, for example:    

Investigations and Hearings Training Managing Performance and Retirement within the Law Handling Complaints Leadership in Action programme (Senior E&D Adviser)

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REPORT ON EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY PRIORITIES 2011-12

PRIORITY 1: COMPLIANCE WITH EQUALITY ACT AND DUTY 1.

Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Equality Act and Duty through: a. b. c. d. e.

The development of equality objectives on the protected characteristics Meeting the equality data requirements The implementation of a revised procedure for equality analysis (EQIA) Provision of a programme of training and awareness-raising The implementation of the revised equality policies

October 2011 saw the introduction of the Equality Duty, which added to the legislation in place on the Equality Act. The University has welcomed this legislation which has seen protection strengthened across all areas of equality. In line with the requirements of the legislation, the University‟s work this year has focused on meeting the data requirements, the development of objectives across the protected characteristics, the implementation of the revised equality policies and a programme of awareness-raising and training around the Act and Duty.

a.

The development of equality objectives on the protected characteristics The requirement for setting and publishing equality objectives came into force in April 2012. In order to develop the objectives, consideration was given to information on current equality issues across the University. This picture was established from data and information from a variety of sources including consultations, forums and surveys of staff and students, equality progress reports, the analysis of equality data and comparison with benchmarks, issues arising in committees, the outcomes of complaints and the results of Equality Impact Assessments. The University's objectives have been developed to demonstrate how the University plans to meet the aims of the general equality duty across all of the protected characteristics. The objectives are set out in the form of a) overarching equality objectives and b) specific objectives within each protected characteristic area. www.york.ac.uk/admin/eo/EqualityObjectives.htm The objectives were agreed at the meeting of the University Equality and Diversity Committee at the meeting on 1 March 2012. Many of the objectives are incorporated in action plans in relation to specific pieces of work, for example the Staff Survey Action Plans or within established equality schemes (in the case of the priorities on disability and gender equality). The requirement under the Equality Duty is to set new objectives every 4 years and review progress annually. The University will review progress towards the objectives each year with progress being reported on annually to the University's Equality and Diversity Committee at the June meeting.

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b.

Meeting the equality data requirements In order to demonstrate that the University is meeting its legal requirements under the Equality Duty, the University – along with other public bodies – was required to publish data by 31 January 2012. This data is provided in an accessible format, available in the public domain. During December 2011 and January 2012 the Equality and Diversity Office developed a series of web pages: „Meeting the Equality Duty: University of York Information‟ www.york.ac.uk/admin/eo/EqualityInformation.htm which were published in order to meet the legal deadline. The web pages have enabled information to be presented in a format to which new data can be easily incorporated and progress on equality initiatives updated on a frequent basis. The Equality and Diversity Office worked with colleagues in Human Resources and the Planning Office to use current systems and develop new systems to produce data. Student related equality data on applications and current student numbers is now available in an interactive format via Tableau linked from the Equality and Diversity Office web pages. The generic web page sets out the way the University has gathered its equality information: „Data and information were obtained from a variety of sources including reports already available in the public domain such as the Disability and Gender Equality schemes with links to other sources of data‟. Additionally, there is a specific page on each of the protected characteristics with links to relevant information/data within each of these areas. The equality information web pages also draw together some of the University-wide initiatives on equality, supported by a range of developments at departmental level which is essential to ensuring equality is embedded at all levels throughout the University. Examples include participation in the Athena SWAN and Juno awards by science departments. The information gathered has been key in evidencing where the University needs to focus in order to continue to improve and develop its work on equality; to address any possible disadvantage and ensure that all options for further promoting the work on equality have been addressed. From this data, the equality objectives (reported in 1.a have been identified).

c.

The implementation of a revised procedure for equality analysis (EQIA) Since the setting of the E&D objectives for the period 2011-12, the legal requirement to carry out EQIA has been removed - and the priority for this work within the University has shifted due to this change in the legal requirement. However, it is recognised that carrying out EQIA during policy development, where there is a change, restructure etc. is a very effective way of ensuring that due consideration is given to equality implications (and therefore ensuring that the University is compliant with the Equality Act and Duty). The University procedure has therefore been updated to reflect the introduction of the new protected characteristics. The E&D Office has continued to provide advice and guidance in this area with a number of queries and opportunities to provide training on a 1:1 basis in relation to equality impact assessment. The University‟s OFFA agreement was equality impact assessed in May 2012 with the Director of Student Support Services and the Widening

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Participation Manager. The Senior Equality and Diversity Adviser met with the Research Strategy and Policy Manager in June 2012 to discuss EQIA in relation to the Research Excellence Framework.

d.

Provision of a programme of training and awareness-raising Raising awareness of the Equality Act and Duty has taken place through a variety of different media including the web pages, publicity material and the Equality and Diversity Office Roadshow (see earlier section on publicity on Equality and Diversity). The focus of messages has been: o the Act itself – and what is different under the new legislation o setting expectations in terms of behaviour and within the „dignity and respect‟ and equal and fair treatment banner o publicity around the Code of Practice on Harassment and other equality policies o where to raise issues or complaints o links to further information and sources of support and advice Training materials have been updated to reflect the changes around the new legislation. In terms of courses/sessions delivered, the main priorities have been: 

Central University staff inductions, organised centrally by Professional Organisational Development (POD), which include a short session provided by staff of the E&D Office on “Introduction to Equality, Diversity and Harassment‟ including an overview of the Equality Act. During the reporting period June 2011 – June 2012, there have been 6 inductions and approximately 140 members of staff have been trained in this way.



Work has continued to promote the online Diversity in the Workplace module following the comprehensive update of the module to bring it in line with the Equality Act in January 2011. 628 members of staff have completed the module since the update in January 2011.



Face-to-face training sessions on „Diversity in the Workplace‟ aimed at members of catering, cleaning and estates staff who do not regularly access a computer at work are provided by the E&D Office. 3 sessions have run this year providing training for 38 staff. This is an interactive session with opportunity to explore and discuss a wide range of equality issues including the „protected characteristics‟. This session has been particularly effective when delivered to a whole team.

The Recognising and Dealing with Harassment training session has been updated to reflect the Act and a session is planned for the end of June 2012. The office provided a number of one-off training sessions around the Equality Act:  

A session on equality and diversity for college welfare teams as part of a two-day programme (October 2011) A workshop for mediators on the Equality Act and harassment issues (March 2012)

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Discussions on training to support the work on the Research Equality Framework has commenced in consultation with colleagues in the Research Office and HR. The University‟s POD team co-ordinates a range of other equality-related training courses including those provided by Disability Services and courses with a strong equality-related content (e.g. Recruitment and Selection) run by Human Resources staff. e.

The implementation of the revised equality policies The main thrust of the work this year has been in terms of raising awareness across the suite of policies updated in the light of the Equality Act:    

E&D in Employment Policy E&D Policy for Students Race Equality Policy Code of Practice on Harassment

The E&D in Employment Policy, E&D Policy for Students and the Race Equality Policy 1 were all updated in the previous reporting year, but the implementation and awarenessraising around the policies has taken place this year. Along with the recent launch of the Code of Practice on Harassment, the approach of the publicity has been to promote the key messages of equality, fair treatment, dignity and respect amongst all members of the University community. In addition to the implications around the policies, information has been provided to both staff and students on sources of further support, how to raise issues of concern or make a complaint and encouraging staff to take further training - for example by completing the „Diversity in the Workplace‟ module. Code of Practice on Harassment: The main policy development this year has been the completion of the revision of the Code of Practice on Harassment – a piece of work which had commenced during the previous reporting year. Principle considerations in the review of the policy were to ensure that it was streamlined, fit for purpose, provided clarity and was in line with other University procedures and the Equality Act. It was also necessary to ensure that the procedure for handling formal complaints was revised following the disbanding of the Dignity at Work and Study Committee. The main changes to the Code have been publicised (see Appendix B for an example of this publicity).  there are now two separate procedures for staff and for students  at the formal stage staff proceed to the grievance procedure and students to the formal stage of the Student Complaints Procedure  there has been a change in terminology used, moving away from „Alleged Harasser‟ to more neutral terminology „individual who is the subject of the complaint‟  greater emphasis is placed on the role of managers to ensure issues of harassment brought to their attention are resolved Monitoring on the Code of Practice on Harassment and across the other equality policies is kept under review by the Equality and Diversity Committee. 1

For full report on progress on recommendations on the race equality policy see Priority 2 below

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PRIORITY 2: RACE EQUALITY POLICY AND RECOMMENDATION Race equality - oversee the development of an action plan; implement recommendations and the new policy As a result of the University‟s Race Equality Consultation, 9 Recommendations were identified. These are outlined in a series of web pages which also set out recent developments on race equality within each of the broad areas of the Recommendations. www.york.ac.uk/admin/eo/Race/Consultation2009.htm Initiatives and developments within each of the areas includes work by many individuals across the University, and the Equality and Diversity Office has liaised with relevant staff in order to identify progress in each area. Substantial progress has been made on many of the recommendations.

Progress Update on recommendations: Recommendation 1: Develop, publicise and implement a new Race Equality Policy and objectives, drawing on the findings of the consultation. The Race Equality Policy was agreed by the Equality and Diversity Committee (EDC) at its meeting in June 2011. The policy is aligned with the Equality Act and reflects the University‟s current priorities on race equality.

Recommendation 2: Incorporate awareness of diverse cultures and faiths in equality and diversity training for all staff. PGCAP A session entitled “Developing an Inclusive Curriculum” is included in the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) programme enabling students to: 1)

evaluate their teaching, learning and assessment practices with regard to inclusive practice develop strategies to support the development of inclusive curricula for all students

2)

We also contribute to PGCAP with sessions on teaching to diverse groups of students and to Postgraduates Who Teach (PGWT), helping internationally-recruited students to enhance their interactions with those whom they teach. CELT The Centre for English Language Teaching (CELT) offers sessions for all front-line nonacademic staff (catering, porters, administrative) in intercultural communication. Objectives for 2012-3: -

To continue to provide and to expand all the above mentioned activities, including running one or more sessions for catering staff, porters, front-line administrative staff, PGCAP participants and to run at least one series of sessions for PGWT.

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To increase the number of integrated In-Sessional English courses from the current 3 to 5.

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To maintain current levels of non-integrated and Open-Access In-Sessional English.

Recommendation 3: Promote and celebrate the diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths on campus Work continues on internationalising the student experience in the International Relations Office. The Study Abroad Office has relocated to a more visible and accessible location in Derwent College, and they are engaged in a number of activities to promote international experience to prospective and current students. Participation in all forms of international experience at undergraduate level has grown considerably, and we are working to a target of 20% participation by 2020. We continue to promote international events on campus with the active help of Colleges, Student organisations and support departments (eg catering and campus services). Derwent College has an established international feel in a small way. IRO and the College, with help from student bodies and Commercial Services, will continue to find ways to develop this presence further. The Equality and Diversity Office continue to raise awareness in relation to ethnicity, faith and culture. The web pages on the protected characteristics of race and religion have been extensively revised this year. The office continues to promote awareness around relevant issues for example via publicity and the race equality forum. An example of publicity in relation to religion and belief is provided at Appendix B.

Recommendation 4: Review the Code of Practice on Harassment and develop an implementation plan for the revised Code. The review of the Code of Practice is reported on in Section 1e of this report. Recommendation 5: Work with external partners to address off-campus harassment issues. Progress on this recommendation is set out on p.7 of this report. Recommendation 6: Improve integration and support for international staff Human Resources: Employee Engagement and Inclusivity The results of the 2011 Staff Survey allow us the opportunity to review the support that we provide for existing international staff and identify further areas for improvement. 67% (2,286) of employees took part in the 2011 Staff Survey. The survey included two new questions relating specifically to internationalisation, one of the four themes of the University Plan.

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-

I believe the University has an international outlook in all of its activities:

5% 1%

Strongly Agree 21%

Agree

20%

Neither agree nor disagree Disagree

53%

[2,210 respondents answered this question; 74% (1,636) agreed with the statement]

-

Is English your first language? Yes / No:

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

1977

English

176

133

Other

Not stated

75% (1,483) of respondents whose first language was English agreed that the University has an international outlook in all of its activities compared to 69% (121) of respondents whose first language was not English. Responses to all 100 survey questions were analysed to see if there were any significant differences in the views and experiences of staff whose first language is and is not English. Some differences were noted but careful interpretation of the findings is necessary given:  

the relatively small proportion of respondents with a first language other than English (176) the number of respondents who did not answer the question about their first language (133)  the fact that the University employs a number of international and minority ethnic staff whose first language IS English The findings will be considered further and used to inform the next phase of the Engagement & Inclusivity project.

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International Relations Office: The International Steering Group and the Staff Forum on Internationalisation have each discussed issues of integration and carried out research to inform those discussions. Both of these bodies are under review at present - they may be retained or reconfigured - but the integration of students and staff of different nationalities will remain a key point for discussion and potential action. A team from York has just been accepted onto the Higher Education Academy change management programme looking at internationalising teaching and learning. Our project, formulated by Dr Paul Roberts of CELT and Hilary Layton of IRO, will consider curriculum content, teaching pedagogy and approaches to assessment, and hopes to transform our approach to teaching 'global citizens'.

Recommendation 7: Develop strategies in support of the recruitment and induction of BME (black and minority ethnic) staff and improve integration and support for international staff HR representation on the University‟s Staff Race Equality Forum, and Staff Forum on Internationalisation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to progressing race equality at the University and translating the University‟s Internationalisation Strategy into action. We provide:  A web-based job application system which is accessible 24 hours a day  A Recruitment and Selection training course which is mandatory for staff who chair

recruitment panels or who are regularly involved in recruitment and selection. An updated Manager‟s Guide has also been developed which will be launched in the Summer Term.  An International Staff Relocation Handbook to help international staff settle in the UK and a

Relocation Handbook for staff moving to York from elsewhere in the UK – both are updated on a quarterly basis to reflect new information and feedback from users  A "Welcome Service" for staff relocating to York, particularly from outside the UK, to take

up employment at the University. The service provides new employees with access to a named Welcomer who provides advice, guidance and support to the individual and their families (if also relocating) throughout their relocation. Since the service was launched in January 2011, the Welcomers (employees of the University who provide relocation advice in addition to their main roles) have actively assisted around 50 people, 19 of whom were from overseas.  A central induction for all staff which includes presentations and information from University

staff on the vision and culture of the University, the various services and facilities available (including those linked to Equality & Diversity) and the opportunity to meet and network with other staff members.  An online Diversity in the Workplace training module, completion of which is compulsory for

all staff

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 Workshops on „Cultural Awareness‟ and „Interactions with international students‟ which

cover aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication, highlight the challenges faced by international staff and students when working and studying in the UK and suggests ways of enhancing international and intercultural interactions. Recommendation 8: Campus and Commercial Services – continue to meet diverse needs with respect to variety of foods on offer, prayer provision, range of non-alcohol events/activities, support over Christmas holidays 1.

Halal service We continue to respond to requests and initiate improvements to our Halal service.

2.



All the permanent RKC managers, kitchen and catering service staff attended a one-day Halal training course in March 2012 to improve their knowledge of Islamic religion and Halal food issues.



The Commercial Services Business Development Manager and Executive Head Chef initiated a meeting with the Imam of the local York Mosque to ensure that any new initiatives introduced to the Halal food service standards are in line with Islamic beliefs and culture.



Periodic meetings are held between the RKC catering management team and representatives from the Islamic Society (main contact Dina Salah) to discuss ongoing improvements and developments to Halal service standards.



As a result of all the above, appropriate menu dishes, cakes and desserts will be identified with a new Halal logo which will make it easier for customers to identify foods suitable for Halal.

Bar Services To support non-alcoholic events, a range of soft drinks have been reduced in price. These drinks are featured on promotional posters, Facebook and web pages.

3.

Catered Accommodation 

Responding to student requests to offer a wider food choice – menu cycles have been increased from 3 weeks to 5 weeks. This allows us the opportunity to provide a greater number of dishes that will only appear on menus twice a term.



As standard practice the vegetarian choice on menus has been increased from one to two choices each meal.



Active feedback is taken from students via customer surveys – Where practicable suggestions are incorporated into menu and service design.



Informal student focus groups have also been introduced.

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4.

Staff awareness A pilot scheme has already been run for the first time providing trans-cultural training. The training has been provided through CELT. It is anticipated that the „pilot‟ will be evaluated and further training will be provided to wider staff groups.

5.

International Chef Exchange A „Chef Exchange‟ programme has been developed with 2 Chinese Universities. The first part of the programme took place in March 2012. Two University of York Chefs visited Zheijang and Nanjing Universities. Part of their learning will be to introduce a „Taste of Asia‟ menu from Derwent College catering from October 2012.

6.

Catering Service Times From October 2012 – The new Library Café opening times will be extended until 8.00 pm daily. This will support an environment of non-alcoholic service much later into the evening than is currently available.

Recommendation 9: Continue to develop support for students with respect to language support and adjustment to the academic environment CELT The work continues around the provision of courses for specific University Departments in academic communication and study skills, and fully-integrated language and study skills package for specific groups of students. A 4-week pre-sessional course for students holding unconditional offers combines an introduction to academic culture and conventions, language development and study skills. Relevant Widening Participation initiatives: The Widening Participation (WP) team actively seek to diversify the student population through outreach work, including activities for young people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. We work with young people who have no parental background of Higher Education (HE), seeking to raise aspirations and increase understanding. We also work to reach those students who are considering HE and have the potential, but not the confidence or understanding, to apply to a research intensive university. Through building partnerships and sustaining contact through progressive programmes, we hope to maintain positive and lasting relationships with schools and sixth form colleges from a wide geographical area. This work includes: 1.1

Summer Schools A residential course for students in Year 12 was organised by the WP Team on 19-20 July 2011. It was aimed at students from minority ethnic backgrounds who were considering applying to higher education, and more specifically for those who have the potential, but possibly not the confidence, to apply to a research-intensive university. This event was designed to look at both academic and social aspects of higher education.

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Forty-six students attended from BSix Sixth Form College, Hackney, London, Cambridge Heath Sixth Form, Tower Hamlets, London and Grange Technology College, Bradford. Students had the opportunity to follow one of four academic strands; Biology, Chemistry, Law or Psychology over the two days. They worked closely with university academics and Student Ambassadors. They experienced student life by staying in James College and enjoying a student night on campus in the Courtyard. Ninety-eight per cent of the students said that it was good or very good. Student comments included:    

A great experience! I really had a great time and enjoyed it a lot! Thank you for all your help and allowing us to attend this residential Thank you for the eye opening experience, it was very pleasant and I had a good time. The academic lectures were very informative Overall the residential was just fabulous and I had a fantastic time

The college staff (5 teachers) all rated the event as very good and commented:     1.2

All went extremely smoothly - well done! Excellent! Very well structured, pitched and executed. Very informative, useful and fun. Excellent food and drinks too – a feast – compliments to the kitchen. Great service and support from university staff and ambassadors Very well organised. Always something for students and staff to participate in.

Junior Fellowship Programme, REEMAP REEMAP is an education charity that works to eliminate the underachievement of BME young people. They work as part of a network of organisations in West Yorkshire that are actively involved in the delivery of out of school educational support to children and young people from the Black and Minority Ethnic communities in the area. The University of York have been working in partnership with REEMAP since 2005, running an annual visit of 60 – 80 students to experience university life on campus. Students take part in aspiration raising activities, including course Pictionary, a student life talk, advice on applying, a campus tour, a student finance session and lunch in a university canteen. One of the coordinators noted that: “We have been working with the University of York since 2005 and have found the staff to be very supportive and helpful. In partnership with the university we run an annual visit and the staff in the widening participation department always go the extra mile in ensuring our programme meets the needs of our young students. “As a charity that works with disadvantaged young people the visits that the University of York offer are crucial to the development work we do. The students always enjoy the variety of interactive activities and the in depth campus tour. Many of our students comment on how such visits make them more likely to want to access HIM. The university offers a hands-on approach to enlightening students on key issues such as UCAS, subject choices, student finance and student life. Our students get a feel of student life which helps them

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make an informed decision about their future academic and career pathways.”

1.3

BSix ‘Building Bridges’ Raising Aspirations Scheme After initial meetings in 2010, 2011 bought a very successful partnership between BSix Sixth Form College and the University of York. A sustained programme of activities has included visits to the University of York, as well as York academics and members of the Widening Participation and Student Recruitment teams visiting the students on site at their college in Hackney. In 2010/11, we engaged with a total of 585 students from BSix and other Hackney schools. The university has provided the students with muchneeded information, advice and guidance as well as undergraduate lectures, independent learning skills and a "real" University experience in the form of a residential summer school. Engagement has included:    

Science Taster day on campus English Taster day on campus Year 12 residential „Developing Independent Learning‟ session in school Science Academic sessions in school.

Comments from the BSix include: “BSix is a sixth form college in the heart of Hackney, one of the poorest boroughs of London. Over two-thirds of our students receive the Education Maintenance Allowance (usual school average is around 5/6% of the student body). Around 65% of our students are Black Ethnic Minority. Strategic partnerships, like this one, will be a vital path for our students to Higher Education now that funding for all programmes of this nature has disappeared”.

2.1

Objectives for 2012/13 Access Agreement with the Office for Fair Access We will continue to offer (and increase) our outreach activities to support this area of our work. We plan to hold a four day summer residential in 2012 for Year 12 students, including those from schools and colleges in Hackney and Bradford. The University‟s Access Agreement for 2012/2013 (http://www.offa.org.uk/accessagreements) states that „we expect to continue our proportion of entrants from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.‟ The data for BME full time, undergraduate UK entrants to the University of York are as follows: 2010/2011 2009/2010 2008/2009 2007/2008 2006/2007

9.7% 8.7% 8.1% 7.8% 7.7%

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With thanks The Equality and Diversity Office would like to thank the following members of staff who have contributed to the writing of this section of the report: Paul Roberts - Director, Centre for English Language Teaching Liz McNeil - Widening Participation Manager Hilary Layton - Director of Internationalisation and Deputy Director of External Relations Jon Greenwood - Director, Commercial Services Abigail Harvey - Projects Officer, HR Duncan Jackson/Lesley Catt - PGCAP

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PRIORITY 3: EQUALITY ISSUES FROM STAFF SURVEY Oversee the implications and actions on equality issues arising from the Staff Survey A detailed equality and diversity analysis of the results of the staff survey 2011 was carried out by the Equality and Diversity Office and brought to the December 2011 meeting of the Equality and Diversity Committee. The report focused on responses to the questions on harassment and discrimination on a University-wide level including by demographic group. The report also contained some analysis at departmental level. Further analysis was completed around the issues of perceptions of equality and levels of engagement by demographic group. The inclusion within the survey of data on “protected characteristics‟ as defined within the Equality Act has enabled the University to analyse information from staff by sexual orientation, religion and belief and trans status in addition to race, disability and gender. Whilst there may be some way to go to produce meaningful and consistent data in these areas, the data from this survey has provided some very useful indicators in terms of where particular groups are experiencing differing levels of engagement within the University and perceptions that they are treated differently. The report analysed levels of alleged harassment within the University by number of incidents, the source of the harassment and the form taken. It also considered reporting rates and levels of satisfaction with the outcome of reporting. Further analysis was carried out to identify departments where the levels of harassment were higher than the University average. A similar analysis was carried out in terms of perceptions of discrimination. Additional details are contained in the HR Equality Progress Report in Section 3. A series of key areas were identified for improvement and incorporated into the Equality of Opportunity action plan within the overall Staff Survey. The actions are: 1.

Continue to take action to prevent and address cases of harassment, discrimination focussing both University-wide and on specific departments with highest levels

2.

Work to better understand the experiences of a. lesbian, gay and bisexual staff b. staff with disabilities c. staff aged 65 years and over

3.

Work to improve levels of engagement and perceptions of equality/fair treatment of staff from different ethnic groups, religions and beliefs

Specific actions have been agreed around these areas for improvement and are outlined in the Staff Survey Action Plan.

Progress to date on the actions Harassment and discrimination: 

The office has continued to raise awareness of what constitutes harassment and discrimination at University-wide level through publicity (see Report 1d). The launch of the revised Code of Practice on Harassment has provided an opportunity to carry out further awareness-raising around promoting dignity and respect and strategies for dealing with allegations of harassment including where to go for support.

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The E&D Office is currently (June 2012) working with HR managers and senior managers from departments with higher levels of alleged harassment and/or discrimination. A range of options are being explored including seeking to identify reasons and working with departments to address this. Awareness-raising, providing support for managers and improving information on specific types of harassment (for example upward harassment which is less likely to be reported) are amongst some of the measures being taken.



It has been agreed that there will be a drive to ensure that all staff have completed the Diversity in the Workplace module since it has been updated in January 2011; one way in a range of measures through which awareness of equality issues can be raised amongst staff.

LGBT Staff Members of LGBTI Matters Staff Forum were consulted at the meeting of the forum in March 2012. The group explored the results of the staff survey in relation to issues emerging for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff around harassment, discrimination, equality of treatment and levels of engagement. It was agreed at that meeting to form a working group to take this work forward. The working group has met twice during May 2012 and have agreed that further consultation with the LGBT staff community is essential to seek to gain a better understanding of the issues raised by the survey. This consultation is planned for the autumn term 2012.

Staff Age 65 years and over Work has commenced to explore perceptions in relation to equality/fair treatment amongst staff aged 65 years or over. The E&D Office is initially working with HR managers to explore their knowledge of possible issues before developing appropriate action. Action being considered is to hold further consultation with staff from this group.

Staff from different ethnic groups, religions and beliefs There are no specific further actions identified within the Staff Survey in relation to these groups – however, the University‟s race equality recommendations are detailed and far-reaching and incorporate a broad range of activities with implications for staff of different ethnic and religious groups. See Progress Report 2 for actions on this area.

Staff with disabilities Further consultation with staff with disabilities in relation to the results of the Staff Survey has been planned for the autumn term 2012.

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REPORT CONCLUSION This year has been an important one for equality during which the University has embraced the challenges of the new duty. The focus of the work of the E&D Office has been on ensuring the legislative requirements have been met through the development of equality objectives across the protected characteristics, meeting the equality data requirements and the implementation of the revised equality policies. The analysis of the staff survey by equality groups has enabled the University to gain a better understanding of perceptions of staff on E&D issues including perceptions of bullying and harassment and we will continue to make progress on this area through the implementation of the action plans and building on our knowledge through further consultation. The work above has enabled progress in embedding equality to continue. Greater focus in the forthcoming year will be on raising awareness amongst staff and students of the University around the agenda of dignity and respect which has implications in both the employment setting and for students in the academic and social settings.

Lois Gregory Linda Whiting

June 2012

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EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY OFFICE OBJECTIVES 2012-13 1.

Oversee the achievement of the University‟s equality and diversity objectives across the protected characteristics*

2.

Ensure staff and students are aware of their responsibilities under the Equality Act through the provision of a range of tailored activities to: a. promote dignity and respect b. advance equality across the protected characteristics

3.

Review the collection and publication of equality data in order to ensure ongoing compliance with the Equality Act

4..

Ensure effective co-ordination and administration of the University‟s Athena SWAN award scheme

5.

Provide effective support on equality issues in relation to the Research Excellence Framework

* www.york.ac.uk/admin/eo/EqualityObjectives.htm

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