Equality, diversity and inclusion
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As a university situated in the heart of London, diversity is in our DNA. We are proud of the many ethnicities, identities, cultures and religions that make up our creative community. Our students, staff, alumni and collaborators are dynamic, diverse and exceptionally talented. We’re proud of our legacy as a south-east London university that serves the local area and welcomes students from around the world.
We understand that universities have a historic position of power and privilege. It makes sense that we must play an active role in helping to dismantle structural inequality and address how we can transform the future. It’s critical that we continually ask questions about power, representation and how we include our entire community.
We understand that we have not always got this right in the past. We know that some students have not had the experience that we would have wanted, and that some staff have faced difficult challenges during their tenure. Institutional racism, unconscious bias and discrimination permeate all aspects of global society, and have affected our community too. We are incredibly committed to changing that narrative and ushering in an improved experience for our community.
Like many institutions, 2020 has provided a significant turning point for us; we are opening up and sharing our personal experiences and are having important, challenging conversations. We’d like to make our equality work completely transparent and encourage the accountability that is essential for enacting change.
We are committed to doing the long-term work that is needed for genuine change. We will educate our students and ourselves on how we can be better allies and friends, working together to demand a fairer society for us all.
Our values
Our goals, objectives and communications are underpinned by our commitment to demonstrate the following values:
- Connection
- Dynamism
- Inclusion
- Professionalism
Protected characteristics
We aim to support all of our staff and students and acknowledge all protected characteristics as outlined by the Equality Act 2010:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion committee
In June 2020, we established an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion committee to help create much needed changed across our institution. The committee is responsible for representing all staff and students, ensuring that we have a safe and welcoming university.
The committee is made of staff from across the university, who volunteer their time and expertise to make our community a more inclusive place. The committee is a cross section of the community, representing our academic and professional staff, across a range of seniorities and perspectives. Meetings currently take place on a quarterly basis.
The committee is chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Andy Cook. The Students’ Union are also an integral part of the committee, ensuring that the student voice is represented at every meeting.