City is committed to creating a culture in which diversity and equality of opportunity are promoted actively and in which unlawful discrimination is not tolerated.
City is also committed to building and maintaining an environment which values the diversity of its students, staff and all its community.
City launched its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy in 2020. The strategy was developed over a year in consultation with a wide range of colleagues and students. This enabling strategy sets out how we aspire to achieve real and lasting progress for diverse groups and individuals.
It also sets out City’s commitment and objectives for EDI and the necessary steps to ensure that all members of the City community feel included. It does not stand alone and links closely with City’s Vision and Strategy 2026 (VS2026) and our five values, one of which is Diversity and Inclusion.
The implementation of the strategy is underpinned by a three year delivery plan. The delivery plan sets out the detail on how each of the themes will be achieved through workstreams of activity:
- Leadership
- Governance
- Development and retention of talent
- Charter Awards
- Engaging and valuing our staff
- Improving our processes-embedding EDI
- Workforce diversity and inclusion
- and education and students.
The Strategy focuses on four main (but not exclusive) areas:
- Disability
- Gender
- Race
- and Sexual Orientation.
This focus helps us give due regard to key aspects of EDI and use our resources effectively.
Although there are four main areas of focus, we will continue to explore, deliver and develop projects and work streams relating to other protected groups, for example, continuing the work around supporting students and staff of faith and those who identify as transgender, intersex and/or gender non-conforming (TIGNC).
Accreditations and affiliations
Disability
City is currently a Disability Confident Committed Employer. The Disability Confident Scheme supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to an organisation.
The scheme helps employers who have agreed to take action and are committed to the employment, retention, training and career development of disabled employees.
By signing up to the scheme, we are making it clear that we welcome applications from disabled people and that we are positive about their abilities. It will also show existing employees that we value their contribution and will treat them fairly if they become disabled.
Gender
City uses Advance HE’s Athena SWAN Charter to progress gender equality across the university.
City received an Athena SWAN Bronze Award in November 2016 and is currently reviewing the institution action plan to renew our award. This work is led by the Gender Equality Working Group, set up in 2020.
SHS, SMCSE and SASS hold departmental Athena SWAN Bronze awards. Law and Bayes are preparing to apply for a Bronze award in the future.
The charter principles are:
- We acknowledge that academia cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of all.
- We commit to advancing gender equality in academia, in particular, addressing the loss of women across the career pipeline and the absence of women from senior academic, professional and support roles.
- We commit to addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines and professional and support functions. In this we recognise disciplinary differences including:
- the relative underrepresentation of women in senior roles in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL)
- the particularly high loss rate of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM)
- We commit to tackling the gender pay gap.
- We commit to removing the obstacles faced by women, in particular, at major points of career development and progression including the transition from PhD into a sustainable academic career.
- We commit to addressing the negative consequences of using short-term contracts for the retention and progression of staff in academia, particularly women.
- We commit to tackling the discriminatory treatment often experienced by trans people.
- We acknowledge that advancing gender equality demands commitment and action from all levels of the organisation and in particular active leadership from those in senior roles.
- We commit to making and mainstreaming sustainable structural and cultural changes to advance gender equality, recognising that initiatives and actions that support individuals alone will not sufficiently advance equality.
- All individuals have identities shaped by several different factors. We commit to considering the intersection of gender and other factors wherever possible.
City’s Athena SWAN award and application is managed by Emma Taylor-Steeds (Equality and Diversity Athena SWAN Manager) and Tom Glynn (Senior EDI Officer, Charters and Data).
You can contact them by emailing edi@city.ac.uk.
Race
The Race Equality Charter is a national scheme by AdvanceHE. The Charter provides a framework through which institutions work to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students.
As part of a wider inclusivity agenda, City has pledged its commitment to the Race Equality Charter’s aims to improve representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education.
City will apply for the Bronze accreditation through submission of a comprehensive self-assessment, coordinated through a Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team. City’s Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team held their first meeting in September 2019.
In addition, in 2020 City appointed an Assistant Vice President for Race Equality as part of the wider Executive team.
Sexual Orientation
City became a Stonewall Diversity Champion in 2020.
The Stonewall Diversity Champions programme is the leading employers programme for ensuring all LGBTQI+ staff are accepted without exclusion in the workplace.
Stonewall is Europe’s largest LGBTQI+ charity and becoming a Stonewall Diversity Champion is a commitment to the belief in the power of a workplace that is truly equal.