Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Our World is Ever Changing
As a faculty, we recognise that the world has changed dramatically over the last few years, and we are committed to adapting the way we work to ensure that we not only meet but exceed the expectations of our past, present and future staff and students. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to providing the best experience and outcomes for all our staff and students during their time at Nottingham and within our faculty.
Our Ambition
To promote a fully inclusive environment that delivers the highest quality teaching and learning and Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE).
Our Vision
To achieve our individual and collective ambitions, working in our diverse groups but with one overall team goal: to be a community that leaves a lasting global legacy and creates a sustainable future of which we can all be proud.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
As part of our commitment, we actively support Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for everyone within our faculty, both staff and students alike. Each year, the University agrees new EDI priorities, aligned with the University’s People and Culture Strategy, which helps guide areas of focus for the academic year.
Role models and allies
Explore our role models and allies in the faculty
Women in Engineering
We are not women engineers...We are engineers
EDI Governance
People and Culture Board
The faculty’s People and Culture Board (PCB) has responsibility for the development and implementation of an inclusive People and Culture Enhancement Plan for the faculty. We were the first University of Nottingham faculty to embed EDI into our governance structure by creating a people focussed board, and the first to develop a People and Culture Enhancement Plan. This model has now been rolled out institutionally.
Whilst responsibility for sustaining and enhancing an inclusive and positive working environment is shared among our entire community, the PCB ensures that there is an integrated, proactive approach to EDI that meets the university’s public sector equality duties and supports the achievement of its values and objectives.
Through the delivery of the People and Culture Enhancement Plan, the PCB is a focal point for developing new initiatives, monitoring and improving ongoing activities and promoting EDI. The remit of the PCB extends to staff only and it seeks to continually enhance staff experience.
EDI Committee
The faculty’s EDI Committee has responsibility for the development and implementation of an inclusive EDI Action Plan which sets out specific actions relating to the Faculty’s Athena Swan Gold Chartermark and relevant EDI priorities in our Faculty Strategy, our People and Culture Enhancement Plan, our Education and Student Experience (ESE) Strategic Delivery Plan, and our Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Strategy Delivery Plan.
The EDI Committee reports to:
The committee is the focal point for specific initiatives and projects which support delivery of the faculty’s EDI Action Plan and the institutional EDI priorities.
Working Groups
The EDI Committee is supported by three Working Groups; one is student focussed (pipeline and attending students) and two are focussed on potential and current staff (split across all four of our staff job families).
These bring together their collective knowledge, experience and intelligence to ensure the faculty’s EDI Action Plan remains fit for purpose, is data driven, addresses gaps in activity and areas of under-representation, and aligns with other faculty and university strategies and initiatives.
The Working Groups also have a role in evaluating the ongoing effectiveness of actions undertaken, to ensure they are delivering the required impact against objectives, and evolving the action plan in response to evaluation.
Honouring Our Commitments
The university was also the joint-first university to pledge support to the Technician Commitment to support technical staff in higher education and research. The Faculty of Engineering co-authored the University's Technical Services Strategy, which led onto the now national scheme.
By signing up to the Technician Commitment, the faculty has pledged to take action to improve the visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability of the technical expertise that our technicians bring to the faculty, the education of our students and technicians of the future. 
Like the Technician Commitment, the university has committed to The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers which aims to supporting the career development of researchers across the UK. As a faculty, we have developed our own Researcher Development Concordat Action Plan, which was launched in June 2023 and sets out expectations and responsibilities for researcher, their managers, and for the university to ensure that our researchers are given every opportunity to thrive and realise their potential. 
The university holds Bronze Race Equality Charter status, granted by Advance HE, which recognises advancing race equality in higher education. In engineering, we are committed to the standards set out in REC to improve the experiences of our staff and students. 
By signing up to the UK Governments Disability Confident Scheme, the University, and our faculty, has committed to taking action in five areas (such as recruitment, reasonable adjustments and accessibility) and delivering at least one activity that improves the experiences of disabled people. 
As a member of Stonewall’s Proud Employers programme, the university demonstrates its commitment to creating an LGBTQIA+ inclusive workplace where staff and students can thrive. This membership connects the university to a network of organisations championing equality and provides access to expert guidance, resources, and training to support inclusive practice. It reflects our ongoing dedication to fostering a respectful, diverse, and welcoming environment for all.
The university is also proud to be a member of the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter Programme, a sector-wide initiative supporting institutions to embed a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing. Through collaboration, shared learning, and access to evidence-informed resources, the programme empowers universities to drive meaningful cultural change. Membership signals our commitment to prioritising mental health for both students and staff across all areas of university life.
The University of Nottingham, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, is proud to be the first institutions in the UK to jointly receive University of Sanctuary status. This recognition celebrates our commitment to welcoming and supporting refugees and forced migrants through inclusive teaching, research, outreach, and student-led activism. As part of the Universities for Nottingham initiative, this award reflects our shared dedication to creating a city-wide culture of sanctuary, ensuring that those seeking refuge find safety, opportunity, and community within our institutions.
Staff Training
The faculty started an Engineering Futures Leaders Programme which has now been rolled out institutionally. It is for staff across all our job families who want to develop the skills, qualities and level of personal understanding needed to lead into the future.
All staff and postgraduate students can access a range of courses, funding programmes to help them progress their professional, personal and educational development in order to fulfil their potential.
Athena Gold Award
We are delighted to hold an Athena Gold Award for our work in gender equality.
You can read more and download our submission by visiting our Athena Gold Webpage
Links
Contact
If you have any issues that you wish to raise or if you would like to get more involved with EDI work within our faculty, please use the relevant Contact Option.