School of Humanities

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The feet of three students walking over a rainbow crossing on University Park campus

The work of the School's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team aims to encourage staff and students to recognise their full potential, feel valued, and lead successful and fulfilled lives.

 

 Message from Director of EDI - Ross Balzaretti

EDI work is everyone’s responsibility, not just those of us who happen to be minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled or neurodivergent. In Humanities, we strive to make everyone, staff, students and visitors, feel included whatever route they have taken to get here. Equality, diversity and inclusion feature as important issues in the academic subjects taught and researched in our five departments of Classics and Archaeology, History, Music, Philosophy, and Theology and Religious Studies, and in the Foundation year.

Work is ongoing across the School:

  • to decolonise our curricula
  • to tackle discrimination of all kinds, including ableism, and racism
  • to make Humanities a safe place for minoritised staff to work and study
  • to include and respect neurodivergent people for who they are.

The School holds an Athena Swan bronze award, is committed to the University’s Race Equality Charter award, and to its role as a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

The School has an EDI committee which includes representatives from the academic departments, from our School Management and Research Office (SMRO), and Education and Student Experience (ESE) teams. Students are encouraged to get involved via our student EDI group, run by two paid student project coordinators.

If you have ideas about how we can improve our EDI work, please do contact me or one of the departmental representatives listed below. If you have specific, personal concerns, support is available via the University’s network of Dignity Advisors, Human Resources, and line managers.

Ross Balzaretti
Ross Balzaretti
 
 
 

Who are we?

School of Humanities EDI Committee (SHEDI)     

We are responsible for implementing EDI initiatives across the School, within the context of University and Faculty EDI policies, working with ESE teams. These include:

  • creating an environment for staff and students which is not only free from discrimination, but also celebrates and values diversity
  • hosting training events for staff
  • making contributions to Black History Month, LGBT+ History Month, and UoN’s Diversity Festival
  • supporting the decolonisation and diversification of curricula
  • addressing degree-awarding gaps
  • equality impact assessments (EIAs)

The Committee meets termly and has several affiliated working groups, including a student group.

Faculty of Arts EDI Board

The Faculty of Arts EDI Board (FEDIB) meets three times a year. It is chaired by the Faculty PVC Professor Jeremy Gregory. School EDI Directors report to FEDIB, and this board reports to the Faculty Executive Board. The Faculty’s Director of EDI is Lucy Jones (English) and Mosina Susiwala is Faculty EDI Coordinator.

PVC for EDI

Professor Katherine Linehan is PVC for EDI. Read Katherine's blog.

 

Opportunities for you to make a difference

We are keen to have students at the forefront of work to transform the EDI landscape in the School of Humanities. We have recently appointed two paid Student Project Coordinators, Robin Melvin (they/them), and Tobi Soyannwo (he/him). They will lead a student EDI project group in Humanities which will work with the EDI lead and EDI Committee in the coming year. Help us bring EDI to the forefront of our teaching and learning.

Get involved

  • School EDI Committee - student representatives on the School committee
  • Student EDI project group - students working on EDI project/s liaising with staff and the ESE team

What are we doing?

Work with students

  • School Student EDI Project Group. Coordinators Robin Melvin (they/them) and Tobi Soyannwo (he/him)
  • Decolonising Curricula

Work with staff 

  • School EDI Committee
  • EDI drop-ins (tbc)
  • Training (anti-racism, neurodiversity)
  • New parents' group (Faculty of Arts)
  • Biennial staff culture survey (Athena Swan)
 
The School of Humanities fully supports the Black Lives Matter movement in challenging all forms of racism. We are aware that structural racism is a powerful force in the UK, including within universities. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the structural inequalities faced by many minoritised groups – especially Black, Asian and disabled people. Universities have a key role in combatting racism and all forms of discrimination: our School shares that responsibility, especially as we recognise that our predominantly white staff and student bodies are far from being representative of Britain’s racially diverse society. We acknowledge that there is still much to do to address this imbalance.
Humanities statement on Black Lives Matter
The School of Humanities is proud to be an international school with staff and students from all over the world and with partner schools in our campuses in China and Malaysia. All members of our community have the right to learn, research and work in a hate-free environment and we are committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure our community feel safe.
Humanities statement on Hate Crime

Find out more 

Athena Swan 

Athena Swan Bronze logo against a white background. Text reads Athena Swan bronze award gender charter.

The School of Humanities has been granted an Athena Swan bronze award. The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.

Find out more about the Athena Swan charter.

 

School of Humanities

University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

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