The UniversityHow the University works Policies

Equality and diversity

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Strategic overview

Equality and diversity statement:

'At The University of West London we are committed to providing the highest quality academic and working environment where all staff, students, visitors, contractors and stakeholders are welcomed, respected and treated in a consistent and non-discriminatory manner. This approach will be applied irrespective of age, colour, creed, disability, ethnic or national origin, family responsibilities, gender (including gender reassignment), marital status, political beliefs, race, religion and belief, sex (including sexuality and sexual orientation), socio-economic background, or any other grounds of discrimination (current or subsequently enacted).  

The University will underpin this by ensuring our current and future policies procedures and guidance, regulations, course material, recruitment and selection processes and access to staff development are equality impact assessed. These will be fairly and consistently applied, monitored regularly and if breached, the breach will be considered in accordance with the University of West London’s approved policies.'

Our Strategic Plan 2008-2013 states:

In 2008, the University embarked on an ambitious new strategic direction; the first phase of which is complete. The University is now clearly located in west London on its sites in St Mary’s Road Ealing and Paragon House Brentford and unified through its new name ‘The University of West London’. As we enter the second phase of our Strategic Plan, we will see the institution transformed into a high quality, employer engaged University that reaches out to learners of all ages, abilities, nationalities and backgrounds.

Professor Peter John
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

Our values

Creativity:
Facilitated by imagination, innovation and challenge

Quality:
Underpinned by excellent practical, professional and academic learning

Inclusiveness:
Enabling and empowering all to access education that meets their needs

Diversity:
Celebrated through a rich social and ethnic community

Integrity:
Fulfilled by honesty and openness, working for the public good.

Extending our reach

The University is committed to social inclusion and diversity.
As a key player in the economic, social and cultural development of our region, we will work proactively with communities, localities and other organisations to enhance prosperity.

Objective: to widen participation and access by reaching out at all levels

We will work with a range of partners to increase the percentage of students from non-traditional backgrounds, including those with disabilities, who participate
in higher education. We will improve our learning support, pastoral provision and academic guidance to ensure that individuals are appropriately supported and that a mentoring system underpins their experience. We will continue to develop and refine a range of vocational pathways linked to employment, part and full-time study and basic skills to increase the opportunities available to
low participation groups.

Objective: to improve progression rates through a seamless provision across all levels

We will provide a template of progression so that routes are simplified and clarified. We will encourage demand for Higher Education in West London and beyond, and provide facilities to support growth. We will continue to work with other partner colleges (FECs) to improve the volume and quality of courses and progression routes.

Objective: to engage productively with our communities

We will continue to play a key role in economic development for the West London locality and its sub-regions through a variety of avenues. We will also extend our volunteering activities. We will increase our range of links with local schools (primary and secondary) and set up a number of partnership arrangements that will seek to raise education aspirations and promote positive community relations.

Objective: to improve international recruitment and raise our profile overseas

We will target specific markets across the world that match our current and emerging academic strengths. We will implement a strategy for increased recruitment through a targeted approach and we will rationalise our overseas offices and use agents more productively. We will improve our marketing approaches and materials and develop a mixed offer that includes new articulation agreements, franchises, local provision, distance and mixed-mode learning.

See our full Strategic Plan

Structure

Equality and diversity is the legal responsibility of the Board of Governors. The Equality and Diversity Advisory Group (EDAG) is responsible for:
  • Overseeing the compliance with all Equality Legislation
  • Promoting the delivery of positive equality actions across the University
  • Updating the Academic Board and the Board of Governors on equality issues and compliance
EDAG is chaired by the Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor and has representation from across the University and the Students’ Union.

For details of the terms of reference and membership of the Equality and Diversity Advisory Group (pdf, 101 kb)

Policy

The University has a single Equality and Diversity Policy (pdf, 126 kb)

Equality objective

The University of West London's Equality Objective for 2012-13 is:

The University will continue to implement its 2011- 12 objectives. Its Equality Objective for 2012-13 is to raise awareness of the needs of "cared for students", consider and implement support measures.

The following is a list of areas which the University will be considering with a view to implementing when it is practical to do so:
  • complete support package for care leavers, including entitlements
  • increase knowledge of support package to care leavers through local authorities, charities and admissions
  • intervene at application stage to identify care leavers and provide support
  • establish a programme of outreach work with care leavers
  • establish an academic summer school for care leavers to provide them with confidence
  • resolve the issue of accommodation
  • establish a peer mentoring scheme (long term goal).
In addition the University intends to put in place a SuperReading Course for Dyslexic students to enhance reading skills.

A further area which the University will be working towards will be to raise awareness of mental health issues through staff training.

The objective can be linked to the following practices and procedures:
  • the development of a best practice guide
  • the provision of targeted workshops, e-learning opportunities and themed events.
The Equality and Diversity Advisory Group (EDAG) will monitor progress at each of each meetings and report annually to the Vice Chancellor's Executive and the Academic Board on progress made in achieving this objective. 

EDAG recognises that the active participation of the Students' Union is key in achieving this objective. 

The Equality Act 2010

The Public Sector Equality Duty

Please see the guidance provided by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU).

The University is currently working to ensure that the key changes in the Equality Act 2010 are reflected in our current policies and procedures. 

We are:
  • updating references to previous legislation in current policies such as references to DDA / SENDA / SDA / RRAA / Equality Act 2006, but noting that some parts of previous legislation will still be force
  • ensuring that where we refer to external guidance has not been updated, we provide a note that the legislation has changed
  • reviewing our present arrangements for informing staff, students and visitors of their equality rights and responsibilities in light of the key changes
  • revising relevant text and web-based university documentation to ensure that it covers the changes in the new legislation outlined
  • assessing which training needs to be reviewed and updated in line with the key changes
  • producing a plan for identifying and meeting the information needs of governors, committees, managers, staff and students, trade unions and students’ unions in line with the key changes
  • revising all statements of our commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination to include all protected characteristics and prohibited conduct.
The University of West London has not previously collected information on all the protected characteristics and is now seeking, through engagement with staff and students, to extend the data we hold. We will also be seeking to extend this to other people affected by our policies and practices including alumni and service users. 

Annual monitoring statement for the year 2010-11

The University's key equality objectives will be to meet the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duties: Specific Duties (published September 2011).

We are addressing the three specific duties:
  • publication of information
  • equality objectives
  • manner of publication
Read the full annual monitoring statement for the year 2010-11 (pdf, 104 kb)

Disability symbol

The University was awarded the disability symbol in December, 2011.  This symbol was awarded as we have demonstrated that we are positive about employing disabled people.

Read the full disability symbol document (pdf, 77 kb)

Services for students - disability support

The Disability Team offers a confidential service to all University of West London students and prospective students who have a disability, a specific learning difficulty eg dyslexia or a long term medical condition.

The Disability Team can provide:
  • advice and information on disability support and reasonable adjustments at University of West London
  • advice and information on extra funding that may be available to disabled students, such as Disabled Student Allowance
  • individual Support Plans
  • alternative exam arrangements
  • loan Equipment (usually FE and international students)
  • liaison with faculty staff
  • assistance in arranging support workers eg: note taker, dyslexia tutor, communication support worker, mentors
  • assistance in arranging a diagnostic assessment with an Educational Psychologist, for students who think they have a specific learning difficulty
  • assistance with mitigation and appeals (please note, the Disability Team do not represent students at Appeal boards; for this please contact the Student Union).
For full details please see our disability support web page.

Services for students - The Careers and Employment Service

One of University of West London's unique selling points is the diversity of its student population.

Our students are from a diverse range of backgrounds and nationalities and bring to the University valuable skills already gained from employment.

The Careers and Employment Service at University of West London promotes and celebrates this diversity both as a service provider and in its interaction with students and graduates to ensure that all students are able to access employment opportunities whilst also recognising that some students and graduates may experience barriers when looking for employment.

University of West London is committed to supporting mass participation in higher education as part of its contribution to equality and social justice.

The University provides quality higher education through a curriculum which embodies the central values of equality.

University of West London aims to increase learning opportunities for all students but particularly for those who have traditionally been denied access to higher education.

The Careers and Employment Service's commitment to equal opportunities

University of West London's Careers and Employment Service (CES) endeavours to support this mission statement by:
  • promoting equality of opportunity as a provider of services to all University of West London students and graduates
  • promoting equality in its interaction with employers and outside agencies
For full details please see the equal opportunities and diversity page in the careers section of the website.

Statistics

Confidentiality

The data is stored in confidential databases and analysed against the sector data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data.

This is published by the Equality Challenge Unit

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