Equality charters and benchmarking

As outlined in the University Strategy 2016-2021, we are committed to building on existing success and achieving further external recognition for equality and diversity, including through Athena SWAN, Stonewall and the Race Equality Charter. In order to enable these ambitions and develop our capacity in this area, the university is a member of the Equality Challenge Unit.

As a member of the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) we are committed to addressing the university’s specific equality needs and are part of a supported community of good practice across the higher education sector.

What are Equality Charters?

Equality charters are initiatives aimed at recognising work to advance equality and diversity in higher education. ECU run various equality charters, which enable institutions to apply for awards recognising their commitment to, and progress on, equality and diversity.

Equality charters are outcome-focused programmes and catalysts for change that encourage higher education institutions to transform their cultures and make a real impact on the lives of staff and students.

By undertaking ECU equality charters and other benchmarking activities and initiatives, the university is committed to a process of comprehensive self-assessment aimed at developing solutions that will achieve long-term institutional culture change.

We are currently actively involved in charters or other benchmarking initiatives in the areas of:

Gender equality (Athena SWAN)
Race equality (Race Equality Charter)
Equality for people with disabilities or long term health conditions (Disability Confident)
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality (Stonewall)

Athena SWAN

The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to addressing unequal gender representation across academic disciplines and professional and support functions. Its aim is towards the advancement of gender equality, representation, progression and success for all.

The expanded Athena SWAN Charter

Athena SWAN is the longest running of ECU’s equality charters and was established to encourage advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in higher education and research. In 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), in professional and support roles and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

Athena SWAN covers women, and men where appropriate, in:

academic roles in STEMM and AHSSBL
professional support staff
trans staff and students.

It addresses:

representation
progression of students into academia
journey through career milestones
working environment for all staff.

Our progress

The University of Brighton is proud to have held an institutional Athena SWAN Bronze Award since 2013. In 2016 we built upon this achievement and became one of only a handful of higher education institutional nationally to achieve an institutional award under the new expanded charter.

The university’s involvement and advancement in regards to Athena SWAN is guided by the Athena SWAN Steering Group, which is Chaired by the university’s Gender Equality Champion, Professor Tara Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise). Professor Dean also represents concerns relating to gender equality at the University Executive Board.

As well as our institutional award, the following schools have also achieved:

Silver Awards

Brighton and Sussex Medical School
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science

Bronze Awards

School of Environment and Technology
School of Applied Social Science

Our ambition

Addressing unequal gender representation and the working environment for all staff is a key priority for the university and is integral to the University Strategy 2016-2021: Practical Wisdom. As a necessary step in achieving gender equality, the university is committed to all schools achieving Bronze Awards by 2020.

For more information regarding gender equality at the university, and the actions and initiatives we are undertaking to advance this, please see our latest Athena SWAN institutional submission and action plan (pdf).

Disability Confident

After many years as a “Two Ticks” employer, the university has moved to adopt Disability Confident, a new government scheme to support equality and diversity in staff recruitment practices. This move enables our on-going commitment to employing people with disabilities and health conditions, as well as ensuring every possible opportunity to progress at the university.

Disability Confident is a voluntary scheme that has been developed in partnership with disabled people’s representatives. It is a Jobcentre Plus initiative for employers who are taking action to meet commitments regarding the employment, retention, training and career development of employees with disabilities. These commitments are integral to the university’s strategy promise to enable our staff and liberate talent.

As a Disability Confident Employer we are committed to:

undertaking the Disability Confident self-assessment
taking all of the core actions to be a Disability Confident Employer
offering at least one activity to get the right people for our business and at least one activity to keep and develop our people

Our progress

The university has joined Disability Confident at Level 2, which recognises our existing demonstrable action as a Disability Confident Employer.

The university’s involvement and advancement in regards to Disability Confident will be guided by the Disability Confident Working Group.

The university’s Disability Equality Champion is Sue McHugh, Director of Campus Development, who represents concerns relating to equality for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions at the University Executive Board.

Our ambition

Ensuring equality of treatment and progression for staff with disabilities is a key priority for the university, and integral to the University Strategy 2016-2021: Practical Wisdom. There are three levels of the Disability Confident scheme, and each level must be completed and demonstrated before moving onto the next. We are developing this area of work, which will take the university from a Disability Confident Employer to being a leader in this field.

The university is also committed to taking the Time to Change Employer Pledge in 2017, in order to change how we think and act about mental health in the workplace and make sure that employees who are facing these problems feel supported.

Submissions and actions plans for Disability Confident and Time to Change will be published here as they become available.

Race Equality Charter Mark

The Race Equality Charter is aimed at improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education. It 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. It covers:

professional and support staff
academic staff
student progression and attainment
diversity of the curriculum

The Race Equality Charter is the newest of ECU’s equality charters, which they began developing in 2012 following the impact Athena SWAN has had in gender equality. ECU consulted on the concept of a race equality charter, developed a draft framework and trialled the framework with volunteer institutions, resulting in 21 applications and eight institutions receiving a Bronze Award.

Our progress

As an initial step in addressing under-representation and barriers to progression for minority ethnic staff and students, the university participated in ECU’s trail of the Race Equality Charter in 2015. This process involved undertaking a comprehensive self-assessment of race equality across the institution, including a survey and focus groups with staff and students, and developing an action plan aimed at achieving long-term institutional culture change.

In 2016 the university officially joined the Race Equality Charter Mark, demonstrating our commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of black and minority ethnic staff and students at our institution.

The university’s involvement and advancement in regards to the Race Equality Charter is guided by the REC Steering Group, which is Chaired by the university’s Race and Faith Equality Champion, Professor Andrew Lloyd, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Operations). Professor Lloyd also represents concerns relating to race and faith equality at the University Executive Board.

Our ambition

Addressing unequal representation and progression for minority ethnic staff and students is a key priority for the university, and integral to the University Strategy 2016-2021: Practical Wisdom. As a necessary step in achieving race equality, the university is committed to achieving a Race Equality Charter institutional Bronze Award by 2020/21.

Submissions and actions plans for the Race Equality Charter will be published here as they become available, which will provide further information regarding race equality at the university, and the actions and initiatives we are undertaking to advance this.

Stonewall

Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights charity in Europe. In 2015 Stonewall announced that it was extending its remit to campaign for trans equality alongside lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) equality, following consultation with the trans community.

Stonewall Diversity Champion programme

The university is a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion and joined Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers list in the 2019 Workplace Equality Index. The Workplace Equality Index is the leading best-practice employers' forum for sexual orientation and gender identity equality, diversity and inclusion. Our position in the Top 100 2019 recognises us as one of the top employers for LGBT people in the UK, from over 450 private, public and charitable organisations that applied.

The Stonewall Diversity Champion programme supports and promotes fair practice in relation to the employment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff, and our role as a Stonewall Diversity Champion is integral to our commitment to equality for LGBT+ staff and students.
Like Stonewall, we know that people perform better when they can be themselves. By being a Stonewall Diversity Champion, we are taking action as part of Britain’s leading employers' programme for LGBT people, to ensure that all lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff are accepted without exception in the workplace.

Workplace Equality Index

The Workplace Equality Index (WEI) is a benchmarking tool used by employers to help ensure all LGBT employees can be themselves in the workplace. To participate, employers demonstrate their work in ten areas of employment policy and practice, from training to community engagement. At the same time, staff from across the organisation complete an anonymous survey about their experiences at work.

Our progress

The university takes part in the Workplace Equality Index every other year, and our latest placing, in the WEI 2019 saw us entering the Top 100 Employer's list for the first time, at number 72.

The university’s involvement and advancement in regards to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index will be guided by a Stonewall Working Group.

The university’s LGBT+ Equality Champion is Professor Debra Humphris, Vice-Chancellor, who represents concerns relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality at the University Executive Board.

Our ambition

Ensuring equality for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff is a key priority for the university, and integral to the University Strategy 2016–2021: Practical Wisdom. As part of our commitment to achieving LGBT+ equality, the university is aiming to rank within the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index Top 100 by 2020–1 and achieved this goal by placing 72nd in the Workplace Equality Index 2019.

The Stonewall Steering Group will continue to oversee our LGBT+ equality work, including advancing our position in the Workplace Equality Index. Our institutional action plan will be updated to reflect feedback from Stonewall on areas where progress is needed to achieve best practice.

As well as achieving Top 100 status, the university remains committed to on-going equality and support for our LGBT+ staff and students and will continue to work on existing action plans to and enhance the experience for all those who identify as LGBT+ at the university.

As we work towards this goal, actions plans for our Stonewall WEI and LGBT+ equality work will be published here as they become available.