Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

I remember the new Chancellor of the University of Birmingham saying to me, as I took over responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University, that he wanted to ‘smell’ EDI across the University. An interesting image certainly, but it does give some sense of the need for EDI to be something that is fully embedded across an institution, something that is part of the fabric, the way in which the institution lives, for it to be successful.

I transformed the approach towards EDI at Birmingham and have continued to have a significant interest in all aspects of EDI as I moved on to Swansea and beyond.

I began to work in this area long before it was fashionable. My first job was as a research assistant at Manchester seeking out published material on Feminist Theology. I taught at Birmingham on a module focussed on black, gay and feminist theologies and have supervised a number of theses on EDI related issues, including womanist pedagogy.

EDI is now something of a contested area and one that can cause significant difficulties for institutions if not handles correctly. There is often a very fine line to tread between getting strategies right and finding ourselves as headlines in social media or the press.

I can offer expertise in the following four areas:

EDI Strategy

I spent three to four years putting together the EDI strategy at Birmingham University about ten years ago. What was always important to me was to be inclusive in the way the strategy was developed, as well as in the terms of the strategy itself.

Each of the protected characteristics covered by the strategy had different needs and different experiences, but the best outcomes came when we brought those involved in all the characteristics together and they each learned from colleagues facing different, although equally important, challenges and opportunities.

This is in part a matter of intersectionality, but it goes beyond that. In the current world there is perhaps more tension and conflict between different characteristics than there was ten years ago, and that divisiveness is played on by those who want to roll back the work of EDI. Giving colleagues, with different passions, and differing experiences, the chance to listen and to work together goes a long way to overcome some of these underlying tensions.

In developing strategies, therefore, it is important to emphasise the process of development as much as the desired outcome, and this is the approach I would use if asked to work with an HEI in this area.

Listening to Critical Conversations

As I have suggested in the comment above, much of the difficulty in the area of EDI comes primarily from not listening and not respecting the experiences of others. Often the most difficult part of any process is getting colleagues to listen. Initiating conversations across the institution, therefore, is vital of any process of reflection on EDI.

At Swansea I have initiated conversations around race and I have been involved in conversations around sex/gender, LGBTQ+ and disability. There have been many learning points along the way and I would be happy to share those with any institution who wishes to explore what is possible, and/or what might have failed in the past.

What is important here is to widen the conversations across the whole institution and to draw on the expertise and experience of those with first hand knowledge, while not taking them for granted or making them feel victimised. Working closely with both student and staff groups would be central to any process in this area that I would lead, taking the initiative from those who have more personal experience and understanding within the institution.

LGBTQ+

I may not be the most obvious choice for leading institutional conversations around gender/sex or race, or even disability, but the processes are all very similar. I have, however, worked in the area of LGBTQ+ awareness and liberation all my life.

I have particular experience in the development of LGBTQ+ inclusive learning and with LGBTQ+ mentoring, alongside other colleagues, at Birmingham.

Developing an inclusive curriculum is an interesting exercise, of which decolonisation is but a part. Looking at the impact of learning on those from different characteristics is a valuable exercise for any teaching or leader in learning. I have considerable experience and expertise in this area and would be very happy to share it.

Much of the work around LGBTQ+ issues in particular have to do with the creation of safe spaces and working on issues related to mental health, both within the student body and among staff. I am happy to offer advice and support to colleagues, or leaders, working in this area.

Religion

One of the protected characteristics that is often neglected in EDI strategies is religion. I am a practising Catholic and my own academic research is in the area of religion and religious diversity. I have worked with the Bishop of Birmingham and others on engaging in conversations around difficult issues across religious boundaries and been involved in inter-religious dialogue.

There is often felt to be a tension between the demands of religion, or the religious, and those of other characteristics, especially gender/sex and sexuality. This is a difficult area, but one that can be very rewarding to explore. Once again it is the importance of careful and critical listening that is central to this process.

It is also the case that for many Higher Education Institutions ‘religion’ primarily means Islam, and perhaps Christianity. Jews, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and many others also have a place within our institutions, and among our students, especially with the growing numbers of international students. Each of these groups, however, are very diverse in themselves and many individuals cross more than one religious tradition. The field is one of complexity and there are no easy answers.

Recognising the role of Pagans, those who describe themselves as ‘spiritual’, those seeking ‘wellbeing’ or even those who look to the Jedi or the Matrix for their value systems, is also part of engaging with religion in the University context.

I would greatly value the opportunity to work with any institution, whether with a faith base or history, or none, who wants to explore the place and role of religion, and values more generally, within their vision, strategy or day to day life.