Diverse Action Plan
The University Strategy sets out an ambitious vision to make St Andrews a beacon of inclusivity, placing diversity and equality at the centre of everything we do and creating an environment in which all can flourish and realise their potential.
The Diverse Action Plan outlines the actions we will take as an institution over a five-year period to support achievement of that vision and its underpinning objectives. These actions are framed around several ‘enablers’ which are critical to securing the change we are seeking.
The Diverse Action Plan should be read alongside the People Strategy.
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Facilitating a community approach to culture change which recognises that everyone has a part to play in creating a diverse and inclusive environment.
1. Review and redevelop core Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training for staff and students to ensure a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in supporting a positive, inclusive environment.
2. Develop a set of behavioural expectations to support the inclusive culture we are trying to create and embed these within key policies and processes, including recruitment, induction and performance management.
3. Develop a diverse St Andrews communications strategy and plan.
4. Roll out training across the University to empower staff and students to challenge inappropriate behaviours and build trust in Report and Support as a mechanism for raising concerns.
5. Work with staff and student networks to develop effective allyship schemes.
6. Build community by providing opportunities for staff to come together socially from across Schools and Units, for example, through provision of a communal space or spaces, staff networks, and engagement events.
7. Develop a set of clear principles around freedom of speech that enables discussion and critique within a culture of tolerance and respect.
8. Build One St Andrews as a mechanism to support conversations and engagement with local schools and the wider community on diversity and EDI, and support inclusive behaviours.
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Providing visible signals of inclusion through role models, networks, narratives, and the accessible configuration of the working and learning environment.
9. Further develop and expand the Diversity Calendar as a mechanism for developing, bringing together, and promoting diversity initiatives across the University and create a central hub for sharing EDI initiatives and ideas.
10. Establish a working group to explore how we can use our physical and virtual spaces to celebrate diversity and make difference more visible.
11. Develop a series of EDI awards to recognise and celebrate work to advance EDI across the University and beyond.
12. Extend and enhance the use of role models and staff networks to give greater visibility to the diversity of the University community and to support belonging.
13. Further develop the digital map of the campus to include breastfeeding facilities, prayer rooms, and accessibility.
14. Ensure new physical and digital infrastructure has accessibility and inclusion built in from the start and map out a ten-year plan for enhancing the accessibility of existing infrastructure.
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Demonstrating institutional commitment and leadership by seeking and maintaining a sector-leading level of recognition through equality and diversity accreditation schemes.
15. Undertake reflective and analytical work on race equality and submit an application for the Race Equality Charter in 2024.
16. Deliver actions set out in the Race Equality Charter application.
17. Undertake reflective and analytical work on gender equality and submit an application for an institutional Athena Swan Silver Award in 2023.
18. Deliver actions set out in institutional Athena Swan application.
19. Maintain existing charters, including in relation to LGBTIQ+, carers, gender (School-level), seeking to enhance the level of award secured where applicable to drive further progress and improvement.
20. Use applications for new institutional chartersin relation to disability, mental health, and gender-based violence to support self-assessment and progress in these areas.
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Developing enhanced data and analytic capability and building trust and transparency in data collection and usage to provide timely and accessible EDI information to inform policy and practice interventions.
21. Record and monitor diversity of senior leadership team (PO) and role holders across the University, including Heads of Units, Heads of School, and Directors of Research, Teaching and EDI and those involved in University governance to identify and address under-representation.
22. Disaggregate all key data collections by equality groups and develop guidance to ensure a consistent approach to doing so and its effective dissemination.
23. Review gender and ethnicity pay gap reporting to ensure it provides comprehensive data and actionable insights and explore scope to analyse disability pay gap.
24. Seek to measure socio-economic background of staff and students in University-wide surveys and data collections to better understand any patterns of inequality or disadvantage.
25. Record and monitor progression data for different groups of staff to support equality and diversity to inform promotions policy and practice.
26. Run a campaign to support disclosure of personal data being clear about why the data is needed and how it will be used.
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Refreshing the People Strategy to enhance diversity and inclusion.
Specific actions on diversity are listed below, but please also refer to the People Strategy, which sets out a wider series of complementary actions around attracting, developing, valuing, supporting, and leading and planning for our people.
27. Include short videos from a diverse group of staff on their experience of working at the University and overhaul EDI pages as part of revamped staff web pages. [See PS action 2]
28. Strengthen our recruitment and selection processes to ensure they are fair, inclusive and simple to navigate, looking at where and how we advertise posts, the application and assessment process, the composition of interview panels and guidance to staff. [See PS action 3]
29. Ensure promotion processes and transition to leadership roles are transparent and that succession planning for leadership positions supports the emergence of a diverse cohort of future leaders. [See PS actions 10 and 11]
30. Review current mentoring and other programmes aimed at supporting diversity and evolve and expand as necessary.
31. Provide opportunities for relevant staff networks to be engaged in the development and review of University education and human resources (HR) policies to ensure the impact on different groups is fully understood. [See PS action 20]
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Ensuring that our teaching and research is at the forefront of best practice in equality, inclusion and diversity.
32. Review and refine processes, structures, and systems to ensure we can attract, support, and retain students at all levels from underrepresented backgrounds.
33. Identify, develop, support, and deliver initiatives that improve inclusive practice across the University.
34. Develop an action plan to support delivery of the environmental and cultural aspects of REF 2028 that supports and highlights the diversity of the research community and inclusive research practice
35. Implement a reform of research support (processes, procedures, and reports) to better support researchers throughout their career and academic journey.