Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Accessibility Fund

  Would you like to conduct some research, create a resource, or hold an event, for example, that delves into some aspect of equality, diversity and inclusion? You can apply for up to £300 of EDI accessibility funding, and applications from all Divinity students and staff are welcome. Accessibility Fund Further Information

• Childcare Grant (pre-3 years of age) for Postgraduate Research Students

  The attention of the School of Divinity has been drawn to a gap in eligibility for registered childcare support under the Scottish Government schemes. Funded early learning and childcare is normally available in Scotland for children aged 3 or 4 years.  There is a national childcare fund to which students funded by the SAAS are eligible to apply. A gap exists for postgraduate research students who are not SAAS-funded and whose children are under the age of 3 years.

  The School of Divinity seeks applications for grants towards registered childcare for children less than 3 years of age of postgraduate research students in Divinity. More information on who may apply and how.

• Athena SWAN

  Together with the School of Divinity's Equality and Diversity Committee, the Athena SWAN team advances equality and diversity within the School. The team is led by the Equality and Diversity Officer, and includes representatives of different roles and of different career and work-life balance experiences.

  The School was granted its Athena SWAN Bronze Award in October 2020.

  Athena SWAN started with the Athena Project and the Scientific Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) advancing the representation of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine in higher education. It has been expanded to include arts, humanities, social Sciences, business and law. Athena SWAN covers professional and support staff and also transsexual staff and students. Levels of the award are Bronze, Silver and Gold.‌

• EDI Festival - Spring 2025

  During March 2023 we held a series of events by which we explored a variety of aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion. The School's EDI Committee are currently planning another festival for Spring 2025. Details will be available soon.

  Archive of the March 2023 EDI Festival

• Gender balance

  A significant report published by Durham University in 2014 identifies gender balance as a key challenge for equality and diversity in theology and religious studies across the UK. The report diagnoses the transition from undergraduate to research postgraduate study as a crucial turning point. The School of Divinity has therefore developed a series of interventions to encourage female students to imagine an academic career within the discipline, as well as to promote the research of successful female academics. Some of these activities are sponsored by Logia, a School-wide women's initiative originally developed by the Logos Institute for Analytic and Exegetical Theology. They include:

  • a bespoke School-wide mentoring scheme for undergraduate women
  • a regular series of ‘fireside chats’ and workshops with female academics for all students
  • the semi-annual Smith Lectures
  • University-wide initiatives such as mentoring schemes for early-career and advanced academics. 

   

• Interfaith Week - November 2024

  This information is here as an archive of the week's events in 2024. The week was sponsored by Interfaith St Andrews, the Archdioceses of Edinburgh and St Andrews, and the School of Divinity.

  Interfaith Week 2023 Archive

  Monday 11 November 2024 
  Launch and Opening Talk with Prof. Emily Michelson.

  Thursday 14 November 2024
  Interfaith Quiz (and alcohol-free event at Sandy's Bar)

  Friday 15 November 2024
  2nd Annual Interfaith Lecture
  'Am I my brother's keeper?' - Dr Nomi Pritz-Bennett (Durham)

  Wednesday 20 November  2024
  Pastoral Care: An Interfaith Perspective

   

• LGBTQIA+ affirming reading group

  We helf a further series of meetings of our LGBTQIA+affirming reading group in 2023-2024.

  Resuming in week 1 of semester 2, we continud reading: Queer Christianities : Lived Religion in Transgressive Forms [Electronic book] / Kathleen T. Talvacchia, Mark Larrimore, Michael F. Pettinger. 

  The reading group met weekly on Wednesdays, 4-5pm in A302 (Dr Stoddart's office at St Mary's). Enquiries are welcome as we hope to resume in due course. For further information, please email divedi@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

  Previously, we read together Miguel H. Díaz's Queer God de Amor: Disruptive Cartographers: Doing Theology Latinamente (Fordham University Press, 2022). This work, in English, is available as an ebook via the university library. That series followed our successful pilot in the autumn of 2022 when we read together Jarel Robinson-Brown’s, Black, Gay, British, Christian, Queer: The Church and the Famine of Grace (London: SCM, 2021).  This is also available as an ebook via the university library.

   

• Logia

  Logia is an organisation in the School of Divinity that aims to highlight and to develop women’s excellence. Logia seeks to support women who are considering pursuing postgraduate Divinity education or who are already students or staff at this level.

  Logia in St Andrews is led by PhD candidates Melissa J. Barciela Mandala and Tessa Hayshida.

  Logia strives to achieves its aims:

  • by inviting staff to share their experiences and offer advice to budding scholars (Logia Connect and Fireside Chat series; see our Events page).
  • by addressing gender-specific barriers to women’s advancement through interactive workshops (“In This Together Workshop”).
  • by creating contexts for women to meet for mutual support both personally and academically (Logia Excel)
  • by facilitating mentorships between women MLitt/undergraduate and Ph.D. students (St Mary’s Mentoring Scheme)
  • by providing a platform of visibility for women’s stories via ongoing Blog posts.
  • by promoting the scholarship of women through our Logia Scholar Database.
  • by establishing collaborations with other institutions that share Logia’s vision (“Logia Global Partners“)
  • by providing avenues for women students to present research or run personalized workshops (Logia Annual Workshop).

  For more information, see the Logia webpage.

• Mediation service

  The Mediation Service is available to students, staff and members of the public, experiencing disagreement or conflict, who would prefer a less formal method of discussing University-related disagreements and grievances. The service is also available for groups or teams.

  The Mediators are staff members from The University of St Andrews who have undertaken formal mediation training accredited by Scottish Mediation. Several Post Graduate students have also qualified in Mediation. Mediators act impartially and separately from University Schools and Services. They are solely interested in helping those engaged in the service reach a mutually acceptable solution.

  Mediation is a confidential, informal, voluntary, self-determined and without prejudice process. If you or someone you know is involved in a disagreement that is in its early stages or has reached an impasse, please contact mediation@st-andrews.ac.uk for an informal chat about how the mediators can help.

• Reading lists

  The university has chosen themes for each month  to represent the diversity of our community. Here you will find some suggested further readings relevant to studying religion in general and Divinity in particular. 

• The Smith Lectures - by a distinguished female scholar

  Each semester, an outstanding female scholar from any sub-discipline of Divinity is invited to St Andrews to deliver the Smith Lecture and to meet informally with female students who might be interested in pursuing an academic career in the discipline.

  Our next Smith Lecturer (Spring 2025) - Charlotte Hempel, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism, University of Birmingham.

  More information on the origins of the Smith Lectures and previous contributors (including some audio recordings).

• Training and advice

  The following documents outline University advice and training opportunities relevant to equality and diversity.

  • Good Gender Equality Practice in Employment​​
  • Guidelines for scheduling meetings​​

  Online training modules:​

  • Diversity in the Workplace​
  • Unconscious Bias​
  • Recruitment and Selection

• Virtual Suggestion Box

  Help us develop our equality, diversity and inclusion agenda by leaving anonymous suggestions on this padlet.

  Note: this is not the place to report incidents and please avoid identifying individuals - anyone in the university can view this padlet and what you post.  

  Report and Support for incidents.

• Work-life balance

  The School and the University try to promote and safeguard a healthy work-life balance for their staff and students.

  The following documents provide information about the relevant practices and policies of both the School of Divinity and the University as a whole: 

  • Flexible working policy
  • Family friendly policies
  • Carers, childcare and school holidays information
  • Health and wellbeing at work initiatives
  • A-Z Wellbeing

• You said: we did

  We have been inviting student feedback on how we might develop our EDI agenda. On our you said: we did webpage, you will find details of what you (students) said and what we (the School's EDI Committee) have done in response.