Equality and diversity

The School of Economics and Finance is committed to creating an inclusive environment that supports equality and diversity. The School aims to achieve fair and equal representation for all, enabling all members of staff and students to contribute and reach their full potential. The School operates under the University’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy.

The School is against any kind of discrimination and harassment on any basis, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. For more information, please familiarise yourself with the University's policy on what constitutes bullying or harassment.

Report and support

If you need to report or talk with someone about issues relating to equality and diversity, please get in touch with either the School’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr Maria Chiara Iannino (mci@st-andrews.ac.uk) or the Head of Department, Dr Luca Savorelli (bschooleconhod@st-andrews.ac.uk).

The Report and Support tool is available to report any concerns you have related to wellbeing, bullying, discrimination, abuse, assault or harassment of any sort. You can report anonymously or using your contact details. If you provide your contact details, a member of staff will be able to contact you to help provide support. This tool can be used by students, members of staff, members of the public or visitors to the University.

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.

Athena SWAN Bronze Award

The School of Economics and Finance has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award for its work to promote gender equality and overcome barriers to career progression for all. Athena SWAN started with the Athena Project and the Scientific Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) advancing representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) in Higher Education. It was expanded to include Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Business and Law (AHSSBL) and now also covers professional / support staff, trans staff, and students. Levels of the award are Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The EDI committee oversees the implementation of the School's Athena SWAN Action Plan and is responsible for setting the EDI agenda of the School. The committee meets twice per semester, with smaller working groups seeing to specific tasks. The committee consists of permanent members and volunteers.

The permanent roles are:
- Dr Maria Chiara Iannino (EDI Officer and convenor)
- Professor Alan Sutherland (Head of School)
- Dr Luca Savorelli (Director of Teaching)
- Professor Roderick McCrorie (Director of Research)
- Dr Torsten Matzke (School Manager)
In addition to this, volunteers are:
- Professor David Jaeger
- Dr Erven Lauw
- Dr Gosia Mitka
- Dr Vivek Prasad
- Dr Yulia Moiseeva
- Stephanie Parker-Paredes (UG student representative)
- Junie Wee (UG student representative)
- A few good (wo)men – on the representation of women in economics (Bruegel, 2018)
- Economics starts reckoning with its gender bias problem (Bloomberg, 2018)
- Gender hostilities, disparities among economics professors keep women from ascending ranks (Brookings, 2017)
- Women in Economics - a talk by Professor Denise Osborn (Royal Economic Society, 2018)
- The 13 women who transformed the world of economics (Business Insider, 2015)
- Female autonomy generates superstars in long-term development: Evidence from 15th to 19th century Europe (Vox, 2019)
- Why women’s voices are scarce in economics (NY Times, 2018)
- Women and economics (The Economist, 2017)
- AHEAD: Association on Higher Education and Disability
- Canadian Women Economists Committee
- Chinese Women Economists Network
- Committee on Women in Agricultural Economics
- COSME (Spanish Economic Association)
- CSWEP (American Economic Association)
- Disability Support in Higher Education
- EEA Women in Economics
- Equal Opportunities Commission
- Equality Challenge Unit
- Gender Competence in Business and Research: GenCo
- Institute for New Economic Thinking
- Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR)
- LGBT Foundation
- Organisation of Women In International Trade - OWIT
- PROJECT GENERA (Changing the gender balance in research organisations)
- RCUK Diversity statement
- Royal Economic Society Women's Committee
- Surviving and Thriving in Academia
- The Economics Network
- The Fawcett Society
- The UN Internet Gateway on the Advancement and empowerment of Women
- Time to Change: End Mental Health Discrimination
- Women's Budget Group
- UK Government Women and Equality Unit
- WISE Campaign
- Women's Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO)

Equality and diversity

Report and support

Mediation service

Athena SWAN Bronze Award

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Support at the University of St Andrews

Reports

About women in economics

For women in economics