Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
The School of International Relations is strongly committed to actively supporting equality at every level irrespective of race, disability, age, faith, gender and sexual orientation. The School seeks to nurture the talents of all staff and students through fair practices.
The School of International Relations actively strives to create a diverse population within its staff and students and wishes to provide a place of welcome and tolerance for study and research. In order to foster diversity and inclusion, equal access to opportunity is essential. Academic quality and rigor for all students and staff is linked to the elimination of bias and discrimination. Therefore, the School aims to recruit and treat all people with respect.
The School adheres to strict non-discrimination policies, and will not tolerate disrespect, discrimination, harassment, or violence by, or against, any member of its community.
Report and support
If you need to report an incident or talk with someone about issues relating to equality, diversity, and inclusion, such as fairness, discrimination, or harassment, please contact either the School’s Director of EDI (Dr Rahul Rao), the Head of School (Professor Phillips O’Brien), the Deputy Head of School (Dr Fiona McCallum Guiney), or Student Services.
You may also use Report + Support, an online tool that includes an anonymous reporting option. The School is willing to help staff and students navigate University resources, as well as the reporting system, though you are welcome to contact Student Services directly if you prefer.
The Report+ 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
Starting with February 2017, the School worked towards an Athena SWAN Gender Equality Bronze Award. The Athena SWAN self-assessment team consisted of 14 members of the School, ranging from UG representatives to senior professors, and was been led by Professor Caron Gentry (2017 to 2020).
The self-assessment process required us to analyse applications, intake, progression and achievement amongst all our staff and students, and to implement a detailed action plan to promote gender equality at every level. Broader issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion are addressed by the School’s EDI Committee, chaired by the Director of EDI.
The School of International Relations was awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze award in May 2019 in recognition of their commitment to advance gender equality in academic, professional and support roles, and to overcome barriers to career progression for all.