Diversity and inclusion work

How can higher education better support diverse students and staff to fulfil their potential? Find advice on university diversity and inclusion policies and actions that open pathways into higher education to non-traditional students and support student success for diverse cohorts by building inclusive institutions. Plus, learn how to achieve greater diversity at every level of academia and make everyone feel they belong.

Diversity statements in higher education can embed inequality more deeply

Diversity statements: the good, the bad and the ugly

Diversity statements can be created with good intentions but still manage to perpetuate inequality. Henrika McCoy and Madeline Lee detail what to look out for and suggested action

Henrika McCoy, Madeline Lee

University of Illinois Chicago, California State University San Marcos

Group of people of various ages and nationalities lean in together

Belonging: why it is the next step on the equity, diversity and inclusion ladder

Belonging feels good, improves student retention rates and supports other EDI efforts. Joanna West offers six ways campuses can foster this intangible essential

Joanna West

University of Luxembourg

How to write a diversity statement

What should you put in a diversity statement? In this video, Pardis Mahdavi gives examples of what to include and how candidates for academic jobs and search committees can use the document to reflect on EDI actions, impact and goals

Pardis Mahdavi

Arizona State University

How universities can advance social justice within and beyond their campus walls

Social justice in, through and beyond higher education

Higher education institutions can work individually and together to advance social justice well beyond their campus walls, as Pardis Mahdavi explains

Pardis Mahdavi

Arizona State University

Equity, diversity and inclusion work: Advice on sparking renewed enthusiasm among faculty and university staff

Rekindling passion for equality, diversity and inclusion work

Equality, diversity and inclusion work is too often dogged by scepticism and dismissed as a tick-box exercise. So how can institutional leaders rekindle enthusiasm and belief in the work? Rajani Naidoo shares her top recommendations

Rajani Naidoo

University of Bath

Empty lectern illustrating opinion article about lack of university leadership with visible or stated disability

Where are the leaders with a disability in higher education?

While support is available for people with a disability in universities, this is not translating to senior leadership positions – to the detriment of individuals and the sector as a whole, say Paul Harpur and Brooke Szücs

Paul Harpur, Brooke Szücs

The University of Queensland

The way university teachers and lecturers speak to first-generation students can make a huge difference to how they get on in higher education

Gatekeepers or greeters? We must demystify university for first-gen students

Stone Meredith gives advice on using positive introductory phrases and how this can help first-generation students navigate university

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

Advice on purposefully creating a sense of belonging among black students in majority white universities

How to create a sense of belonging for black students in a majority white academy

Taking active, practical and nuanced approaches to ensuring the belonging of black students in majority white universities, at a micro and macro level, is everyone’s responsibility, explains Edith Lewis

Edith Lewis

Canterbury Christ Church University

It is incumbent upon university leaders to create diverse and inclusive communities and curricula

Breaking the oldest rules in the book: making promotion and tenure more equitable

Pardis Mahdavi and Scott Brooks explain how a rethink of the processes that govern promotion and tenure to put diversity work at its heart could result in a more equitable higher education system

Pardis Mahdavi, Scott Brooks

Arizona State University

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

Campus talks: behind two of our most-read resources on diversity statements and student well-being

We speak to the authors behind two of the most popular resources of 2021, focused on drafting diversity statements and teaching practices that support student well-being, to find out what shaped their advice

Pardis Mahdavi, Scott Brooks, Elena Riva

Arizona State University, The University of Warwick

Advice on shaping community outreach in order to improve educational outcomes for local communities

Changing lives through community engagement and outreach

Josephine Bleach outlines questions that higher education institutions should ask to help them foster authentic community engagement that improves educational outcomes for children, families and communities

Josephine Bleach

National College of Ireland

It is incumbent upon university leaders to create diverse and inclusive communities and curricula

Fellow vice-chancellors, we must lead the charge on equality

It’s incumbent on us all to ensure our universities offer inclusive and diverse settings in which anyone, regardless of their background, can flourish, says Craig Mahoney

Craig Mahoney

University of the West of Scotland

University leaders must build trust and create community

Leaders: how to build community and trust during a crisis

Charles Egbu, vice-chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, reflects on five key lessons he learned while taking the helm during the pandemic

Charles Egbu

Leeds Trinity University

Advice on bringing international and intercultural dimensions into your curricula

Bringing international and intercultural dimensions into your programmes

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans and Karen M. Lauridsen address how educators may create an internationalised learning experience for all students by including global and intercultural dimensions in curriculum design and delivery

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans, Karen M. Lauridsen

Zuyd University, Aarhus University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Selection criteria in academia often creates invisible barriers for underrepresented groups

We must dismantle the invisible career barriers in HE

Despite surface appearances, universities’ recruitment and selection practices still present hidden obstacles to under-represented groups

Rebecca Jarrett

Cranfield University

A group of students. We need to move away from designing HE for the idealised 'traditional' student

Returning to ‘normal’ is really a return to ignorance

Covid revealed that students need flexible and inclusive learning opportunities − something that should have been obvious well before the pandemic, says Torrey Trust

Torrey Trust

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Using the Jedi framework to drive the diversity agenda in online teaching

May the force be with you: driving diversity in online teaching

Pardis Mahdavi explains how academics can ensure they support and enhance diversity work in their online teaching through her Jedi – justice, equity, diversity and inclusion – framework

Pardis Mahdavi

Arizona State University

Advice on what to do and what not to do when writing diversity statements for online courses

Diversity statements: what to avoid and what to include

Diversity statements are increasingly important for faculty, both when teaching online and applying for jobs. Pardis Mahdavi and Scott Brooks outline what to avoid and what to include when drafting a diversity statement

Pardis Mahdavi, Scott Brooks

Arizona State University

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