EDI in psychology

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

in Psychology

Resources to Support Students

Departmental EDI Research

Resources to Support Staff

The Psychology Department at Warwick has a strong awareness of the importance of inclusivity, and cultivates an environment of diversity and belonging, through research, initiatives and events. We actively scrutinise our own practice and procedures, with staff and students working together to make changes and improvements. We are committed to building on our previous achievements to make our department a place where all of our students, staff and visitors feel they are respected and able to achieve their best. We actively reject any form of discrimination, harassment or inequality.

Athena Swan

What is Athena Swan?

The Athena Swan charter supports the advancement of gender equality within higher education institutions and research. It represents a commitment to advancing the careers of women, particularly within STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine): addressing inequalities and barriers to progression.

A new Advance HE charter was launched in October 2021, working towards several key principles. It covers women (and men where appropriate) in

academic roles in STEMM and AHSSBL;
professional and support staff;
trans staff and students;

in relation to their

representation;
progression of students into academia;
journey through career milestones;
working environment for all staff.

What does this look like in the Psychology Department?

The Department of Psychology is committed to fostering a supportive culture and environment for all staff and students regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion and belief, or age. We place great importance on the fair and equitable treatment of all staff and students, embracing the principles and practices of the Athena Swan Charter.

Our Athena Swan initiatives are led by our Self-Assessment Team (SAT) and supported by Athena Swan Champions in 16 working groups. The SAT and working groups include academic, clinical and administrative staff of all grades from across multiple divisions, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.

In recognition of our commitment, the Department earned the Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2012 and renewed the Bronze Award in November 2016. In 2022 we were awarded a Silver Award.

Involving the Community

We work closely with our staff and students to make sure our Athena Swan strategy is shaped by the whole community & ensure we’re listening to everyone’s concerns and ideas.

We organise events promoting our Athena Swan actions and University initiatives.
We create a series of Athena Swan surveys to encourage colleagues to share their thoughts and experiences of working at Warwick. This includes their work-life balance, recognition, challenges and ideas for improvement.
We are setting up focus groups with members of our community. We are intending to ask the focus groups to look at issues such as career progress and development opportunities for Professional and Support Services staff, and flexible working. The focus groups will be run by someone external to the department, and will be open to all.
We have set up an anonymous form HERE, where you may leave your suggestions or ideas for promoting equality & diversity in the department. This is especially for those who want to be involved, but don't wish to be identified.

Silver Award 2022

We were delighted to be granted a SILVER AWARD for our March 2022 submission.

This means that the department has demonstrated good structures and processes to support gender equality work, has identified and made progress against issues in key priority areas and, most importantly, has shown success in addressing gender equality.

This was a whole-department success: the award reflects consistent efforts to address gender equality across our department and we could not have achieved it without the support and commitment of everyone.

You can read a redacted copy of our submission hereLink opens in a new window.

Widening Participation

The central Widening Participation team at Warwick offers opportunities to young people in the local community & beyond, both in school and on campus.

Their wide variety of events & activities are targeted for those aged 9-19 who are state school educated, would be the first in their family to attend university, have low socio-economic backgrounds, or who come from neighbourhoods where progression to Higher Education is low.

Find Out More