Equality, Diversity and inclusion
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Dear Students,
We know that many of you are saddened and outraged about the racist deaths of George Floyd and other black Americans in the USA. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee acknowledge your pain , fear frustration and anger, especially those of you who are black students. We unequivocally condemn racism both in North American and beyond.
We recognise that the current COVID-19 pandemic further highlights the structural impact of racism in both the UK and in North America; black people have been impacted disproportionately. To all our black students, we share your anguish, please know that you have our sincerest support and commitment against anti black racism and violence.
As a Law School, that thinks about law in context, it is our responsibility to think critically of racism as structural injustice and explore ways in which the law may be used to change this. WLS has a long tradition of activism, scholarship and engagement with systemic racism. We are currently beginning the process of Decolonising our Curriculum, our teaching and research focuses on the impact of structural racism and inequality and we strive to create a student community that is not just inclusive but actively ant-racist.
To do nothing against social injustice is not an option at Warick Law School. We hope that we can continue to make our community a place where each one of you can flourish notwithstanding your race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, nationality or religion. Please contact us with suggestions for things that we could do in the coming days and months to support you with this.
Dr Sharifah Sekalala, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on behalf of the EDI committee
One of the great strengths of Warwick Law School is the diversity of our Community. We have almost 1000 students across eight Undergraduate (UG) programmes, five Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programmes and PhD/Research degrees.
70% of our students identify as female. This is higher than the sector average of 57%
(HESR 2019).
61% of our undergraduate students identify as BAME. At postgraduate level, this percentage is even higher amounting to 78% of our taught postgraduate students and 57% of our PhD students.
42% of our undergraduate students are international - 28% from outside the EU and 14% coming to study from EU countries. We actively participate in overseas exchange programmes with partner universities.
The globally diverse nature of our student body is even more pronounced at postgraduate level, where more than half of our Masters and PhD students are international students with a further 12% coming to study at Warwick Law School from EU countries.
Warwick Law School values widening participation. In 2019, 22.3% of our first year home undergraduate students came to us on contextual offers. This is the highest proportion of any department at Warwick University.
Our talented staff come from many different countries and backgrounds. We are committed to imbedding principles of equality, diversity and inclusion in everyday practices at Warwick Law School.
Athena Swan Bronze Award 2019
In June 2019 Warwick Law School was awarded a Bronze Athena SWAN award. This award reflects Warwick Law School's commitment to inclusivity and equality and the hard work of our drafting team; Jane Bryan, Becca Kirk, Rebecca Limb, Vanessa Munro, Sharifah Sekalala and Maria Ovens, plus the collaboration and support of colleagues and students across the school.
The Athena SWAN Charter was established by the Equality Challenge Unit in 2005. Initially focused on the careers of women in science, in 2015 it was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law. Its remit also expanded to include those in professional and support roles, and work done to support trans staff and students.
View a copy of our November 2018 Bronze submission.
The Athena Swan Working Group meet monthly to track our progress in implementing our Athena Swan Action Plan.
This working group is also open to comments from across the WLS staff and student body. Anyone who wishes to raise an issue with the working group relating to the implementation of the Athena Swan Action Plan should contact the Director of Equality and Diversity.
Athena Swan at Warwick: University Policy | Faculty Policy
Decolonising the University
Long a site dedicated to the pursuit of progressive thinking and social justice, Warwick Law School maintains its commitment to dismantling structural racism within the tertiary sector and to nurturing a similar sensibility among our students and staff. We encourage our students to engage with the production and study of law as a contested practice. As part of the School's committment to Decolonising the University we commit to renewing our curriculum and practices, targeting different forms of coloniality that pervade the curriculum.
Encouraging Diversity in Student Careers Support
Warwick Law School's Career Consultant Valerie Matthews-Lane has put together helpful advice for students of all backgrounds on how to build networks and navigate the employment market.
Accommodation of Caring Responsibilities
Warwick Academic Returners Fellowship
This enables academic colleagues to be freed from teaching and administrative responsibilities upon their return from maternity leave and shared parental leave in order to have space to focus on their research.
Warwick Conference Support Awards
Awards of up to £150 are available from the Central University to help support the extra child-care costs associated with attendance at conferences.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
The committee meet once per term. Any member of the Warwick Law School Community may raise an issue for discussion by the EDI committee by contacting the Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Combatting Unconscious Bias in Staff Appointments
Warwick Law School acknowleges and challenges unconscious bias at all stages of its appointment processes.
With thanks to our colleagues in the Department of Physics, we ask external referees to consider the following when providing external references.
How to Limit Unconscious Bias in references:
In order to limit the influence of unconscious bias within your letter, consider the following:
- Focus on comparing the nominee with the specific requirements of the position.
- Avoid using stereotypical adjectives when describing character and skills, especially when providing a letter for a woman (e.g., avoid words like nice, kind, agreeable, sympathetic, compassionate, selfless, giving, caring, warm, nurturing, maternal etc.).
- Consider using ‘stand-out’ adjectives for both men and women, where appropriate (e.g., superb, excellent, outstanding, confident, successful, ambitious, knowledgeable, intellectual etc).
- Use the nominee’s formal title and surname instead of their first name.
- Consider whether your letter unintentionally includes gaps, or doubt-raising, negative or unexplained statements (e.g., ‘might make an excellent leader’ versus ‘is an established leader’).