Diversity of thought leads to innovation and creativity. Inherited and acquired diversity characteristics are indicators of diversity of thought. Representing different experiences and approaches, it brings fresh challenge to ways of thinking and doing things.

For Warwick, having diversity represented in its students and staff means that the University can achieve its vision of excellence in education and research. This can be measured through the protected characteristics and economic background of its staff and students and these indicators will continue to be a key focus of the University’s progress on increasing inclusion. Headway on closing the attainment gap for Warwick’s students, and in particular for those of specific BAME backgrounds, those with disabilities and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, will be key indicators of success. For staff, measures of career progression and pay equity will be primary indicators of real change across the academy and in professional services.

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DIVERSITY IN OUR STUDENTS

As a Russell Group University, Warwick recognises that traditional methods of recruiting students, coupled with reputation, have inadvertently resulted in a lack of diversity for certain groups of people. It is understood that this has created barriers and significant work is being undertaken to redress them. Warwick is proud of the progress that it has made in the increases in BAME student recruitment compared to its Russell Group peers. However, the University will continue to examine how best it can reach out to, engage with potential students, and work with them to ensure they are informed and supported through the application process. The regional ethnic diversity of communities makes this a priority for Warwick. On the University’s part, systems and processes are needed that ensure that it is identifying talent and making offers to entry based on criteria that truly recognises potential in all its diversity.

As a university, Warwick is constantly striving to improve how it does things to make its student experience among the best in the world. It is recognised that the University needs to understand how its teaching, learning, and assessment approaches impacts on its students. As the student life cycle is reviewed, measures will be introduced that help to provide better indicators of which students are likely to face challenges in reaching their potential and make available options for timely and appropriate interventions.

Warwick has made great strides in improving women’s experience, by working towards and achieving an institutional Silver Athena Swan award. However, to truly achieve gender equality for its students, Warwick will continue to identify and work on challenges as it works towards all academic departments achieving an Athena Swan award. Warwick has also established a good foundation for eliminating racial discrimination by achieving a Bronze Race Equality Charter, and work on its action plan will help improve the experience of BAME students and staff at the University.

The attainment gap is one of the most pressing challenges affecting particular groups of BAME students, disabled students, and from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Through co-creation with students and academics, Warwick is working towards inclusive teaching practices, curriculum, and teaching spaces that provide reasonable adjustments. This will be done by:

• Co-creation with affected groups.
• Underpinning by research and learning from peers.
• Systemic and structural change that goes beyond supporting affected groups separately.
• Enhancement-driven monitoring (to make immediate and then structural change).

 

DIVERSITY IN OUR STAFF

Increasing diversity in all staff, including academic, professional and other support staff, particularly at senior levels, is essential to bring inclusion to the student experience, and to enhance Warwick’s reputation and brand as an inclusive employer. Reviewing recruitment and promotion processes to ensure unbiased decision-making and nurturing talent to establish a diverse talent pipeline are some of the actions that will support the University in its drive for a diverse workforce: a workforce whose diversity and inclusive leadership will be inspirational for Warwick’s students and the communities that it works with.

Equity in pay for all staff is one of the ways that high performance can be rewarded and diverse talent valued. Reduction, and ultimately elimination, of the gender and ethnic minority pay gap is a priority, which must be achieved. Through better understanding, the barriers to career progression and decision-making about reward and recognition, Warwick can work towards achieving this outcome. Improving diversity data will support the improvement of the pay gap for women and ethnic minorities and it will promote better understanding of how it affects other groups of staff, in particular those with specific protected characteristics.

Warwick’s culture will determine how individuals treat one another through understanding of what they owe one another as members of a community and as citizens of a diverse world - or in other words, a culture of inclusion.

A culture of inclusion is one where diversity is recognised, understood, and valued, leaders are role models for inclusive behaviours, there is an environment which is flexible and adaptable and facilitates meaningful interactions, and there is transparency of and accountability for our actions.

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DIVERSITY IS RECOGNISED, UNDERSTOOD, AND VALUED

By embedding diversity and inclusion into the University’s learning and communication programmes, it can engage with students and staff on realising the benefits that diversity and inclusion brings. Systems and processes will be reviewed to ensure that Warwick does not inadvertently discriminate against students or staff, and have tools in place that promote decision-making that is free from bias. Warwick will support a culture which encourages constructive dialogue to tackle discrimination and injustice.

 

LEADERS ARE ROLE MODELS FOR INCLUSIVE BEHAVIOURS

Leadership in any organisation includes the articulation of its values, and inclusion is fundamental to the values of Warwick. Inclusive behaviours can include different things to different people, here at Warwick they include:

• Being respectful of and understanding individuality.
• Nurturing diverse talent.
• Being an ally and never a bystander through safe intervention.
• Understanding the benefits of diversity and embedding it into all that Warwick does.

 

AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE, AND FACILITATES MEANINGFUL INTERACTIONS

Physical environment has a key role to play in facilitating access for Warwick’s students, staff and the communities within which it works. The University wants to support everyone to enjoy the campus and find the environment to be one, which helps them to perform at their very best. This will be reflected in as many ways as possible, from the welcome provided, to ensuring that the campus is physically accessible and adaptable to different needs.

To go beyond understanding bias and to achieve unbiased actions, there must be meaningful interactions with people who are different and unfamiliar to oneself. Physical and social environments can encourage such interactions between different members of the community by facilitating learning and respectful curiosity about difference.

Through proactive communications and learning, individuals can also support their community; to not be bystanders; and to encourage people to report and call out behaviours that are not congruent with Warwick’s values. Warwick will create an environment of respect, where bullying and harassment is not tolerated. It is recognised that that not all forms of discrimination and harassment are overt and take the form of micro-aggressions, but these are no less damaging.

 

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS

As a University, Warwick is subject to external scrutiny on actions and outcomes in achieving social inclusion for its students and staff. Warwick will go further than this and hold our itself accountable to all stakeholders through its shared values and governance processes, and by being transparent in the actions that the University are taking, outcomes that it is achieving and barriers that it has yet to overcome.

The University will work with its staff, (academic, professional and support services), with its students and with external stakeholders to identify best practice, implement actions in a timely fashion and innovate new approaches to achieve Warwick’s vision of inclusion.

Warwick wants to be recognised regionally, nationally and internationally as a place that is leading on learning, developing and achieving inclusion.

At a national level, the University wants to be at the forefront of the debate and a force for change on social inclusion, not only in the role of a higher education provider, but also using its expertise and knowledge on social, political and economic factors that are inhibitors or facilitators of progression towards greater equality.

Warwick values the richness that international relationships bring to knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity, and will continue to strive to achieve geographical diversity in its students and partnerships.

The University will continue to increase the depth, mutuality and diversity of its relationships in the surrounding communities and the region. This will be achieved by continuing to contribute skills, knowledge, volunteering, and other support, to facilitate and shape sustainable change in the region by helping to build capacity in local communities and promoting the development of leadership skills and practices to achieve inclusive economies.

In many ways, the discourse on social inclusion is still in its infancy. By harnessing the experience of Warwick’s practice and the knowledge and innovation of its academics, professional staff and students, it will use its voice to develop and establish thought leadership in this critical area.