Conference Session Summaries 2024
Session Descriptions
Warwick Inclusion Conference 2024
Bea Marshall Biography
Based in the UK, and working with clients around the world, Bea is a Neurodiversity Educator and Consultant who is passionate about helping businesses and individuals move from a place of struggle to thriving.
She helps businesses and individuals to thrive by combining education, training, energy therapy and her Autistic lived experience, so you can experience more joy, peace, connection and ease in every area of your life.
Keynote Talk
Unlocking Potential: Embracing Neurodiversity as an Asset
Explore a new perspective on neurodiversity, recognising its strengths and contributions in academia and business. Discover how embracing neurodiversity can foster innovation, creativity, and inclusive environments. This is an opportunity to advocate for change and unlock the full potential of neurodiverse talent as we journey towards a more diverse and equitable future.
Option 1:
What would you do?: Empowering Active Bystanders in Institutional Spaces (1 hour)
Dr Bing Lu (Faculty of Arts), Puja Laporte (Community Values Education Programme), Sarah Hattersley (Academic Development Centre).
- reflect on their own understandings of what it is to be an Active Bystander
- work through scenarios of situations involving unacceptable behaviours in both teaching and social spaces across the institution
- discuss how best they could respond in the described scenarios
- consider the benefits of partnerships like this which strengthen the embedding of shared values across the institution
Option 2:
Managing Neurodivergent staff and workplace adjustments (1 hour)
Tania Martin (Neuro-inclusion Consultant & Trainer, Pegsquared)
It is estimated that between 15-20% of individuals are neurodivergent. This means it's highly likely there is a person in your team or lecture theatre who is, whether they’ve disclosed or not. This session will delve into managing a neurodivergent workforce by adopting a neuroinclusive approach and implementing simple adjustments so teams can harness the full potential of every member, driving innovation and productivity.
Tania’s insights stem from leading a neurodivergent team at EY and her own journey navigating ADHD throughout her 20-year corporate career.
Key Topics:
- Understanding the varied challenges neurodivergent individuals may face in the workplace, ranging from communication difficulties to sensory sensitivities.
- Shifting the narrative from deficits to strengths, recognising the unique skills and perspectives neurodivergent team members bring to the table.
- Exploring the nuances of disclosure and the impact it can have on fostering a supportive environment for neurodivergent employees.
- Highlighting practical adjustments and accommodations that can be implemented to promote inclusivity and enable neurodivergent individuals to thrive in their roles.
- Encouraging all team members to become allies by advocating for inclusivity, understanding neurodiversity, and actively supporting their neurodivergent colleagues.
Option 3:
Part 1 - The Pass/Fail Awarding Gap in the MBChB Programme: An exploration of the Awarding Gap in 2nd sit examinations for ethnic minority medical students (15 mins)
Dr Loralie Rodrigues (Warwick Medical School), Professor Olanrewaju Sorinola (Warwick Medical School)
Awarding gaps in favour of white medical students have existed for decades. This spotlight session will detail a current research project in Warwick Medical School, exploring how the pass/fail awarding gap is reversed at 2nd sit exams, when ethnic minority students significantly out-perform white students.
We will explain our approach and explore how detailed analysisof awarding gaps offers opportunities for impactful interventions by colleagues across the university to promote success in examinations and prevent failure of examinations. Delegates will have the opportunity to apply the experience of medical students to their own context via a ‘toolkit’ template that will be presented.
Part 2 - The Pack: Facilitating inclusion and empowerment in gaming (15 mins)
Aashna Dwyer (Warwick student, Chemistry), Amber Hassan (Warwick student, English and History), Victoria Reile (Warwick student, SCAPVC)
Female and non-binary players frequently face stigma, discrimination and toxicity within the Esports industry and wider gaming community, which often prevents them from playing casually, competitively and professionally. The Esports Society at the University of Warwick set up The Pack in 2021 to challenge these issues.
Acting as a springboard for players to build their confidence and become part of the wider gaming industry, The Pack is a welcoming community that empowers female and non-binary players. We aim to eliminate barriers to accessibility, destigmatise the presence of female and non-binary players in gaming spheres, and tackle gender-based discrimination. In order to do this, we provide a safe space for these players at our award-winning Esports Centre at Warwick. Through fostering an inclusive community, we encourage expression, and create an enjoyable gaming atmosphere.
As part of this spotlight session, we would like to showcase our work and experiences, expand our network, and invite delegates to the Pack Night initiative which equips our players to launch themselves into the wider gaming world and feel confident doing so.We are really excited to have this opportunity to develop and grow our community. By coming together and raising attendees' awareness of The Pack, we would also encourage and welcome the delegates to join us in helping shape the future of the gaming industry.
Part 3 - Navigating Linguistic Diversity at Warwick: Students’ Voices (15 mins)
Dr Andreana Pastena (Applied Linguistics and Institute of Advanced Study)
Warwick University is a uniquely diverse environment, where student mobility and migration flows have transformed the campus into a dynamic, multilingual and multicultural space.
While Warwick prioritises integration, intercultural experiences and global competences, this presentation sheds light on an aspect often overlooked: languages beyond English. Using the results from anongoing project investigating language practices and intercultural interactions in European internationalized universities,
we will explorehow students engage with languages and whether universities provides adequate opportunities to use them.
The audience will engage in a discussion on potential initiatives to enhance linguistic inclusivity, collectively exploring ways to celebrate and integrate students’ rich linguistic repertoires within the university community.
Join us for an interactive panel session with some of Warwick's Senior Leadership. In the panel, we will discuss the theme 'Wellbeing'. You can also submit an anonymous question in advance using the button below.
Meet our panellists:
Rachel Moseley
Vice-Provost and Chair of the Faculty of Arts
Michael Scott
Pro Vice Chancellor (International)
Emma Flynn
Provost
Option 1:
Inclusive Recruitment Toolkit (45 mins)
Professor Olanrewaju Sorinola (Warwick Medical School), Emma Cann (Head of Social Inclusion, Strategy Group), Sarah Summerill (Human Resources)
As we prepare to launch our new inclusive recruitment guidance, we will explore the positive action you can take to ensure an inclusive, fair, transparent and equitable recruitment process.
Bringing examples from across the university and beyond, we will explore the actions you can take at each stage of the hiring process to attract and support a diverse range of candidates and to enable hiring managers and interview panels to create the right conditions for candidates to thrive.
Option 2:
Beyond Labels: Exploring neurodiversity through an intersectional lens (45 mins)
Dr Jagjeet Jutley-Neilson (Associate Professor and DSEP, Psychology), Gemma Gray, (Assistant Professor and Deputy DSEP, Psychology)
Across the Higher Education (HE) sector, we see a positive increase in the number of students starting courses with declared disabilities, particularly from Neurodivergent students. Neurodivergent conditions encompass Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Condition, many of which co-occur or overlap. However, research across HE has identified that disparities exist when comparing the continuation rates and the learning and teaching experiences of disabled students versus non-disabled students.
This workshop explores student experiences at the intersection of neurodiversity, race and gender. We'll explore how these identities can influence one another in educational settings, and how educators can foster a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
This session will enable us to:
- Learn more about the code of practice for disabled students.
- Provide an opportunity for staff to share experiences and challenges of embedding inclusive practices and discuss possible solutions.
- Hear more about how you can use the neurodiversity toolkit to enhance the academic learning experience of students at the University of Warwick.
Option 3:
Feel free to insult me... (45 mins)
Rachel Gower (Legal & Compliance), Nick Wright (Legal & Compliance)
This talk will address Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom, particularly in relation to the new Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. It will provide a brief overview of free speech and academic freedom, including what is lawful and what is unlawful.
The talk will then particularly focus on:
- Protected beliefs, what they are and what they mean.
- The manifestation of protected beliefs, and how the manifestation may be unlawful, while the belief itself is lawful.
- The relationship between free speech and EDI policies.
- The interaction between free speech and academic freedom and the Dignity Principles
- Institutional neutrality.
There will be the opportunity for questions during and after the session.
Option 1:
Managing stress and anxiety: Practical tools for calming, grounding and reconnecting (1 hour)
Natalie Snodgrass
What are the links between wellbeing and inclusion? It makes intuitive sense that being and feeling included improves your wellbeing. Interestingly, research shows that practising inclusivity also increases wellbeing, and that the reverse is also true: As your wellbeing increases, you are more likely to act inclusively.
When we are anchored in a state of wellbeing and resilience, we are resourced and resourceful in our ability to deal with stress. We can acknowledge distress, recognise our options, mindfully respond rather than react, and can reach out for and offer support to others. In contrast, our ability to practise inclusive behaviours – active listening, suspension of judgment, etc. all become more limited when under stress. We revert to protective or adaptive behaviours that can be defensive, highlight our inherent negativity bias, and make us less able to step back and see the bigger picture.
This experiential session aims to support attendees in tapping into a greater awareness of what’s happening in our bodies when we experience stress and anxiety (e.g. the states of ‘fight’, ‘flight’ or ‘freeze’), and how we can learn to regulate a nervous system that’s put our body on alert or danger of shutdown. Drawing on an integrated background of mindfulness, somatic coaching and polyvagal theory, the session will cover how we’re wired for connection, and allow attendees to experience a range of practical tools that we can all draw on when we find ourselves in need of calming, grounding or reconnecting to a place of felt inner safety.
Option 2:
Understanding wellbeing and remaining well
Andy Smith, Director of Wellbeing
As people at the heart of promoting inclusivity at Warwick, you play a critical role in fostering environments where everyone feels valued and respected. This work can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s also an area where emotional stressors are common. This session is designed to support you in your vital role by offering practical strategies to maintain your mental and emotional health. Through some discussions, learning and engagement in activities, we will explore techniques for setting healthy boundaries, managing stress, and ensuring your wellbeing while continuing to thrive in the areas you work.
The goal is to provide you with the tools needed to sustain your energy and passion for your work, ensuring you can continue to create inclusive spaces without compromising your own safety and wellbeing.
Option 3:
I see you... Your difference is your superpower
Laura Nyahuye, Artist at Maokwo
You are invited to a workshop facilitated by artist Laura Nyahuye @Maokwo
Is there room for kindness, love, joy and deep contagious laughter in the workplace or our everyday hurried lives?
What happens when we take a minute from our lives, intentionally press pause and SEE each other beyond our job titles and our skin colour.
MAOKWO was born of the experiences of its Founder and Creative Director, Laura Nyahuye, an artist from Zimbabwe who came to the United Kingdom in 2002. She acknowledges coming face to face with labels and uses her experience to spark creative ingenuity in people, because in creativity lies the answers to most of our problems...
Ife Thomas Biography
Ife Thomas is a motivational speaker, author and coach who is an authority on mindset, confidence, mental health and the power of connection. As an autistic, black female who was abandoned by her birth parents when she was just six weeks’ old, Ife has experienced a lot of adversity in her life but she’s become an expert in turning her pain into power. She’s passionate about sharing her story and using it to inspire others.