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Overview

   Equality and diversity should not be something institutions 'do' but the way they do everything.

Bettina Rigg, Lay governor, University of Exeter.

Introduction

As a governor, your responsibilities are to:

  1. Provide oversight of the institution’s direction and performance
  2. Seek assurance that agreed policies are being successfully implemented and the institution complies with the legal and regulatory requirements placed on it.

Equality and diversity (E&D) are integral to both of these responsibilities.

This toolkit is designed to help you assess whether your institution is using E&D to strengthen its distinctiveness, as well as meeting its legal and regulatory obligations.

Defining the terms

  • Diversity: Recognises that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected and valued (ECU)
  • Equality: ‘Equality is a fundamental part of a fair society in which everyone can have the best possible chance to succeed in life.’ (Discrimination Law Review, 2007)

Key areas of attention for governors

  1. Overseeing compliance
  2. Using E&D for competitive advantage
  3. Specific E&D issues and challenges facing higher education institutions
  4. The value of having a diverse governing body

 Supporting materials

  5. Checklist of questions

  6. Additional resources

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        22. Governance issues at Tesco
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        34. Kids Company
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        1. Governance events notes
    6. Governance Briefing Notes
      1. 27. Governing bodies and culture
      2. 26. The new regulatory approach to HE in England
      3. 25. The factors that influence whether governance is effective?
      4. 24. Benefits and impact
      5. 23. Competitive pressures
      6. 22. Corporate ethics and values
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      10. 18. Finance
      11. 17. Employment
      12. 16. Remuneration
      13. 15. Nominations committee
      14. 14. Audit committee
      15. 13. The governance system and assessing effectiveness
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      17. 11. Monitoring performance
      18. 10. Strategic plan
      19. 09. Students
      20. 08. Risk management
      21. 07. International students and collaborations
      22. 06. Commercial operations
      23. 05. Regulations and compliance
      24. 04. Academic governance and quality
      25. 03. The workings of a governing body
      26. 02. Governance and management
      27. 01. Becoming a governor
    7. Equality and Diversity Toolkit
      1. Overview
      2. Overseeing compliance
        1. The Equality Act 2010
        2. Governance Codes
        3. Overseeing E&D
        4. Reports Governors might use
        5. Case study: Bath
        6. Championing E&D
        7. Case study: ManMet
        8. Case study: Cardiff
      3. Competitive Advantage
        1. Competing in a global market
        2. Improving staff diversity
        3. Case study: Exeter
      4. Issues and Challenges
        1. Student inequalities
        2. Staff inequalities
        3. Assessing specific E&D issues
      5. Value
        1. Increasing focus
        2. Gender diversity data
        3. Improving diversity
        4. Case study 1: UWS
        5. Case study 2: UWS
      6. Questions and Resources
        1. Resources
    8. Board Diversification
    9. Self-Assessment Tool
    10. Governing Body Effectiveness
    11. Governor Dialogues
    12. Governance and Alternative Providers
  6. International
    1. International Engagement
    2. International Reference Group
    3. International Case Studies

The Equality and Diversity Toolkit was created in partnership with the Equality Challenge Unit

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