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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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        1. Exploring the Impact of Coaching in Higher Education
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        3. Big data – disruptive, distracting or adding value?
        4. Encouraging disabled leaders in higher education: recognising hidden talents
        5. Increasing the Diversity of Senior Leaders in Higher Education: The Role of Executive Search Firms
      5. 2016 Research
        1. Onwards and Upwards? Tracking women's work experiences in higher education summary
        2. Onwards and Upwards? Tracking women's work experiences in higher education report
        3. The purpose of professors: professionalism, pressures and performance
        4. Leading Technology-Enhanced Learning in Higher Education: Summary
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        6. Making the road while walking: Co-creation, teaching excellence and university leadership
        7. The Role of Prestige in UK Universities: Vice-Chancellors' Perspectives
        8. The Impact of Leadership and Leadership Development in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature and Evidence
        9. The Impact of Higher Education Leadership, Governance and Management Research - Full Report
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        11. Exploring the Impact of Coaching in Higher Education: a Provocation
      6. 2015 Research
        1. In the wings and backstage: exploring the micropolitics of leadership in higher education
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        3. How can we make not break black and minority ethnic leaders in higher education?
        4. Religion in Britain: Challenges to Higher Education
        5. The Case for Growing STEMM Research Capacity in Wales
      7. 2014 Research
        1. Leading interdisciplinary Research transforming the academic landscape
        2. Exploring Student Leadership
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        4. Towards the family friendly university?
        5. The experience of BME academics in higher education: aspirations in the face of inequality
        6. Challenges for the leadership of transnational education in higher education: balancing risk and innovation
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        8. Governance in a changing environment: literature review
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        14. Neo-collegiality: restoring academic engagement in the managerial university
        15. Trends in Governance: Universities in the Southern, African Development, Community
        16. Action Learning as a Tool for Change and Development: The Experience of Registrars and Senior Administrative Officers in Southern Africa
        17. Registrars and Senior Administrative Officers as Change Leaders in Southern African Universities
        18. The Changing Role of the University Registrar: Challenges and Prospects in Southern African Higher Education Institutions
        19. Report from the: Programme for University Leaders in the Southern African Region (PULSAR)
        20. Leading the Student Experience: Academic and Professional Services in Partnership
        21. A Complexity Approach to Leadership Development: Developing Practical Judgement
        22. Performance Management in UK Higher Education Institutions: The need for a hybrid approach
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        1. Humanities Research Leadership in Europe
        2. Credit Risk? Reviving credit accumulation and transfer in UK higher education
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        7. Horizon Scanning: what will higher education look like in 2020
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        13. Internationalising the curriculum: Design, delivery and depth
        14. Losing our Chains?
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        1. What do we know about leadership in higher education?
        2. Leadership development within the UK higher education: its impact on organisational performance, and the role of evaluation
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        4. Disruptive Innovation and the higher education ecosystem post-2012
        5. Academic Leadership: Changing Conceptions, Identities and Experiences in UK Higher Education
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        9. Leading Culturally Diverse Communities in Higher Education: A Self Assessment and Improvement Tool to Support Equality and Diversity Strategies Toolkit and Toolkit as Form
        10. Inequality and higher education: marketplace or social justice?
        11. Collaborations and Mergers in HE: Lessons Learned and Future Prospects
      10. 2011 Research
        1. Developing the whole student: leading higher education initiatives that integrate mind and heart
        2. A Review of Higher Education Collaborations Across Wales
        3. Higher Education Collaborations: Implications for Leadership, Management and Governance
        4. Enabling equality: furthering disability equality for staff in higher education
        5. A guide to offshore staffing strategies for UK universities
        6. Leadership and Management of International Partnerships
        7. A Framework for Identifying Governing Body Effectiveness in Higher Education
      11. 2010 Research
        1. Higher Education Futures: Key Themes and Implications for Leadership and Management
        2. Understanding Career Motivation in Higher Education, Analysis of Agregated Results from 2009 Benchmarking Study
        3. Conversations and Collaborations: The Leadership of Collaborative Projects between Higher Education and the Arts and Cultural Sector
        4. A Guide to Scenario Planning in Higher Education
      12. 2009 Research
        1. Baseline Study of Leadership Development in Higher Education 2009
        2. Diversity In Higher Education: Leadership Responsibilities and Challenges
        3. Mapping Leadership Development in Higher Education: A Global Study
        4. Departmental Leadership of Teaching in Research-Intensive Environments
        5. The Management of Academic Workloads: Improving Practice in the Sector
        6. The Role and Influence of the Secretary in UK Higher Education Governing Bodies
        7. Effective Leadership in Higher Education
        8. Governing bodies, equality and diversity A handbook for governors of higher education institutions
        9. What is an Effective and High Performing Governing Body in UK Higher Education?
      13. 2008 Research
        1. Professional Managers in UK Higher Education: Preparing for Complex Futures
        2. The Composition, Challenges and Changes in the Top Team Structures of UK Higher Education Institutions
        3. The Characteristics, Roles and Selection of Vice-Chancellors
        4. Developing Collective Leadership in Higher Education
      14. 2007 Research
        1. Human Resource Management and University Performance
        2. UK Universities and Executive Officers: The Changing Role of Pro-Vice-Chancellors
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        4. The Management of Academic Workloads
        5. Higher Education Leadership of Regional and Local Regeneration Partnerships: Learning from good practice
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      2. What is governance?
      3. Governor responsibilities
        1. Academic governance and quality
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        5. Risk management
        6. Students
        7. Strategic plans
        8. Monitoring performance
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      1. Enablers
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        1. Arts University Bournemouth
        2. City University
        3. King's College London
        4. University of Leicester
        5. University of Salford
        6. University of the West of England
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        8. Ulster University
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        11. University of Wales Trinity Saint David
        12. Mid-Kent College
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        15. Grwp NPTC
      3. New Governors
        1. New Governors - Key Terms
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        1. Alternative providers and student debt in the US: could it happen in the UK?
        2. Is institutional autonomy under threat?
        3. Managing the board
        4. OECD Report suggests some higher education students lack basic skills
        5. Five issues for HEI governing bodies
        6. Whistleblowing and gagging clauses
        7. The failure of HBOS
        8. Financial forecasts for English HEIs
        9. Governance changes proposed in the HE Green paper
        10. FEHE SORP 2015 Donations & Endowments
        11. Board diversity - the Davis Review
        12. Information systems and cyber security
        13. Does a change in leadership lead to a change in strategy?
        14. FIFA and corporate governance
        15. Volkswagen
        16. Sustainability
        17. Review of governance at Plymouth University
        18. Equality and diversity and governing bodies
        19. A Changing Agenda
        20. Role and effectiveness of audit committees
        21. Governance of Scottish Higher Education Institutions: Consulative Paper on HE Bill
        22. Governance issues at Tesco
        23. Student visas
        24. Governance at the Co-op
        25. HE funding - IFS report
        26. Removal of student number control
        27. Governance issues in the private sector
        28. Governance at the BBC
        29. Reforms to how higher education in England is regulated
        30. HBOS & London Met: case studies in governance
        31. New IPPR report on HE
        32. Moocs are coming
        33. Increasing diversity
        34. Kids Company
      4. Getting-to-grips
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      6. Useful websites
      7. Codes of governance
        1. CUC Code of Governance
        2. UK Corporate Governance Code
      8. Research on governance in higher education
      9. Book reviews
      10. HE facts
      11. Illustrative Practice Notes
      12. Roundtable notes
        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
      7. 21. Personal ethics and values
      8. 20. Legal requirements and regulation
      9. 19. Estates
      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
      16. 12. Size, composition and skills available to the governing body
      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
  7. Membership
    1. Membership benefits and services
      1. Membership logos
        1. Download the membership logos
    2. How to join
    3. National and regional contacts
      1. Abbie McKenna
      2. Cindy Vallance
      3. Gary Reed
      4. Jean Chandler
      5. Judy Harris
      6. Lesly Huxley
      7. Meriel Box
      8. Rebecca Bull
    4. Membership advisory group
    5. Membership development support
    6. Management Development Resources
      1. Download MDR1: Managing Effective Performance
      2. Download MDR2: Managing Change in HE
      3. Download MDR3: Emotional Intelligence, Personal Impact and Personal Effectiveness
      4. Download MDR4: Lean Management: Doing more with less
      5. Download MDR5: The Current HE Context: Drivers for change
      6. Download MDR6: Commercial Skills for Academics and Researchers
      7. MDR7: Caught in the Middle
        1. MDR7 Contents
        2. Download MDR7: Caught in the Middle
      8. Download MDR8: Working with Academic Motivation and Prestige
    7. Knowledge Bank
    8. Membership community
      1. Members' Directory
    9. Ten great reasons to be a Leadership Foundation member
      1. #10GreatReasons1
      2. #10GreatReasons2
      3. #10GreatReasons3
      4. #10GreatReasons4
      5. #10GreatReasons5
      6. #10GreatReasons6
      7. #10GreatReasons7
      8. #10GreatReasons8
      9. #10GreatReasons9
      10. #10GreatReasons10

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

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