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Equality and diversity for academics: factsheets

Academic staff have a crucial role to play in ensuring that higher education institutions are inclusive and accessible, and encourage good relations between the diverse groups that study, work, or otherwise engage with them.

These short factsheets are designed to help raise awareness among academic staff of their responsibilities in this area and promote the development of equality and diversity expertise as a key competence for teaching and learning.

These factsheets can be used as a resource to support professional development programmes for academic staff, in equality and diversity training, or as a general awareness-raising tool.

The legal framework

A framework of domestic and European legislation relating to equality and human rights provides the context within which teaching and learning are delivered.

Separate briefings outline the legal situation for academics working in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.

Inclusive practice

Inclusive practice recognises the diversity of students, enabling all students to access course content, fully participate in learning activities and demonstrate their knowledge and strengths at assessment.

Pastoral care

Academic staff have a crucial role to play in providing pastoral support, being best placed to observe behaviour in the learning environment that might indicate a student is in need of support.

Promoting good relations

Academic staff have a role to play in promoting good relations in the design and delivery of courses, and in the relationships they build with students.

Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in England and Wales factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in England and Wales factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in England and Wales factsheet WORD
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in England and Wales factsheet WORD View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Scotland factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Scotland factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Scotland factsheet WORD
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Scotland factsheet WORD View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Northern Ireland factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Northern Ireland factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Northern Ireland factsheet WORD
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: legislation in Northern Ireland factsheet WORD View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: pastoral care factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: pastoral care factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: pastoral care factsheet WORD
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: pastoral care factsheet WORD View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: inclusive practice factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: inclusive practice factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: inclusive practice factsheet WORD version
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: inclusive practice factsheet WORD version View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: good relations factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: good relations factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: good relations factsheet WORD
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: good relations factsheet WORD View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: disability legislation factsheet PDF
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: disability legislation factsheet PDF View Document
Equality and diversity for academics: disability legislation factsheet WORD
04/04/2013
Equality and diversity for academics: disability legislation factsheet WORD View Document

The materials published on this page were originally created by the Equality Challenge Unit.