Embed EDI into our Core Business

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• People and Processes
• Faculties and Departments
• Teaching, Learning and Student Experience

People and Processes

People Experience Team

At Northumbria University, we strive to create an environment where every colleague feels valued and proud to be part of our community. In 2023, we established a dedicated People Experience Team committed to fostering a positive and engaging work environment. By facilitating open communication and actively using feedback and data, we continuously improve our practices, processes, and technology to enhance the work experience and environment.  The People Experience Team plays a crucial role in shaping a culture of inclusion and belonging at Northumbria. The team focus on making it easy for colleagues to share their thoughts and ideas, fostering connections, and supporting the university in managing change effectively. The Team regularly seek input from colleagues through various channels, including a biannual engagement survey. This survey provides invaluable insights into the experiences and perspectives of our colleagues, allowing us to measure and analyse our performance. It helps us understand differences in experiences and identify areas for improvement.

New Starter and Leaver Surveys

This year saw the introduction of new starter and leaver surveys. The surveys ensure positive onboarding experiences and help us understand the reasons behind colleagues leaving Northumbria, enabling us to tailor future experiences and make necessary improvements.

Key People Initiatives and Projects for 2023/24

1. New Starter Experience Review: Engaging with recently joined colleagues to learn from their experiences and identify areas for improvement in the onboarding process.
2. Evolving Performance, Development, and Appraisal: Collaborating with colleagues across the university to shift the focus to continuous conversations about contributions and development needs, ensuring everyone can succeed.
3. Continuous Development of NU People and Finance Systems: Committed to improving the user experience by introducing ongoing enhancements to the new HR and Finance system.
4. Developing the NU Contractual Framework: Creating resources to help colleagues easily identify the most appropriate routes for engaging people to work at Northumbria, simplifying the process.
5. Academic Probation Process Review: Working with faculties to streamline the academic probation process, making it more efficient and effective.
6. Optimising Campus Space: Working with Faculties and Service to review our use of space to create vibrant campuses that foster a strong sense of community and reflect our values, behaviours, and strategic ambitions. This approach ensures that our campuses remain dynamic and supportive environments for all colleagues, promoting a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Reasonable Adjustments

Following the introduction of Adjustments in the Workplace Passports in early 2023, along with a centralised budget and point of contact for all types of reasonable adjustments, we have continued to improve the support for Disabled colleagues at work.

During 2023/24 over 100 colleagues have been supported with DSE Assessments, Reasonable Adjustments and Access to Work. To assist greater sustainability, equipment is catalogued and returned to stock to be repurposed when it is no longer needed.  We continue to run training sessions each term for colleagues and line managers on reasonable adjustments and how to use the Passport.

Accessibility Review Group (ARG)

This operational Group comprises staff and students and provides a forum to improve access to both internal, external and digital environments. This includes the physical estate and buildings, equipment, software and services for students, staff and visitors.  The group contributes to the development and implementation of procedures, guidelines and policies to provide a safe and accessible environment and providing an escalation for route for complex accessibility issues.  Historically it’s focus was upon removing barriers for Disabled people at the University, however in recent years the group’s remit has widened and issues such as parenting rooms, prayer spaces and quiet and neuro-inclusive spaces have been raised through the ARG.

This year the group has been involved in a range of initiatives including: developing plans to improve access to the Psychology staff/student hub in Northumberland building; reviewing access to Sutherland building; improving signage to Sutherland and Lipman buildings, working to introduce an Accessible Buildings Checklist for all capital works; developing a Quiet and Sensory Spaces brief for the campus; engaging with staff and students on their ability to engage fully with Campus and ensuring that new developments such as CHASE use student/staff engagement to deliver fully inclusive buildings; reviewing digital accessibility; and working with EDI leads at Coach Lane to improving the provision of prayer and parenting rooms at Coach Lane campus.

Centre for Health and Social Equity (CHASE)

A specialist inclusivity consultant was subcontracted by the main architect to hold discussions about wellbeing spaces and accessibility for everyone, and a travel survey and office occupancy survey delivered to help us understand how people will travel to City campus and use the spaces on offer.

Our procurement criteria have changed, equity-related questions now form 15% of the decision-making process for awarding contracts relating to CHASE.

Faculties and Departments

Art, Design and Social Sciences

During Induction week in September 2023, the Humanities department held a one-hour ‘Good Student’ lecture covering acceptable behaviours, gender equality, LGBTQ+ equality, racism and sexual consent. Centered around good citizenship with a clear EDI focus, it directed students to further information on EDI-related policies and standards and advised on expected behaviours and conduct. The lecture will run again in Induction Week 2024.  At their January 2024 away day, Humanities colleagues took part in an Unconscious Bias Workshop and a session on Student Accessibility Plans, and in June a training workshop was held on neurodiversity, disabled students and pedagogy.  While it also covered disabled staff, it provided in-depth guidance on how to navigate complex issues in relation to teaching and accommodating the needs of neurodivergent students.  

In Design, EDI was introduced as the responsibility of everyone as a core principle. Quarterly EDI meetings were introduced, along with EDI guidance and materials to support programme rewrites.  In Social Sciences, timetabling arrangements were changed to offer adjustment priorities to staff with caring responsibilities.

Health and Life Sciences

In Nursing, Midwifery and Health (NMH) principles of bystander training have been integrated into Year 1 teaching activity.  Within Psychology, work is in progress around acceptable behaviours and development of the Student Charter with particular emphasis on misogyny. 

Work to develop cultural competence training is underway at Coach Lane.  Led by NMH and SWECW (Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing), working groups are in place to develop in-house training for staff.  While this will be trialled departmentally, it is intended for use across the organisation.

Department Heads of EDI across the faculty have worked with subject leads and personal tutors to support and inform induction for 2024.  Most departments have now created space for EDI within Departmental Away Days, and EDI Matters seminars have continued this year and have been opened for colleagues from all faculties to attend.

Research and Innovation Service

The Research and Innovation Service (RIS) is the first professional support team in Northumbria to engage with the Athena Swan process and in April was successful in achieving a Bronze award. The Departmental Self-Assessment team was renewed and in June 2024 set out three key projects for this year: RIS Lunch and Learn Series, Line Managers Forum and re-induction for those returning from extended leave (e.g. parental leave). The work in this area was recognised by the University Shine Awards, for which RIS won the Team Inclusivity Award.  

Graduate School

The Graduate School (and projects undertaken by teams that support the graduate school) have undertaken several actions to embed EDI into core business. This has included:

• All ‘findaphd’ adverts include an Inclusivity Statement
• All UKRI funded students have access to Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) to help with additional expenditure for the costs of study-related requirements that may be incurred related to their disability.
• UKRI CDT/DTPs can cover the costs of additional caring responsibilities where costs are directly related to project activity and where this support is required to enable the student to participate.
• Improvements to Family related leave for all UKRI-funded and Northumbria-funded research degree studentship holders in receipt of a stipend.
• Preferred names can now appear on PURE research pages.
• Unconscious bias training available for all PGRs.
• Working with the Student Accessibility Team to contribute to the Student Accessibility Plan template, to ensure relevance for PGRs
• The CONVINCE project, led by PGR interns facilitated 1-1 interviews with students from ethnically minoritised backgrounds, and from across different levels of study. Key recommendations were produced to remove barriers and to offer tailed support, with the aim of increasing the number of successful applications from individuals from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
• Potential applicants for Doctoral Training Partnership can request 1-1 support via the mentor programme
• OnePlanet is working in collaboration with outreach teams from both Northumbria University and Newcastle University to address low engagement of minoritised ethnic groups across North East in Natural and Environmental Sciences.
• The ReNU CDT (Renewable Energy Northeast University Plus Centre Doctoral Training): Training sessions are offered within ReNU CDT, buddy/peer mentoring scheme setup and cohort based training activities carefully considered EDI.
• BISCOP CTP (Bioscience for Sustainable Consumer Products Collaborative Training Partnership): A dedicated EDI plan has been implemented and covers attracting applicants from different backgrounds; considerations for when recruiting staff, doctoral candidates, advisors, and general community representation in areas of relevance to the Partnership; Support systems to protect individual’s physical and mental health; Supporting career progression, particularly for those individuals who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances; Raising awareness of, and mitigating against, unconscious bias in the running of the Partnership.

Teaching, Learning and Student Experience

Inclusive Design in Teaching and Assessment

The Innovation Hub provides an inclusive forum to encourage innovation and creativity, allowing colleagues to connect and share how they use technology in the classroom.  It provides accessibility resources, monthly newsletters and a best practice showcase.  A Digital Accessibility Network (DAN) was established this year.

The Staff Accessibility Toolkit continues to be updated in line with best practice, and this year workshops on digital accessibility have been held for several teams across the University.  Focus Groups have been introduced to improve accessibility on Blackboard, with a new module template for Blackboard based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). 

Inclusivity of Library Services

To ensure a range of different voices were heard, Student Inclusion Consultants were involved in a Library project on student and staff perceptions of academic writing. They attended the Library’s academic writing sessions as part of the Northumbria Skills Programme (NSP) and provided feedback from the student perspective. Many of their suggestions are now being put into action, for example, changing the name of the NSP sessions to make them more reflective of students’ understanding of academic writing.  

Members of the Library’s Skills Development Team attended a session on ‘Improving accessibility for autistic learners’ as part of the Universal Design for Learning training provided by the university. This inclusive approach will be incorporated into their core pedagogy and service development.  

Amplifying Blackand Asian Voices project – Student ambassadors mapped out a potential web page to help support academic staff to create more diverse reading lists. They also focused on how it would function and be rolled out. 

Represented Reading Collection – Further funding was received from the APP for the purchase of student suggested material for this collection which was originally developed with the Student Union. 101 new titles were added to it and 290 items were loaned which was an increase of 161% on the previous year. This increase is due to the promotional activities which took place over the year which included seven spotlight displays in the Library buildings, a promotional stand in the Students Union, the promotion of new purchases and collection themes via social media and showcasing at the Access and Participation Plan event in June. 

Inclusivity in Sport

Northumbria Sport has continued to make positive changes to ensure that EDI is embedded into our Core Business, we have formed relationships with a range of external and internal partners to ensure all students have access to sport and physical activity, along with promoting EDI principles to our engaged students.  

Over the past academic year, we have successfully rolled out a bespoke EDI Learning module through Blackboard for our coaches, service staff, volunteers, interns, and club committee members.  Thirty students engaged with the module, representing 58% of our total Volunteer and Internship programme. The programme will ensure our workforce recognise protected characteristics, intersectionality, and best practice. This will also ensure our programmes including Sport Clubs, Just PLAY, Intramural Leagues, and other services to foster an environment that promotes inclusivity and diversity. Northumbria Sport have committed for the 24/25 academic year of having 100% completion rate of the EDI Module.  

Northumbria Sport hosted a LGBTQ+ inclusion and Active bystander training for our Club Committee members. The LGBTQ+ inclusion session engaged with 20 different Sports Clubs which help promote a culture of acceptance of acceptance and belonging within our Sports Clubs. Our Active Bystander help embed EDI into our core business by giving our committee members the ability to tackle discrimination and abuse.  

Student Inclusion

The Student Life and Wellbeing team has actively worked to embed EDI with efforts focused on providing comprehensive support and resources to ensure that all students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, feel valued and supported. Some of the key achievements and activities include: 

• Neurodiversity at Northumbria Resources: this program includes a series of training sessions for staff, café and drop-in sessions for students, co-creation opportunities, and an online toolkit to support neurodiverse and dyslexic students. 
• Development and delivery of Counselling and Mental Health Support Training:  the sessions have enhanced the capability of staff to address diverse mental health needs and provided students with accessible mental health resources. 
• Collaboration with the Student EDI Data Working Group: continued collaboration to identify opportunities for data-informed activity and intervention planning. This initiative has been instrumental in taking a strategic approach to EDI. 
• Approval and implementation of 2024-28 Access and Participation Plan: this plan adopts a data-led and evidence-informed approach to identify and address student outcome gaps, aiming to improve equality of opportunity for all students. 
• Inclusive Reciprocal Mentoring Scheme (IRIS):  pairing students from underrepresented backgrounds with senior decision-makers. This scheme facilitates the sharing of lived experiences, enriching the decision-making process and expanding the professional networks of participating students. 

Return to main EDI Report page.