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An inclusive, diverse and equal place to learn

9 July 2021
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An inclusive, diverse and equal place to learn

Professor Gretchen Larsen, Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, shares an update on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI):

The work that universities and business schools do to ensure EDI is more important than it has ever been. In recent years, several high-profile social justice movements have laid bare how much there is still to do to address long-standing structural inequalities around the world.

Our belief

At Durham University Business School, we strongly believe that all staff and students are happier, enjoy their work and studies more and perform better, in an environment where everyone respects and understands the value of different people working together; where everyone is treated fairly and where negative behaviours and attitudes such as prejudice, discrimination and harassment are unacceptable.

As our Executive Dean, Professor Susan Hart, has said: “We are wholly committed to developing ourselves further as an inclusive Business School, where diversity and equality of opportunity are at the heart of everything we do.”

Our aim

This commitment is a core element in our strategy, with one of our strategic aims being to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment, in which staff and students can reach their full potential.

Our work so far

To support this commitment to EDI, we’ve implemented a number of important initiatives.
A key area of our work to date has been through our ‘Athena SWAN Bronze Award and Action Plan’. Advance HE’s Athena SWAN Charter recognises and celebrates good practices in higher education towards the advancement of gender equality.

The University and School both currently hold the Bronze Award, which means we’ve done a detailed self-examination of where we are with gender equality. We’ve also developed a detailed action plan to help us address gendered inequalities in the institution.

Three key priorities

These underpin our action plan. We are:

  • working towards achieving a more balanced cohort of staff and students as measured against industry and sector benchmarks
  • encouraging more female colleagues to participate in the running of the School
  • working to fully embed a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion, particularly with regards to valuing the diversity of people and roles that make up the business of what we do.

Decolonising the Curriculum project

This is a University-wide project and is being undertaken in collaboration with the Student’s Union. Funding has been provided to employ student interns to work closely with academic staff in decolonising our curriculum.

Our aim at the Business School is that: by 2022/23, no student will be able to complete a degree without significant exposure to the issues and debates that are directly relevant to the decolonisation of the curriculum.

Other key areas

We also have several other important strands of EDI activities and initiatives including Lunchtime Fora on topics such as ‘How to Talk About Race’ which supports the work being done by the University towards its application for an Institutional Bronze Award of the Race Equality Charter, and events marking important occasions such as International Women’s Day and Black History Month.

A key to any of the work we do is understanding the experiences of all who are working and studying here, and this means we can refine and refresh the work that we’re doing to ensure the School is a place where all can flourish.

We’ve explored this in a number of ways including a series of small group discussions and interactive events on a range of EDI issues. The insights gained then inform and shape the focus of future activities.

More information