A culture of belonging
Raffy and Izzy at the Stables Bar
Green Templeton’s diversity, particularly with a substantial black student population, makes the college a sanctuary within Oxford. … The college’s commitment to investing in its students is evident, and the community exudes positivity and warmth. Brendan Tankwa (DPhil in Geography and the Environment, 2025)
Green Templeton College aims to be a community in which everyone knows that they belong. This is not just the right thing to do in itself, it’s also the best way to support students, fellows, associates and alumni to flourish in their academic and professional practice building a more just and equal world: from democratising maternal and child health to advocating for climate justice to law and human rights.
Everyone in the college community is welcome to join the EDI Forum, which meets four times a year to generate new ideas, listen to new voices, oversee new initiatives and make sure that equity, diversity and inclusion are prioritised in every aspect of college life and strategy.
We celebrate every year at the Green Templeton Diversity Dinner, which has marked Black History Month, Disability Month, and LGBTQ+ History Month with thoughtful speakers and discussion as well as fantastic themed menus. This is one part of a full calendar of events celebrating a wide range of cultures, religious festivals and causes, such as Juneteenth and the Honouring Indigenous Heritage Dinners.
These values are also embedded in the everyday activities and plans of the Green Templeton Graduate Common Room. They’re not just in the remit of the Vice President for Equality and Diversity, but a priority for everyone – so much so that Green Templeton students’ EDI work has been recognised by Oxford SU Race Equality and Paving the Way Awards, and the Oxford Vice Chancellor’s Diversity Awards.
They also inform other student activities, from the Green Templeton Boat Club – known across Oxford as an open and supportive club at which everybody is welcome – to the Richard Doll Society, our student-led medical and allied health care society, which runs an annual access workshop to help widen participation in medical studies at Oxford as well as activities to highlight health inequities and medical prejudice.
College staff take part in relevant EDI training provided by the University of Oxford and other groups, including recent courses on supporting neurodivergent students and colleagues, and British sign language/ deaf awareness. All college staff have also recently been provided with training on preventing and reacting to harassment and bullying, and the college has a zero-tolerance policy on harassment.
