Equality, diversity and inclusion policy
Purpose and Scope
Green Templeton College is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity, and maintains a working, learning, and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected, and where all members of our community are valued and able to succeed. The college will work to remove any barriers, real or perceived, which might deter people of the highest ability from applying to the college, either as fellows, staff or students.
This policy applies to all members of the college community, including students, fellows, professional services and support staff, applicants, associate and honorary members, and visitors.
All visitors to the college, including contractors, and people working, acting or operating on behalf of the college, whether on college premises or elsewhere, have a responsibility to behave in accordance with the principles of this policy.
All members of the college community are expected to act in accordance with this policy and to treat colleagues with respect at all times.
Our Approach
Green Templeton College aims to embed inclusion in its practice and culture to provide an excellent student experience and to be an employer of choice. Green Templeton will not tolerate discrimination, victimisation or harassment.
Green Templeton embraces diversity amongst the members of its community and seeks to achieve equity in the experience and support of all students, fellows, and staff through the implementation of transparent policies, practices, and procedures.
The college recognises that equality should be embedded in all its activities and will seek to promote awareness of equality, foster good practice and celebrate diversity. Green Templeton is committed to a programme of action to support its equality policy, to monitor its effectiveness, and to publish information on progress towards its equality aims.
In exercising its policies, practices, procedures, and other functions, Green Templeton College will have due regard to its duties under the Equality Act 2010 and to the protected characteristics specified within it, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities, contract type, and working hours. The characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010 are: age, disability, gender reassignment (a trans person does not have to be under medical supervision to be protected from discrimination and harassment), marital or civil partnership status (in employment), pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, and sexual orientation.
Green Templeton recognises the intersections between different elements of individuals’ identities and experiences, acknowledging that there may be multiple factors that affect people’s sense of belonging. The college also recognises that diversity and inclusion goes beyond the characteristics protected by law.
Our commitment
Our commitment to inclusion means that Green Templeton will create an environment where differences are not just respected, but valued and celebrated. Everyone should be able to bring their whole self to Green Templeton, without having to downplay or change elements of their identity. Green Templeton will identify and remove barriers to inclusion and will take prompt action over alleged discrimination, victimisation or harassment.
Green Templeton is committed to taking the required actions to support this Policy. To achieve equality of opportunity, Green Templeton recognises that to be treated fairly, sometimes people need to be treated differently. For example, students with Specific Learning Needs may require adjustments in their assessment process. Green Templeton will evaluate the impact of the actions it takes and will publish information on its progress as part of annual diversity and inclusion reporting.
To achieve equality of opportunity, Green Templeton will:
- seek to embed equality in all its activities
- have regard to its obligations under relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty 2011 (see Statutory Background, Annex A)
- publicise this policy, and any relevant codes of practice and guidance
- have regard to its obligations under relevant legislation, including the requirement to carry out impact assessments in certain areas, and for its policies, codes of practice and guidance to mirror the same and be changed to meet the demands of new legislation;
- use an evidence-based approach where possible to inform its activities to increase equality and to measure the impact of any changes
- monitor and publish anonymized equality data on its fellows, staff and students
- offer development opportunities to increase awareness of equality and diversity issues and requirements
- be proactive in eliminating discrimination, including harassment and bullying, through training and the production and dissemination of codes of practice and guidance;
- make this policy, as well as all codes of practice and guidance, available to all fellows, staff and students; and
- regularly review the terms of this policy and all associated codes of practice and guidance.
In particular, Green Templeton College will:
- Agree equality objectives and an action plan, and report on progress towards attaining our objectives in its annual Public Sector Equality Duty Report
- Use the annual Public Sector Equality Duty Report as a space to assess our polices on and our commitment to equality in all protected characteristics, including: race, disability, gender, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation and transgender (see Annex B)
- Encourage applications for study and employment from the widest pool of potential candidates, especially where representation is disproportionately low;
- Take steps to meet the particular needs of individuals from protected groups where these are different from the needs of others;
- With respect to students, seek to attract applicants of the highest quality and potential, regardless of background;
- In the provision of residential accommodation, will seek to provide an inclusive living and studying environment;
- With respect to staff, ensure that entry into employment and progression within employment are determined primarily by criteria which relate to the duties of a particular post and the relevant salary scale; and support career development and progression, where possible in a small organisation, to encourage diverse representation and participation at all levels
Green Templeton College expects all members of its community to treat each other with respect, courtesy, and consideration and does not tolerate any form of bullying, victimisation or harassment. The college’s Policy and Procedure on Harassment is available on the website.
Responsibilities
All college staff, students, fellows, contractors and visitors have a responsibility under this policy. Individuals are:
- Responsible for making themselves aware of the college Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
- Expected to participate in training which supports the implementation of the college’s Equality Policy, as appropriate.
- Responsible for their behaviour and expected to treat others with dignity and respect. This includes cases where alleged or proven discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation has occurred.
- Staff responsible for dealing with appeals, complaints, grievances, staff discipline and student conduct matters should demonstrate sensitivity to equality and diversity issues.
Governance
The Governing Body (GB) agrees Green Templeton College’s strategic objectives for equality and diversity. These are presented to GB annually at its first meeting of Michaelmas Term.
The Principal with the support of Executive Team and the Governing Body will provide leadership on equality and diversity and oversee the development of equality policy frameworks and their application in the college, working with the Equality & Diversity Forum, Human Resources and Academic Committees, as appropriate.
College Officers and managers are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of this policy and for supporting the delivery of Green Templeton’s College strategic objectives for equality and diversity within the college constituency for which they are responsible. All managers are responsible for ensuring that equality is embedded in the work of their teams.
The Equality and Diversity Forum
The college agreed to establish an Equality & Diversity Forum in Hilary 2020. The forum does not report formally to any college committee. It is comprised of members of college staff, GCR representatives, fellows and students who volunteer to be members each year.
The remit of the GTC E&D Forum:
- Via the E&D Lead (Senior Tutor), to provide input into E&D-related policy, objectives and reporting. The E&D lead will then take the output from this work to the relevant college committees for discussion and approval
- Via the E&D Champion or E&D GB Fellow (Susan James Relly) and E&D Lead, to provide oversight for E&D-related projects that seek to meet the PSED objectives (in particular number 4). The goal, here, is to have a calendar of regular activities which are organised by this group (or sub groups of the forum).
Concerns and Complaints
Staff and students should approach their line manager, HR or Senior Tutor respectively in the
first instance to resolve concerns informally. If this is unsuccessful, a formal grievance or complaint concerning a breach of this policy may be made to the college.
The procedures for dealing with concerns about breaches of the policy are set out below.
Staff Grievance Procedure (SSO required)
Review
The Governing Body will review this policy on a three-year cycle.
Approved: HR Committee: 11 October 2021
Academic Committee: 2 November 2021
Governing Body: 21 October 2021
Annex A
Statutory Background
The college will have due regard to its obligations under relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty 2011.
The Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010. The Equality Act brings together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act. Combined, they make up a new Act that provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.
The Act simplifies, strengthens and harmonises the current legislation to provide Britain with a new discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society.
The nine main pieces of legislation that have merged are:
- the Equal Pay Act 1970
- the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
- the Race Relations Act 1976
- the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
- the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
- the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
- the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
- the Equality Act 2006, Part 2
- the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007
Annex B
Race Equality Policy
The college is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, good race relations and of working proactively to eradicate racial discrimination. This policy has been developed with regard to the guidance and code of practice issued by the Commission for Racial Equality.
Commitment
- The college will ensure that in the conduct of all its activities, steps are taken to avoid the occurrence of racial discrimination, whether direct or indirect, and to promote good relations between different racial groups.
- Any discriminatory behaviour, including harassment or bullying by individuals or groups, will be regarded extremely seriously and could be regarded as grounds for disciplinary action, which may include expulsion or dismissal.
Consultation
- At all stages in the implementation and review of this policy, consultation will be a key feature. This will include all fellows, staff and students and in particular those from different racial groups, students, union representative bodies, and other interested and relevant groups within the college.
Community partnership
- The college will incorporate into the development and implementation of outreach activities, an awareness of the need to promote good race equality and good relations between different racial groups.
Guidance, support and training
Guidance, support and training will be provided to members of staff to ensure that the college’s commitment to race equality is fully achieved. The purpose of training is to inform individuals and also to ensure that principles underlying the Race Equality Policy underlie decision-making processes throughout the college.
Monitoring and auditing
- The college has in place arrangements to monitor, by reference to different racial groups, the selection and recruitment of members of staff and the admission of students. The results of this monitoring process are collated by the Academic Registrar and HR Manager and reported to the Academic Committee, HR Committee and Governing Body.
- In addition to the monitoring and assessment arrangements already in place, the college will consider procedures to ensure that such additional monitoring is undertaken as is necessary to ensure that the college is able to identify possible improvements in its practices, whether in relation to management and governance; admissions, access and participation; students’ support and guidance; behaviour and discipline; partnership and community links; staff recruitment, training and career development; and service delivery.
- The college’s Race Equality Action Plan sets out in greater detail the arrangements for monitoring.
Responsibilities
- The Governing Body both by itself and through the Academic and HR Committees is responsible for securing compliance with the general and specific duties and for overseeing implementation of the Action Plan.
- The Principal is responsible for providing leadership in the promotion and implementation of the Action Plan.
- Because of the importance attached to these issues, the Academic and HR Committees are responsible to the Governing Body for the development, implementation, monitoring, prioritisation and review of equal opportunities policies and plans generally.
- All managers have a duty to take forward specific actions under this policy as identified in the action plan in addition to the general duties under the Act.
Contractors and service providers
- The college’s procurement policies will address, where appropriate the obligation to promote race equality and good relation between different racial groups
Publication
- The college will publish the race equality policy and action plan and will update these policies in the light of the annual review. It will also publish the results of monitoring and assessments, including information on consultation undertaken as part of the assessment process.
Review
- The Race Equality Policy will be reviewed annually to assess its effectiveness. HR Committee will undertake the review during Trinity Term and report its findings to Governing Body.
Disability Equality Policy
Green Templeton College is committed to promoting and implementing equality for disabled fellows, students, staff and applicants. The college and the university offer support and advice. The college is not liable for the accuracy or appropriateness of advice given by a university body, but believes that the resources provided by the university may be useful to college members.
Disabled students can get advice from the OUSU Vice President for Welfare and Equal
Opportunities and the university’s Disability Advisory Service. The university’s Diversity & Equal Opportunities Unit is able to offer guidance and advice to colleges on university policies. The college designated officer for student disability matters is the Academic Registrar. The Junior Deans, the GCR Vice President Welfare and Welfare Officers can also be consulted. The college also has a designated contact at the university Counselling Service.
Investigations into claims of harassment are carried out as set out in the college Policy on Harassment.
The university offers training in best practice for those involved in the admissions process, recruitment and selection, management and teaching.
Gender Equality Policy
Green Templeton College is committed to promoting and implementing equality for fellows, students, staff and applicants regardless of their gender. This policy encompasses consideration of gender reassignment, marriage civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.
The college and university offer support and advice. The college is not liable for the accuracy or appropriateness of advice given by a university body, but believes that the resources provided by the university may be useful to college members. The university Equality & Diversity Unit and student representatives are able to provide guidance and advice. The GCR President and Junior Deans can be consulted.
Investigations into claims of harassment are carried out as set out in the college Policy on Harassment.
Advice on childcare is available from the university’s Childcare Officer or on the Childcare website where full details of university nursery and child-minding provision, advice on staff and student funding, and application forms are available. The College Office supports applicants and students in accessing childcare guidance and provision.
Age Equality Policy
Green Templeton College is committed to promoting and implementing equality for fellows, students, staff and applicants regardless of their age.
The college Policy on Retirement is as follows:
- Following the removal of the Default Retirement Age, employees may retire at any specific age. Consequently, line managers need to talk to employees to understand their intentions.
- An employee who decides to retire is required to formally resign from their post, submitted in writing, and provide the notice specified in their contract of employment in the normal way.
The college is able to provide support and advice. Other vehicles are available via the central
university. The college is not liable for the accuracy or appropriateness of advice given by a university body, but believes that the resources provided by the university may be useful to college members.
The university’s Equality & Diversity Unit is able to offer guidance and advice to colleges on university policies.
Investigations into claims of harassment are carried out as set out in the Policy on Harassment.
The university offers training in best practice for those involved in the admissions process, recruitment and selection, management and teaching.
At different times in their lives, fellows, students and staff may have caring responsibilities for children or for elderly family members. We will try to support people in balancing work and caring responsibilities.
Members of staff of all ages are encouraged to undertake development activities to ensure they have the skills and knowledge needed by the university.
Religion and Belief Equality Policy
Green Templeton College is committed to promoting and implementing equality for fellows, students, staff and applicants regardless of their religion or belief.
The college and the university offer support and advice. The college is not liable for the accuracy or appropriateness of advice given by a university body, but believes that the resources provided by the university may be useful to college members.
Unlike many other colleges, Green Templeton does not have a chapel. The college has identified a space suitable for prayer and this is available to staff and students upon request. Fellows, students and members of staff at Oxford will find that there are a wide variety of places of worship in and around the City centre. In addition to Anglican chapels and churches, there are places of worship for: Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Methodists, Muslims, Quakers, Roman Catholics and Sikhs in Oxford. Further information
The university’s Equality & Diversity Unit is able to offer guidance and advice to colleges on university policies.
Investigations into claims of harassment are carried out as per the college’s Policy on Harassment.
The university offers training in best practice for those involved in the admissions process, recruitment and selection, management and teaching.
Sexual Orientation and Transgender Policy
Green Templeton College is committed to promoting and implementing equality for fellows, students, staff and applicants regardless of their sexual orientation and aims to aims to anticipate and respond positively to the needs of trans and gender variant fellows, students, staff and alumni, enabling all members of the college to feel welcome, safe, valued and supported in achieving their potential and contributing as a member of the college.
The college and the university offer support and advice. The college is not liable for the accuracy or appropriateness of advice given by a university body, but believes that the resources provided by the university may be useful to college members.
For students, the Junior Deans, Peer Supporters (of whom some are trained ‘Rainbow Peers’) the GCR Vice Presidents Equality & Diversity and Welfare, Welfare Officers can be consulted. For staff, including college staff, the university operates a Staff LGBTQ Network. The Network is particularly useful for organising social events, as a forum for discussion as well as networking. The Network mailing list is secure and personal information is safeguarded under the Data Protection Act 1998. An email address ending in ‘.ac.uk’ is required to join the mailing list.
The university’s Equality & Diversity Unit is able to offer guidance and advice to colleges on university policies.
Investigations into claims of harassment are carried out as per the college’s Code of Practice on Harassment.
The university offers training in best practice for those involved in the admissions process, recruitment and selection, management and teaching.
