Issue No.2 ~ April 2019

For EDI news feedback or suggestions please contact: kelechi.dibie@ncl.ac.uk Page 4 of 4

Learning Opportunities

New On line course for unpaid

carers of people with dementia

In the last issue of ‘The Spirit Level’

there was a call out to colleagues jug-

gling paid work with unpaid caring

responsibilities for a relative or friend

with dementia. It was to sign up for a

pilot awareness sessions designed spe-

cially for carers. Unfortunately only

two employees signed up for the pilot

sessions. As the take up was low, it is

impossible to deliver the sessions, as

the course design requires more than

two delegates. As an alternative we

have identified an another online

course offered by Newcastle Universi-

ty’s Institute of Health & Society. The

course, which is funded by NIHR

(National Institute of Health Research)

was launched on Monday 18th March

and was recently posted on NU Con-

nections. If you care for a relative or

friend with dementia, please log on

and join the course for a free 5-week

access.

To access the course online visit:

https://www.futurelearn.com/

courses/comfort-care

Course trailer is available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=41LfXW_4Gb8

If you would like more information on

the above course, please do not hesi-

tate to contact the coordinator:

marie.poole@newcastle.ac.uk or call

her on Ext. 87215

NOTE: Dr. Marie Poole's work days

are: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thurs-

days & Fridays

The Rainbow Network...the story so far

The LGBT+ Rainbow network, which originated from HaSS, is for all staff and PGR students across all roles and grades within the LGBT+ university communi-ty. Its purpose is to challenge heteronormativity, wholeheartedly support LGBT+ staff and students, and actively promote inclusion of people of diverse genders, sexualities, and relationships. Since its inception and launch in 2017-18 it has made a visible impact through this kind of advocacy and activism. Ini-tiatives so far have included the distribution of 2500 Rainbow lanyards, raising the LGBT+ flag at key points of the year, developing a webpage and social me-dia presence, support work on several EDI projects, as well as working with oth-er EDI networks to promote and develop intersectionality. More recently the network have also reviewed policy and documentation to make them as trans-parent and inclusive as possible. The ethos and principles that formed Rainbow began with the work of HaSS Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Pro-fessor Kate Chedgzoy and Dr Gareth Longstaff (SACS) who is now the networks first chair. In the summer of 2017 they met with the hope of forming something new that was still an LGBT+ support network, but was also able to feed into broader issues across the University. Working on the premise that this should involve and embrace collective action, safe yet open exchange and dialogue, and a passionate commitment to LGBT+ rights it became immediately apparent that interest was high and the need for this was long overdue. Through a num-ber of scoping events and working groups, a steering group and broader net-work of supporters the Rainbow network was rapidly formed. It meets monthly to develop and embed its key aims across the university. As well as this it is working towards a Stonewall Workplace Equality Index application and on April 26th will host an LGBT+ Regional Alliance and Network event here on campus. Rainbow want everyone in the University to have a sense of what we do, by including ourselves into the culture, politics and policy of the University, whilst still retaining our autonomy as a network. To find out more about the network and its work please email: rainbow@newcastle.ac.uk

Profs .Kate Chedgzoy (HaSS EDI Director) & Judith Rankin (Dean of EDI)

hoistng the rainbow flag on 16th July 2018 as colleagues look on.

Issue No.2 ~ April 2019

For HaSS EDI news, feedback, comments or suggestions please contact: kelechi.dibie@ncl.ac.uk

An Equality, Diversity & Inclusion newsletter for HaSS Faculty

New EDI Structure for HaSS

About the new structure

On Wednesday, 20th March, the Facul-

ty Executive Board (FEB) approved our

draft EDI structure and ‘Terms of Refer-

ence’ for the newly formed Hass EDI

Steering Group.’ The diagram on the

left shows the approved structure for

HaSS Faculty. The purpose of the struc-

ture is to ensure that the communica-

tion channels in relation to supporting

the mainstreaming and integration of

EDI in our faculty are clear and realistic.

In addition, it will promote vertical and

lateral accountability in relation to deci-

sion-making relevant to agreed EDI ac-

tions.

Without the steering group which is the

core of the structure, it will be impossi-

ble to develop, monitor or track our

Faculty’s progress against the wider

University EDI and other strategies;

current & future equality charter marks.

The EDI team in HaSS cannot work

alone to progress EDI work. This is be-

cause every arm of the Faculty needs to

be fully engaged and involved to con-

tribute effectively to the EDI agenda.

The outcome is focused on creating a

HaSS Faculty where all functions and

activities are accessible, responsive and

appropriate to staff, students and visi-

tors irrespective of their protected

characteristics.

If you require additional information to

in order to understand the role and

composition of each arm of the on new

HaSS EDI structure please contact:

kelechi.dibie@ncl.ac.uk

Inside this issue...

EDI Events in HaSS..........................................................................................Page 2-3

New Feature in Power BI ................................................................................Page 3

New ‘Spirit Level’ feature ...............................................................................Page 3

Learning Opportunities for Dementia carers ..................................................Page 4

Did you know? ...............................................................................................Page 4

Issue No.2 ~ April 2019

For EDI news feedback or suggestions please contact: kelechi.dibie@ncl.ac.uk Page 2 of 4

SML-EDI Events in HaSS 12th – 28th March...

The last quarter saw several EDI Events across HaSS Faculty. In this issue of ‘Spirit Level,’ we would like to share some these events in words and pictures. A huge thank you to our Schools’ EDI Committees, HaSS EDI Team and everyone who either helped, supported or participated in these events and contributed to their success! Our centre-spread shares two exciting stories and pictures from SML & SACS. Enjoy!

School of Modern Languages By: Prof. Shirley Jordan ~ SML Director of EDI

The School of Modern Languages Equality, Diversity and Inclusion week (11-15 March) brought together staff, external

speakers and UG and PG students to join in an exciting programme of interactive events aimed at promoting diversity and

raising awareness of a wide range of EDI issues. The free workshops and talks focused on EDI in academic and professional

contexts and encouraged participants to think hard about EDI in everyday language. Events included ‘Looking to the Mar-

gins: EDI in PGR research projects’, a series of presentations and a round table discussion in which postgraduate students

discussed the EDI implications of their research and responded to audience questions; offered undergraduates a fun, inter-

active way to learn about how gender matters when it comes to translation; and a talk by guest speaker at the event

Satya Maia Patchineelam organised by CLACS, entitled ‘Increasing women’s access for well-being after resettlement:

The Belo Monte hydropower dam project’. Further events are still to come, including a ‘Creative Writing and Mental

Health Workshop’ with visiting writer Lou Sarabadzic, which will allow SML students to explore the relationships be-

tween creative writing and mental health in an interactive event (28 March); and a ‘Workshop on Mental Health and

Languages’, for all UG, PGT and PGR students, which will explore mental health in a cross-cultural context, in relation to

collective issues of language and cultures as well as equality, diversity and inclusion (date to be arranged). Comments

boards and a graffiti wall allowed students to make their mark, letting us know what EDI means for them and allowing

them to feed ideas into the School’s Faculty-funded ‘Gender-Conscious Approaches to Everyday Language’ project,

which will produce an on-line glossary of contested terms and will be launched this autumn. Thanks to EDI Committee

members and to all involved staff and PGRs for the brilliant team work that allowed us to organize the week, and

thanks to the very many students who came along and contributed, making our EDI week such a rewarding experience!

SML Photos -Left to Right: PGR Event - Looking at the Margins | The Translation Event Organised by Pauline | UG Student

(Japanese Studies) interacting with the SML Events by leaving a message on the board on Day 1 (Photo credits: SML EDI Committee)

Issue No.2 ~ April 2019

For HaSS EDI news, feedback, comments or suggestions please contact: kelechi.dibie@ncl.ac.uk

New feature in

‘Power BI’

The Diversity Dashboard in Power BI

has just been developed. It brings to-

gether the data that is included into the

Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Annual Report on students. Data for

the whole student lifecycle is included,

from Application to intake, retention,

degree classification and graduate out-

come (DLHE).

The Power BI report includes a Univer-

sity and Faculty level Summary page for

each of the protected characteristics

(ethnic group, gender, disability, age) as

well as some characteristics that are of

interest in our Access and Participation

Plan (e.g. Low Participation Areas; State

or Independent Schools). For each

stage in the student journey

(applications, intake, retention etc.)

there is a data sheet where users can

filter results by Faculty, School and Pro-

gramme, by one or multiple student

characteristics.

Pages that reflect our targets for the

new Access and Participation Plan are

also being developed. The report is be-

ing finalised and tested and will be

made available to all staff via the Stra-

tegic Planning and Change website

soon. This fantastic new development

will support our current and future EDI

work because diversity monitoring is

critical to making us more aware of any

unconscious bias and identifying poten-

tial issues that may be preventing cer-

tain groups from progressing in their

careers/studies at our University.

School of Arts & Culture

Period Poverty-Positivity Event (By: Prof. Karen Ross)

For International Women’s Day 2019, Karen Ross was part of a city-wide group

(Women in Newcastle) which organised, among other things, a popup choir and

craftivist event to call attention to period poverty, support the Red Box Project

Newcastle, promote positive messages about periods and challenge period

shame. The event comprised decorating Grey’s Monument with 1000 red pom-

poms - which had been produced by individual craftivists including several

members of NU Women, members of local community groups and pupils from

Dame Allen’s School - and singing songs including Period Positivity, which had

been written for the event by local singer-songwriter, Bethan Ellen

Coyle. Around 80 local women participated in the popup choir and craftivist

activity. After the singalong, the pompoms made their way to the City Library

where they were re-purposed as a popup exhibition, carrying messages of sup-

port from pompom-makers.

Left: Pop-up exhibition at the City Library | Right: Pop-up choir at Greys’ Monument

(Photo credits: SAC’s EDI Committee)

New feature in Spirit Level...

Starting from our next issue of The Spirit Level, we will devote the ‘Did you know’ sec-

tion to sharing bite size information on each of the nine protected characteristics name-

ly,: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & ma-

ternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The idea is to promote better

understanding about the following:

What they mean in principle and how one or more are related

How they are applied in relation to EDI

What considerations need to be given when applying them to decision-making.

This quarterly information sharing will not suffice for a formal EDI training. However, it

will serve as a starting point for anyone who has very limited understanding.