As we bring The University of Manchester’s first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy to a close, I wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate what we have achieved, reflect on what we have learned and consider the University we want to become. 

Having spent two years as Executive Director of EDI at Manchester, I have seen the extraordinary commitment to inclusion that exists across our institution. I have also come to believe that our greatest opportunity lies not in doing more EDI, but in being explicit about what excellence means for our University, and recognising that inclusion is fundamental to achieving it. If our campus, teaching and learning, social and civic engagement, research, innovation and the ways we study and work are not inclusive, can we really consider them excellent? Our ambition must be to ensure that inclusion is intrinsic to everything we do, rather than something we seek to “do” alongside it. 

This is the ambition at the heart of our new EDI Framework and our journey towards Manchester 2035. 

Lots done, lots to do 

Our first EDI Strategy, launched in 2022, established an institutional ambition, strengthened governance and helped bring greater coherence and accountability to our EDI work.  

Four years on, we have progress to celebrate. Representation of disabled academic colleagues at Senior Lecturer level and above has increased by 75%. We have seen a 58% increase in the proportion of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues at Lecturer level, and increases of 27% at both Senior Lecturer/Reader and professorial levels. Female representation has increased by 13% at Senior Lecturer/Reader level and 14% at professorial level. 

Within Professional Services we have maintained gender parity, representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues at grades 7 and 8 has increased by 44%, while disabled colleagues represented at grade 7 and above has increased by 43%. 

Our achievements extend beyond representation. We have strengthened our policies and inclusive practices, invested in leadership development, made progress in addressing inequalities in promotion and student outcomes, and improved access and participation. Our progress has been recognised externally too, with achievements including Athena Swan Silver, Race Equality Charter Silver and Disability Confident leader status. 

Our faculties have also seen progress in embedding EDI. In Science and Engineering, accessibility audits are helping shape more inclusive learning and working environments. Humanities has introduced dedicated promotion workshops for underrepresented colleagues. In Biology, Medicine and Health, Excellence in Diversity PhD Scholarships are opening doors to postgraduate research. We have also significantly strengthened partnership working between our faculties and the EDI Directorate, laying the foundations for what comes next. 

The progress we’ve made is significant, especially at a time when equality and progress is increasingly contested. And we should recognise that progress – our university community has worked hard, together, to achieve it. It shows that change is possible and that our actions can make a real difference.  

But we have not achieved every EDI ambition we set ourselves. And we must be honest about how far we still must go to achieve parity in representation and outcomes and equity in experience. Inequality remains, and it’s unacceptable.  

Consultation undertaken to develop our new EDI Framework found that there remains a gap between institutional progress and the everyday lived experiences of colleagues and students. Improvements in representation, policies and training have not consistently translated into a sense of belonging. And data continues to highlight concerning experiences of bullying, harassment and discrimination, while inequalities in outcomes and opportunities persist. 

This distinction matters: representation does not necessarily create belonging, policies must be implemented equitably to feel fair, and training alone does not always change everyday behaviours. 

Recognising this does not diminish our achievements. It helps us understand what we must attend to now and in the future.  

The University we want to become  

Closing this gap between our progress and people’s lived experience is our defining EDI ambition for the next decade. 

Throughout my time at Manchester, I have been struck by the willingness of people to share their experiences, including those that are difficult or uncomfortable to share and for the institution to hear. But listening creates a responsibility to act. 

We must ensure that lived experience informs change. This means working across complex structures and boundaries, with colleagues and students as trusted partners, so their contributions shape decisions and lead to tangible improvements. 

It also means recognising how we engage with one another, particularly when we disagree. Universities should be places where different perspectives can be expressed, challenged and debated. We will not always agree, nor should we expect to. But we can choose to engage constructively, with kindness, curiosity and respect, and to disagree well without diminishing one another. 

Creating a Place Where Everyone Matters 

From Manchester for the world describes ‘mattering as knowing that your views help shape decisions, your study and work drives change, and your presence makes a difference in our shared future. 

For me, this is a powerful expression of what genuine inclusion should be and the kind of institution we will become. 

At a time when many organisations are retreating from EDI, our university is choosing to lean in.  

Manchester is a city with a proud history of challenging injustice and fighting for progress. From the campaigners for democratic reform at Peterloo, to the suffragettes and those who marched against Section 28. That history feels particularly important now, as we live through a time of growing division and hostility.  

Progress is neither inevitable nor irreversible, and we cannot take the safety and sense of belonging of our communities for granted. In this environment, the choices we make about how we treat one another and the kind of community we build together matter deeply.  

Over the past 18 months, we have developed our new EDI Framework, A Place Where You Matter, informed by engagement with our community and independent analysis of our strengths and challenges. 

And as we close our first EDI Strategy and look ahead, I want to thank the many students and colleagues whose commitment has driven meaningful progress, and whose honest insights have shaped our new framework. 

For me, the true measure of our success in 2035 will not be the number of EDI initiatives delivered, the recognition received or representation alone. Success will be whether we have closed the gap between our institutional commitment to inclusion and the experiences of our students and colleagues. 

That is the opportunity before us, and one I believe The University of Manchester, with the full commitment of our University Executive, is uniquely placed to embrace. 

If you have any questions or want to join the conversation, you can join Sarah, Professor Duncan Ivison and colleagues from across the University at our next Townhall on Monday 16 November, to explore what it this all means in practice, and discuss what we can all do next.   

Sign up to attend in person, and submit questions in advance via Menti.

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