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While some criticise them as tokenistic \u2018box ticking,\u2019 we view charter marks and awards as tools to illuminate systemic inequalities.<\/p>\n
As academic leads, we understand their limitations and that trust in pursuing them varies. However, they serve a valuable purpose by encapsulating our mission to address inequalities, enabling us to articulate actions and hold our institution accountable, while aligning with strategic goals and benchmarking against the Higher Education sector to advance equality for all.<\/p>\n
In this Viewpoint blog, we emphasise the importance of charter marks and frameworks, while acknowledging that they require accompanying actions and accountability. Although our focus is limited to specific areas, we recognise that these mechanisms don\u2019t cover all protected characteristics. Over the last academic year, our progress towards gender, \u2018race\u2019, and disability equality has taken significant steps forward. The University has been recognised with silver\u00a0Athena Swan Charter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Race Equality Charter<\/a>\u00a0awards and\u00a0Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) status<\/a>. The golden thread in our equality work is to ensure synergy, avoid duplication, and consider people\u2019s multiple identities, even when looking through a single lens.<\/p>\n Collaboration is key<\/strong><\/p>\n We can only tackle the intransigence of persistent inequalities by working together. The University has several established student and\u00a0staff networks,<\/a>\u00a0which play a critical role in introducing, tracking, evaluating, and sustaining change. These networks involve staff and students across all levels and roles.<\/p>\n As academic leads, we lead Self-Assessment Teams (SATs) for different charter marks and frameworks, supported by colleagues in the Directorate of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and staff and students across all levels and roles. The SATs and Staff Networks include senior leader sponsors, ensuring EDI is embedded in the landscape and mindset across the University.<\/p>\n Training and development for historically under-represented groups<\/strong><\/p>\n A key finding across the two charter marks and the Disability Confident scheme is the need for better training and development opportunities for under-represented staff and students. The following schemes reflect how we are addressing this need intersectionally:\u00a0<\/p>\n Our evaluation of these programs will shape future investment in leadership training, and it plays a crucial role in the activity monitored under the Achievement Plans for various charter marks and schemes.<\/p>\n Data-driven actions<\/strong><\/p>\n The Directorate of EDI has dedicated data analysts. Together with us as academic leads, the University EDI Committee, EDI leads in the Faculties and Schools, and Student and Staff Networks, we are improving our knowledge of the gaps in provision and attainment across different protected characteristics. Some data inform University outputs, including\u00a0The University of Manchester\u2019s 2023 Pay Gaps Report for Gender, Ethnicity, Disability, Sexual Orientation, and Religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n As academic leads, we recognise the importance of both quantitative and qualitative data, and actively support initiatives to collect longitudinal data, sometimes necessitating new data collection (e.g., Disability, caring responsibilities), and in all it requires a critical analysis of the data that are used for making decisions related to resource allocation.<\/p>\n Key takeaway<\/strong><\/p>\n In summary, this blog could have been much longer. There\u2019s much to celebrate and a long journey ahead. Our key takeaway is the need for proper resourcing of EDI efforts.<\/p>\n We\u2019re fortunate to have strong governance, leadership, and a Directorate of EDI , which has led to external recognition at the University. However, many active participants in this field volunteer their time, often from marginalised groups disproportionately affected by EDI matters.<\/p>\n Get Involved<\/strong><\/p>\n We think charter marks and awards are much more than box ticking exercises, they are a key mechanism for ensuring the advancement of equity for all.<\/p>\n We are keen to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can create a more inclusive environment at the University. To share your views please comment on the blog or email us directly. If you\u2019d like to get more involved, we encourage you to join our\u00a0Staff Networks<\/a>\u00a0to actively contribute to making the change you want to see.<\/p>\n Rachel Cowen<\/a>\u00a0is Professor of Academic and Researcher Development, The University of Manchester\u2019s Academic Lead for Gender and Sexual Orientation Equality and Co-chair of the Athena Swan self-assessment team (SAT) and senior sponsor for the Women@Manchester Network.<\/strong><\/p>\n Dawn Edge<\/a>\u00a0is Professor of Mental Health and Inclusivity, The University of Manchester\u2019s Academic Lead for \u2018Race\u2019, Religion and Belief, Chair of the REC SAT and member of the BAME Staff Network.<\/strong><\/p>\n Jackie Carter<\/a>\u00a0is a Professor in Statistical Literacy, a disability advocate, The University\u2019s EDI Academic Lead for Disability, Chair of the Disability Confident Leader Self-Assessment Team and an award-winning woman for Data & Tech.<\/strong><\/p>\n * The Times Higher Education \u2013\u00a0Weaving gold from straw: an intersectional approach<\/a>\u00a0article by Dawn Edge, Rachel Cowen and Jackie Carter.<\/p>\n\n
Submit a Comment<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
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Stephanie Lee: Improving outcomes for talented students from all backgrounds during a pandemic<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
EDI Matters: Responding inclusively to transition and recovery<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
Ad\u00e8le MacKinlay: Reflections on a privileged life<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
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While some criticise them as tokenistic \u2018box ticking,\u2019 we view charter marks and awards as tools to illuminate systemic inequalities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":3910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"[et_pb_section bb_built=\"1\" fullwidth=\"off\" specialty=\"on\" _builder_version=\"3.17.6\"][et_pb_column type=\"2_3\" specialty_columns=\"4\"][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=\"Row\"][et_pb_column_inner type=\"4_4\" saved_specialty_column_type=\"2_3\"][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=\"3.17.6\" featured_placement=\"above\" locked=\"on\" \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"3.17.6\"]\r\n\r\n
When I\u2019m out and about meeting staff I hear much debate about the why, what, when and how of change in our University. I wanted to share my thoughts on this often contentious topic \u2013 and hear your views too.<\/p>
Early in 2020 we will launch our University\u2019s new vision and strategic plan \u2013 Our future. In order to fulfil Our future we need to ensure that we are in a financially sustainable position so that we have the funds to invest in the new staff, facilities and infrastructure which will be needed to bring our plans to life.<\/p>
Our Financial Statements<\/a> for 2018\/19, which have been published following approval by the Board of Governors, confirm that more than 95% of our \u00a31.1bn income is spent on our core goals - on our staff and our students - to deliver research, education and social responsibility; with the remainder invested in the long term sustainability of our University. You can find a summary<\/a> of the Financial Statements on StaffNet.<\/p>
However, this is a testing time for UK universities, due to the many external factors that have an impact on us - current home tuition fees are falling in real terms, whilst our costs (not just pay but non-pay too) are increasing. There are further and even greater tuition fee funding risks outlined in General Election manifestos as well as a range of Brexit-related risks that could affect our operations. The Office for Students (OfS) demands that we demonstrate both value for money for our students and our financial sustainability (in the sense of being able to invest to deliver our ambitious strategy, rather than survival). There are, of course, also ongoing unresolved national issues around pay and the continuing challenges around funding pensions in the higher education sector.<\/p>
Our Financial Statements show an improved operating surplus (3.7% of income compared to \u00a324.7m (2.3%) in 2017\/18), with a rise in income from tuition fees, education contracts and research. As I mentioned earlier, we re-invest the surplus we achieve each year in activity in line with our strategy. Recently our funds have been used to create some new academic and Professional Services posts; to invest in key infrastructure including IT; to invest in some new buildings like our student accommodation at Unsworth Park; to improve the student experience by funding more full-time Residential Life staff and to upgrade a range of buildings and research and teaching spaces and resources. Increasingly it is also invested in environmental sustainability and meeting our ambitious carbon targets. So even when we are making difficult decisions in some parts of the University we continue to invest our surplus.<\/p>
Whilst we have reported an operating surplus, our Board of Governors expects us to deliver a much larger surplus than this (at least 5%) if we are to be sustainable in the long-term.
Improving our financial performance will help to deliver our ambitious future plans, but we must also increase our capacity to create the funds and time to invest in our core goals. One of the ways we can do this is by changing what we do and how we do things.<\/p>
Our strategic change programme (including IT Modernisation<\/a>, the Student Experience Programme<\/a>, and the Research Lifecycle Programme<\/a>), alongside our continuous improvement plans, will ensure that we create the financial headroom to invest in people and facilities. The strategic change programme will also enable us to embrace new technologies and new ways of doing things that better support all our staff and students to be the best that they can be.<\/p>
Yes, this means that some individual roles will change. New roles (some that we haven\u2019t yet identified) will be created and some roles will no longer be required. I appreciate that this will cause some uncertainty and where that is the case we will do everything we can to support staff, but the alternative is that we never change anything. If we fail to take advantage of advances in technology and develop more joined-up ways of working we will ultimately find ourselves outdated in the eyes of future students, funders and other stakeholders. Staff want to work for a progressive and successful institution, of which they can be proud. This means we cannot stand still.<\/p>
When I talk to staff and students I often hear their frustrations about how difficult it be can be to get some straightforward things done, grappling with paper-based, manual and repetitive processes, on outdated systems and infrastructure, all of which serves to increase staff workloads. Everyone wants to do a good job, but regularly feel that our world-class status is earned in spite of our internal systems and processes, not because of them.<\/p>
To deliver our new vision and strategic plan we will need to embrace new opportunities and face challenges with courage and determination. That will sometimes mean we have to make tough decisions and no-one is claiming it will be easy or that mistakes will not be made along the way. But where we do have tough choices to make we will commit to implementing changes fairly and with compassion to support the wellbeing of all our colleagues.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=\"3.17.6\" prev_text=\"Previous\" next_text=\"Next\" in_same_term=\"off\" locked=\"on\" \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=\"3.17.6\" custom_button=\"on\" button_text_color=\"#ffffff\" locked=\"on\" \/][et_pb_text admin_label=\"Related posts\" _builder_version=\"3.17.6\" locked=\"on\"]\r\n\r\n
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