A new plan to support equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for all staff and students across the University is now published at EDI Strategic Delivery Plan following extensive consultation across our University community.

In a new PVC Blog Pro Vice-Chancellor for EDI, Professor Sarah Sharples invited colleagues to take part in a new ‘Sphere’ programme to play an active role in embedding excellent EDI practice across the institution.

Professor Sharples said:

“Creating an embedded inclusive culture is a priority and I am proud that we are building a community where all can feel safe, happy and, ultimately, ourselves. Our strategic delivery plan will ensure that we can approach equality, diversity and inclusion across our University in a considered and coordinated manner.”

The EDI Strategic Delivery Plan

The plan sets out four areas of focus for EDI activities:

• Demonstrable equality in experience for all of our staff and students will help our community to feel empowered to intervene when inequality is apparent, it will create an environment where we can listen to and share our experiences, and help us work together to ensure inclusivity in everything we do.
• Strengthen our diversity and improve inclusion across student and staff communities will see us become more proactive in encouraging diversity: diversity of ability, of community populations and protected characteristics.
• Excellence and ambition in delivery of embedded Equality, Diversity and Inclusion will help people to feel confident in embedding EDI in all that we do, through engagement programmes, using data to inform our priorities, having sound oversight of our activities, and evaluating our approaches in line with current research.
• The University, Nottingham, and our global community where we will collaborate with local and global communities to share our EDI learnings, celebrate the diversity of all of our people and regularly meet to address issues that emerge across our entire community.

The Sphere Programme

Staff and students are encouraged to contribute their ideas and energies in delivering equality, diversity and inclusion through the new Sphere programme. You could join the Sphere Programme Board to help steer culture changes; become a Sphere Leader to deliver specific EDI initiatives; be a Sphere Ally to support events and activities; or deliver Sphere Challenges to support EDI in your faculty, school or professional service area.