Equality and Diversity Policy

Brasenose 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. We recognise that the broad range of experiences of a diverse staff and student body strengthens our research and enhances our teaching. In order for Oxford to remain a world-leading institution, we must continue to provide a diverse, inclusive, fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

Brasenose embraces diversity amongst the members of its community and seeks to achieve in the recruitment, experience, progression, and achievement of all students, academic members and employees through the implementation of transparent policies, practices, and procedures, and the provision of effective support. It also seeks to ensure that its public engagement work and services benefit diverse audiences and communities.

The College recognises that equality should be embedded in all its activities and will seek to promote awareness of equality and foster good practice. Brasenose 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.

The College seeks to ensure that no member of its community is unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, or sexual orientation (hereafter referred to as the ‘protected characteristics’).

In exercising its policies, practices, procedures, and other functions, Brasenose College will have due regard to its duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty and 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 College will seek to make a positive contribution to the advancement of equality as set out in the Equality Act 2010. In particular, Brasenose College will:

• Encourage applications for study and employment from the widest pool of potential candidates, especially where representation is disproportionately low; and take lawful positive action, for example with targeted scholarships, to improve diversity where appropriate.
• Take steps to meet the particular needs of individuals from protected groups where these are different from the needs of others, and work to eliminate any barriers to their success connected to their protected characteristics.
• With respect to students, seek to attract and admit students of outstanding merit and potential from all backgrounds, including those from under-represented groups, and ensure that teaching and assessment provide an equal opportunity for all students to achieve and demonstrate their full academic potential. Decisions on the admission of students will be based solely on the individual merits and academic potential of each candidate with reference to selection criteria appropriate to the course of study;
• With respect to academic members and employees, to take steps to improve diversity by encouraging participation by people whose voices and perspectives are under-represented at the College; identifying and removing barriers to access and progression; and ensuring that entry to and progression within employment is determined according to criteria that are related to the duties of the particular post and the relevant grade​.

Brasenose College expects all members of its community to treat each other with respect, courtesy, and consideration and does not tolerate any form of unlawful discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation. The College’s Policy and Procedure on Harassment is available on the Brasenose College Website.

The College understands inclusion to mean institutional actions and individual efforts to foster an environment and institutional culture in which each member is valued, listened to and supported to participate fully in the life of the College

Academic freedom and freedom of speech are protected by law and by the College’s and University’s statutes and policies. These are outlined in the College’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech and in addition, for Students and University Employees, the University’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech and Statute XII. Academic freedom includes the ability within academic practice to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions. These rights must be exercised within the law and within reasonable restrictions set out in set out in aforementioned policies and codes of practice.

This policy applies to all members of the Brasenose College community, including:

• All students (i.e. everyone who has a contract for study with the College).
• Employees, workers and academic visitors from other institutions.
• Honorary or associate members.
• Workers employed through the Temporary Staffing Service.
• Volunteers and interns.
• External members appointed to the College’s committees.
• Visitors, including external persons or agencies using the College’s premises, facilities or services.
• Contractors working at the College.
• Individuals and organisations working or acting on the Colleges behalf, including suppliers of goods and services.
• Applicants for study and employment, including offer holders.

All members of the College community are expected to act in accordance with this policy and to treat colleagues with respect at all times. All staff and students are required to follow the relevant College’s guidelines on the use of social media.

OUR COMMITMENT

Brasenose College will:

• Comply with its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector equality Duty 2011.
• Publicise this policy, and any relevant codes of practice and guidance.
• Use an evidence-based approach where possible to inform its activities to increase equality and to measure the impact of any changes.
• Develop equality objectives and an action plan, and report on progress towards attaining those objectives.
• Monitor and publish anonymised equality data on its staff, students and applicants.
• Promote awareness and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion among staff and students through the provision of training, guidance and communications.
• Foster a positive culture for working and studying which promotes freedom of thought and expression within a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all members of the College community are respected.
• Regularly review this policy and all associated codes of practice and guidance.

Governing Body sets Brasenose College’s strategic objectives for equality and diversity.

The Principal with the support of the Equality and Diversity Officer 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 College committees the Equality and Diversity Committee, and relevant colleagues as appropriate.

Community Members – all staff and students have a responsibility to:

• Understand and observe this policy and other related policies, such as the Harassment Policy, Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech and others;
• Treat others with dignity and respect; and
• Respect the University’s commitment to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other unlawful conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; advance equality of opportunity between people who share and people who do not share a relevant protected characteristic; and foster good relations between people who share and people who do not share a relevant protected characteristic.​

College Officers and Heads of Departments are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of this policy and for supporting the delivery of Brasenose’s College strategic objectives for equality and diversity within the College constituency for which they are responsible.

All managers or those who supervise other staff or students are responsible for ensuring that equality is embedded in the work of their team  and for promoting a culture of dignity and respect where issues can be raised without fear of reprisal.

All academic staff should promote an inclusive research and learning environment to support and encourage all under-represented groups.   Teaching content and resources should demonstrate sensitivity to equality and diversity issues.

The Equality and Diversity Committee reports to the Governing Body and its governance committees, and will advise on the development of strategy for work on equality and diversity, covering staff and students and embracing all protected groups. Membership and Terms of reference for the committee are set out in By Law IV.

The College regards any breach of this policy by any member of the community as a serious matter to be dealt with through its agreed procedures. Any member of the College community has the right to complain of behaviour that they believe is in breach of this policy even if it is not directed at them.

Allegations of harassment by staff members are covered by the Harassment Policy

Complaints about student behaviours can be made to using the procedures set out in the Harassment Policy or to the University Proctors under Statute XI.

The procedures for dealing with other concerns about breaches of the policy differ according to who is making the complaint and are set out below.

Applicants for study

Complaints by applicants should follow the University’s admissions complaints procedure:

• Undergraduate admissions
• Postgraduate admissions

Current students

Where you think that the College has failed to follow this policy should be raised with the Senior Tutor or, if the complaint is about Senior Tutor, or the complaint is not resolved, the Principal.

Applicants for employment

Applicants for employment who have reasonable grounds to believe that they have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of their protected characteristic(s) should refer any concerns in writing as follows:

• Academic applicants: the Senior Tutor
• Professional Support Staff applicants: The Human Resources Director

Current employees

Complaints by current employees on matters not covered in the Harassment Policy should be handled under the relevant grievance procedure:

• Statute XVI for Academic Staff.
• Grievance procedure for Academic Staff not covered by Statute XVI
• Grievance procedure for Professional Support Staff

Visiting staff, honorary and associate members, workers, volunteers and contractors

Visiting staff, honorary and associate members, workers, volunteers and contractors should discuss their concerns with the relevant line manager or departmental or College contact in the first instance.

Members of the public

Members of the public should raise their complaint with the Bursar.

The Governing Body will review this policy on a three-year cycle.