Equality, diversity and inclusion sponsors
The Senior Leadership Team appointed four sponsors to act as equality champions across some key areas.
The role of sponsors
- To commit to building an organisational culture that embraces and advances equality, diversity and inclusion, taking personal responsibility for setting the tone and helping to drive progress
- To champion the interests of staff and students who share relevant characteristics, both as a member of the EDI Committee and the Senior Leadership Team
- To engage directly with staff and students who share relevant characteristics through meeting with staff networks and student community groups. Commit to learning about the personal, institutional, and structural ways in which inequality impacts on individuals, including the effects of intersectionality
- To act as the senior lead/champion for equality charter marks that relate to the specific area of focus
- To be aware of public sector equality objectives, targets and actions that relate to relevant protected characteristics and monitor progress against these
- To work with senior managers in faculties and professional services departments to plan and sponsor campaigns, events and initiatives that are designed to advance equality and foster good relations between those who share relevant characteristics and those who do not share them, with due regard to intersectionality
- To contribute to communications content and enquiries, where a senior spokesperson is required to comment on ambitions, achievements, and challenges in respect of the specific area of focus
- To act as an ally, vocally supporting the work of colleagues from underrepresented groups in all contexts, but specifically in situations that will help boost those colleagues' standing and reputations.
Mandy Ure,
SLT Lead for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and
Race and Ethnicity Sponsor
"I will ensure we progress our actions to include measures that tackle the Hidden Curriculum, engage staff and students in conversations about privilege and that we keep progressing some of the work we have achieved on reducing the award gap.
"We will also examine the whole employee life cycle to ensure equity and inclusion across all roles and grades. I will work to raise awareness and provide challenge to attitudes and barriers that stand in the way of inclusivity; encouraging communication and helping to develop initiatives that enhance representation.
"There is work to be done and I'm proud to be able to work with such talented, committed and informed staff and students."
Caroline Harries,
Gender Sponsor
"I am the SLT lead for gender at Kingston, and my focus is on breaking down barriers to gender equality, increasing opportunity and challenging stereotypes in our own community. Gender - it's a short word behind which sits a vast array of inequalities, biases, stereotypes and, in extreme cases, violence throughout the world. During this year's International Women's Month, I was reflecting with some female friends on situations we have encountered during our lives, which happened because of attitudes to our gender. At the time they were normalised and accepted, and we now look back on them and, in most cases, we are able to laugh. We are optimistic that our own children won't encounter the same situations, but it is important to recognise that while progress has been made, we should be aware of where further support, challenge and education are required.
"Kingston University has given me the necessary support and commitment to see me successfully progress my career into senior roles in finance, a sector that is often still male dominated. I believe Kingston is a progressive employer, however there is more that all of us can do to promote gender equality through our actions and through education. We all have a role to play."
Professor Martyn Jones,
Disability and Mental Health Sponsor
"I am hugely proud of our University which enables each of us contribute to building a more enlightened society for future generations. We do this together through challenge, discourse and action striving for equity of outcome in all we say and do.
"I look forward to working with colleagues in this role, building upon the progress already made, and making our University a 'shaper of society.'"
Professor Helen Laville,
LGBTQ+ Sponsor
The activism of the LGBTQ+ community in fighting for the right of everyone to be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity has resulted in significant progress in the UK. Recognition of that progress is important. We should recognise how difficult that work was, and we are right to celebrate the courage of those who spoke out and who fought for their rights and the rights of others. But celebrating progress should not blind us to the work that we still need to do to ensure that the University is a place where everyone feels they are respected and valued, and no-one fears discrimination because of how they identify, or who they love.
As LGBTQ+ Sponsor at Kingston University, I am looking forward to working with colleagues to ensure the University recognises what we still need to do, and is able to implement actions and build a culture that challenges exclusion in all its forms. Ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our university community is not a ‘one off' achievement - rather it is something that requires continuous and consistent focus and commitment. I look forward to
serving as a sponsor and as an ally to Staff Network and whole community. For me this means knowing how and when to speak, but more importantly, knowing how to listen, and how to learn from my colleagues."
