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Diversity award completes trio of accolades for Abertay
Abertay University has been awarded a national Diversity award, completing a trio of accolades in recent months.
The University was awarded the Diversity in the Public Sector award at the 2021 Herald Diversity Awards in October, recognising a commitment to continuous work to improve equality, diversity and inclusion.
The award comes just a few weeks after Abertay was ranked number one in Scotland for social inclusion for a second successive year by the Sunday Times Good University Guide in September, and follows the re-awarding of the rigorously-assessed AdvanceHE Race Equality Charter Award for a second time in August, with Abertay remaining the only Scottish institution to have achieved this.
At Abertay, we recognise that work to improve equality, diversity and inclusion is never complete and pulling together as a community is fundamental to the University's approach, tapping into the passion, talent and drive of colleagues and students.
The IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity and Equality at Abertay) Management Group, chaired by the University Secretary Sheena Stewart (below), leads in this area for the University, linking into the work of groups including the Lead Voices Forum, Race Equality Charter (REC) and Athena Swan teams, Trade Unions and many others areas of focus across the University, including gender equality, widening access, disability support, LGBTQ+ and others.
Sheena said: "While we are pleased to have received this recent recognition, we are mindful that awards, rankings and accolades mean nothing without concrete action plans behind them and a commitment to improve in all areas that we possibly can. As a modern university, our key drivers are providing transformational opportunities and preparing our students for the world of work, and we believe it's important that these principles should apply to all of our students equally. We also believe strongly in providing a welcoming, tolerant and inclusive environment for all those who choose to come here for work, study or as a visitor."
Earlier this year, the University hosted its first ever ‘Diversity Fest’, a week-long festival of events designed to explore and celebrate equality, inclusion and diversity at the University.
The idea for the festival came from the University’s equality and diversity Lead Voices, with a small working group set up to take the project forward and a call for proposals issued to staff and students, and some of our honorary graduates.
