Equal opportunities practices

WHY HAVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY?
1.1 The University (and therefore each employee and student) is bound by law not to discriminate unjustifiably, directly or indirectly, against any person in any work or educational activity on the grounds of that person's sex, marital status, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or age.
1.2 The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 also makes it unlawful to unjustifiably discriminate against a person in any work or educational activity because of his/her disability.
1.3 The University is a major provider of employment locally. It is important therefore that we fulfil our obligation to the whole community in which we operate. In order to continue to prosper, the University needs to attract the highest calibre of staff and students, regardless of sex, marital status, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, relidion, sexual orientation or age. As the recipient of research grants whose aim is to assist persons with disabilities, it is inappropriate for the University to ignore its contribution as an employer and teaching organisation, which must complement the contribution as a research institution and medical school.
1.4 Perhaps most important is that most of us believe that we do not discriminate but may, on occasion, or without conscious intent, do so. Having a formulated policy and a set of measures to assist us to adhere to that policy will increase our awareness of equal opportunities practices and help us not to discriminate unfairly.
1.5 Having an effective policy should help us, for example, when recruiting, training or considering staff applications for promotion, to look more closely at what applicants or existing employees can do, rather than be influenced by our own beliefs about the barriers caused by their sex, marital status, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or age.

POLICY STATEMENT
2.1 The principle of equal opportunities is reflected in the University's Charter in that: "No test related to sex, race, colour or religious or political belief shall be imposed on any person in order…... to be admitted as a member, teacher or student of the University or to hold office therein, or to graduate thereat, or to hold any advantage or privilege thereof".
2.2 In conformity with the general intention of its Charter and the requirements of the law the University has formulated a general policy statement on equal opportunities as follows:"To become an equal opportunities organisation, the University will promote equality of opportunity in the recruitment, promotion, appraisal, education, training, development and support of its staff and students and otherwise treat them on the basis of their relative merits and abilities. The law requires that no job applicant, student applicant, member of staff or student will unjustifiably receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origins, sex or marital status and disability. In addition, staff are protected from discrimination on grounds of part-time or fixed-term status and Trades Union membership, religion, political belief, socio-economic background, parental status, age (subject to normal retirement conventions and the minimum age for student admissions) and sexual orientation."
2.3 The University will have Equal Opportunities Officers for staff and students who will have responsibility for promoting, implementing and monitoring the policy throughout the University and for any initial investigation into alleged breaches of the policy.
2.4 Heads of Department/School will be responsible for ensuring that the policy is communicated effectively and is being implemented. The University expects the full co-operation of all its staff and students in promoting equality of opportunity and each will have personal responsibility for promoting and implementing the policy at day-to-day level.
2.5 The University expects also that the policy will be monitored by each member of staff and student and by Heads of Department/School under the overall co-ordination of the Equal Opportunities Officers who will make an annual review of the policy and submit a direct report to the University Court.
2.6 The policy has the full support of the Principal, staff and students; each Trade Union recognised within the University and the Student Association, and these bodies will have the right to draw to the University's notice any breaches of this policy.

IMPLEMENTATION
3.1 In order to ensure its effective implementation the University undertakes, through senior officers, and/or heads of departments/schools and individual members of staff, to:

1. Identify a senior officer of the University to have overall responsibility for the Policy.
2. Appoint suitably qualified and trained officers to assist the senior officer with responsibility for the Policy in formulating, implementing and monitoring the Policy and to advise the University in equal opportunity matters.
3. Appoint Faculty Equal Opportunities representatives who will be accessible to students and staff to provide information about the Equal Opportunities Policy, grievance procedures, and relay Equal Opportunities suggestions and concerns to appropriate channels.
4. Have an Equal Opportunities Working Group to advise Court, via the University's Committee Structure, on all matters relating to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and review of equal opportunities policies across the University.
5. Consult, as appropriate, with staff, students and recognised Unions and the Student Association on equal opportunity matters through the existing consultation procedures.
6. Review regularly and, where necessary, revise the composition of University Committees and other official bodies and representatives of the University to take into account representation of minority groups and gender balance, recognising that this may not always be possible where representation is by election.
7. Provide training for staff normally involved in recruitment and selection, development and review, job evaluation, promotion and training to make them aware of the equal opportunities implications of these activities.
8. Implement and maintain a statistical record in the areas of race, gender and disability relating to staff recruitment and progression and student recruitment and success.
9. Review regularly and, where necessary, make recommendations on the access and safety facilities in the University with particular regard to people with disabilities. In any future planning of new buildings or of alterations to existing buildings, the University will seek, where possible, to ensure that there is proper provision for all types of disability. The University will also address the provision of facilities and access to areas for people with disabilities including teaching materials and support for mental health difficulties.
10. Send information about the policy to all existing and newly appointed members of staff and students to remind them of the commitment of University staff and students to equal opportunities.
11. Review regularly and, where necessary, revise all written communications, internal or external, produced by the University to ensure that the language is non-discriminatory and gender neutral.
12. Keep under regular review the provision of family friendly policies for staff and students. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF
4.1 As an employer the University has obligations in law. University staff, too, play an important part in ensuring that the University does not breach its statutory obligations.
4.2 The law says that you must :

1. not discriminate directly against anyone unjustifiably in employment because of their sex, because they are married or because of their race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation,age or because of a disability. In addition, staff must not be directly discriminated against because of their part time or fixed term status. This means that you may not treat a member of staff or job applicant less favourably than another in recruitment, training/development opportunities, promotion, redundancy, redeployment, development and review, job-analysis or any other such job-related activity where the unfavourable treatment can be seen to be because of the person's attributes, unless justifiable.
2. not discriminate indirectly against anyone in employment because of their sex, because they are married or because of their race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or age. In addition, staff must not be indirectly discriminated against because of their part-time or fixed-term status. Indirect discrimination is where you do something which does not directly discriminate but the consequences of which exclude or bar such persons from participation in work activities where they would otherwise have been able to do so. It consists of applying a requirement or condition, which, although applied equally to all persons, is such that a considerably smaller proportion of a particular racial group or of one sex can comply with it.
3. not victimise those who have raised a complaint under equal opportunities legislation.
4. not "positively discriminate" in favour of any of the categories listed above. You may not treat any such persons less or more favourably than another in job activities. You can, in some circumstances, positively discriminate for people with disabilities. "Positive action" is, however, allowable. Positive action includes, for example, wording advertisements to have special appeal to people of a specific sex, race or ethnic group or who have a disability who can be shown to have been under-represented in that particular work area over the previous 12 month period. However, care should be taken not to raise unreasonable hopes of employment by doing so. Positive action may also consist of providing special training for people of a specific sex, race or ethnic group or who have a disability who have been under-represented in a particular work area over the previous 12 month period. However, positive action is generally not permitted in the actual selection for posts or promotion. In other words, the selection must be on the basis of the merit of the person concerned.
5. not discriminate between men and women in pay and other conditions of service.

4.3 Although the University's policy, as a statement of good practice, embraces more than the basic statutory obligations, these statutory obligations do form a floor of basic rights for all staff and job applicants.
4.4 For reference purposes a list of Legislation and Codes of Practice can be found at Annex 1.
4.5 Recruitment and Selection

1. All staff who are involved in recruiting should be made aware of the current legislation and trained in the correct procedures. They should be familiar with and follow the procedures laid down in the 'Recruitment Code of Practice' available from Personnel Services.

4.6 Training, Development, Promotion and Career Progression

1. In putting forward members of staff for training, Heads of Department/School should consider only the training and development needs of the staff, the Department/School and the University.
2. All new staff should undergo an induction process and this will include being informed about the University's equal opportunities policy.
3. Where staff have the potential to advance, only their suitability for career progression should be considered; factors such as personal attributes, part-time or fixed-term status should not be relevant.

4.7 Staff With Disabilities

1. The University should consult with expert bodies and disabled staff to ensure that every effort is made to assist people with disabilities to obtain and retain appointments at the University. The University should review its facilities on an ongoing basis and, where possible, upgrade and improve.
2. Where staff become disabled every effort should be made to assist staff to be able to continue in employment. If necessary disability leave should be granted to adjust and rehabilitate.
3. Action should be taken and training given to ensure that key employees develop an awareness of disability needed to make the above commitments work.

4.8 Family Friendly Policies
Female members of staff should be advised of their rights if pregnant and given every opportunity to return to work following maternity leave.
Information on parental, paternity/maternity support and other leave in support of family responsibilities should be given to all staff.
4.9 Cultural and Religious Observances
Allowances will be made where possible to make time and space available for prayers and cultural and religious observations for all members of staff.
4.10 Flexible Working

1. The University acknowledges a range of flexible working practices which may be mutually beneficial to both the University and the individual. The benefits include retention of valued staff, potential for matching working hours to periods of greatest need, potential for staffing over a wide range of hours, more satisfied, less stressed staff and the ability to fit working hours with individual commitments. Flexible working is not intended to increase the temporary or part-time nature of the job to the detriment of either staff or the University. Flexible workers are as valuable to an organisation as those in traditional full-time work and their performance should be measured and assessed in the same way. A "Flexible Working" document is available from Personnel Services.
2. Staff may request to transfer to a flexible working arrangement and the University will seriously consider all requests and agree to those which are operationally feasible. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
5.1 Aim

1. The University aims to provide education of excellent quality at undergraduate and postgraduate level for a diverse range of students, whatever their background. In pursuit of this aim, the University is committed to using its best endeavours to ensure that all of its activities are governed by principles of equality of opportunity; and that all students are helped to achieve their full academic potential. The University upholds the right of each member of the University community to be treated with dignity and respect.
2. The Equal Opportunities Policy, which includes the Race Equality Policy, is available from Faculty Offices and each department of Student Services.

5.2 Student Admissions

1. The University welcomes applications from potential students of all social and ethnic backgrounds. Its admissions policy aims to promote equal opportunities while, at the same time, selecting students who have the ability and motivation to benefit from the courses which they intend to follow and who will make a contribution to University life. The University will undertake reasonable adjustments for qualified applicants with disabilities to enter the University, in accordance with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. A wide range of factors is taken into account by selectors in the admissions process, such as post-school experience and breadth of interests. In the case of mature students, these factors may, where appropriate, be taken into account in place of examination results.
2. All faculties select students for admission without regard to gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, disability, social background or other irrelevant distinction.
3. The University prospectus will reflect the University's Equal Opportunities Policy and will promote positive images in both language and illustrations in relation to gender, race, age and disability. For reference purposes a list of Legislation and Codes of Practice can be found at Annex 1.
   

5.3 Monitoring

1. The University is committed to a programme of monitoring in undergraduate and postgraduate admissions. The results of such monitoring will be reviewed by the Equal Opportunities Working Group and by departments, to consider the implications for equal opportunities and to take action, where appropriate.
2. The quality of the educational experience offered to students will be regularly and carefully audited and monitored in accordance with the University's Academic Standards Policy.

5.4 The Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment

1. Unfair discrimination based on individual characteristics (listed in the statement on admissions above) will not be tolerated. University departments, faculties, and the central quality assurance bodies monitor the curriculum, teaching practice and assessment methods. Teaching and support staff will have regard to the diverse needs, interests and backgrounds of their students in all their dealings with them.

5.5 Placements

1. The University will take appropriate steps to ensure, as much as possible, that student placements and exchanges are arranged only in organisations which subscribe to good practice in equal opportunities.

5.6 Widening Participation

1. The University will continue to make provision for, to monitor and to review, the needs of particular groups of students. It believes that those with disabilities should have access to the full range of academic, social and cultural activities in the University. The provision of facilities and access to areas for people with disabilities, including teaching materials and support for mental health difficulties, will also be addressed.
2. The Co-ordinator for Students with Disabilities will provide advice and guidance to students with special needs. The Disability Support Centre prides itself on its policy of privacy and confidentiality; and this has been replicated as a model of good practice by other universities and colleges. The most important functions of the Disability Support Centre are to support and empower students to achieve their full potential and to support the staff who teach and administer to students with disabilities. The University also has a group of Disability Support Officers (DSOs) who are members of staff from departments that a student will likely contact during their time at University.
3. The University recognises the domestic and caring responsibilities of some students, including those with childcare needs. It will continue to support the University Nursery and to work towards an improvement in provision. Details of financial assistance towards childcare costs for students can be obtained from the Student Advisory Service. The University will continue to allow for flexible patterns of study wherever practicable.

5.7 Student Services

1. The University will satisfy itself that all agencies within the University that provide services to students are operated in accordance with the University's Equal Opportunities Policy. These services are discussed in more detail in the Students' Charter and include Student Advisory Service, Counselling Service, Health Service, Access Centre, Disability Support Centre, Careers Service, The Nursery and the Chaplaincy. www.dundee.ac.uk/studentservices/

5.8 Residential Accommodation

1. Full details of the University's policy on the allocation of University-owned and administered accommodation will be published and subject to scrutiny in respect of equal opportunities. www.dundee.ac.uk/residences

5.9 International Students

1. Appropriate preparation will be made for international students regarding immigration matters, police registration, an orientation programme, visits to British families and cultural and social events. The Race Equality Policy, which is included in the Equal Opportunities Policy, is available from Faculty Offices and each department of Student Services.

5.10 Cultural and Religious Observances
Allowances will be made where possible to make time and space available for prayers and cultural and religious observations for all students