The department seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive work and study environment that respects the dignity of staff and students, regardless of their gender or gender identity and race.
Staff and students have the opportunity to raise issues of discrimination directly via the EDI, or through responses to surveys and module evaluation questionnaires.
Bias by gender is a key issue in both the Athena Swan processes in which the department is engaged. Within these schemes the department is required to look at the influence of gender on all aspects of its operation. This includes student and staff recruitment, attainment and promotion of students and staff, and the equitable distribution of roles, responsibilities and remuneration.
Gender and unconscious bias are of huge importance in Earth Sciences, due to the low level of female participation at all levels, and the so called ‘leaky pipeline’ that leads to lower female participation as you move from undergraduates through to professorial level.
The University has a Staff LGBT Network. The group is open to all staff and postgraduate students, as well as their partners, friends and anyone else with an interest in LGBT issues. Through its members, the LGBT Staff Network aims to: