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Notes of ECU Scottish HEI Liaison Group meeting, 10 June 2014,Edinburgh Napier University
Attendance
Ayers, Margaret / University of EdinburghBass, David / Equality Challenge Unit
Brill, Chris / Equality Challenge Unit
Bradshaw, Chris / University of the West of Scotland
Douglas, Freya / Equality Challenge Unit
Gibbs, Alexis / Glasgow School of Art
Hall, Chris / Equality Challenge Unit
Hameed, Mohammed / Edinburgh Napier University
Hanesworth, Pauline / Higher Education Academy
Lui, Adrian / Glasgow Caledonian University
McKenzie, Chris / University of Strathclyde
Richardson, Eilidh / Queen Margaret University
Ross, Sheila / University of the West of Scotland
Wild, Mark / Universities Scotland
Williams, Sheila / University of Edinburgh
Apologies: Halena McAnulty (SFC), Sharan Virdee (Heriot Watt), Christina Cameron (Aberdeen), Janine Chalmers (Aberdeen), Duncan Cockburn (RGU), Jean Black (SRUC), Mhairi Taylor (Glasgow), Sukhi Bains (St. Andrews), Jill Hammond (GSA), Ann Duncan (Strathclyde), Lucy MacLeod (Open University)
1. Welcome and introductions
=ECU welcomed members and thanked Edinburgh Napier University for hosting the meeting.
2. Notes of last meeting
=Mark Wild informed the group that an updated version of the Government’s analysis report on the DSA consultation was available.
=ECU updated that a meeting had been arranged with the Police Scotland Preventing Violent Extremist Unit (SPVEU) with regards to radicalism. The group highlighted that guidance on aligning strategy would be helpful, particularly in areas such as hate crime, far right groups, and developing a more balanced (less Islamic centric) focus for anti-extremist activity. It was suggested that a representative from the Unit could attend a future SLG meeting.
Action: ECU to invite SPVEU representative to SLG and feed back to the group following the meeting
=The group agreed the draft notes of the March meeting and these will be added to the ECU website.
3. ECU Briefing paper discussion
Measuring progress using qualitative evidence
=ECU has published and disseminated guidance on using qualitative evidence to report on progress and impact in equality and diversity.
=The group was in favour of ECU providing a workshop on measuring progress on equality outcomes in autumn to support preparation for the 2015 reporting deadline.
Action: ECU to arrange workshop session.
Occupational segregation in Scottish HEIs: gender, disability and race
=A team from Glasgow Caledonian University completed the researchand the guidance will be launched on 11 June at the University of Strathclyde. The event will focus on practical ways to take the recommendations from the research forward.
=The group felt that a wide range of organisations could be involved in following-up the recommendations, including BUFDG (British Universities Finance Directors Group), AUA (Association of University Administrators and professional bodiesand the work could be aligned with ECU’s chartermarks. The group also thought an executive summary would be helpful for senior audiences.
Governing bodies, equality and diversity in Scottish HEIs
=The advisory group for the project has largely been set. ECU is waiting to hear from the NUS about a representative.
=The project will include a survey and interviews, incorporating the group’s suggestion to aim to reach a wider range of governors.
=There was discussion of some new approaches being developed by/with governing bodies, such as statements on commitments to address equality issues.
=The group provided some feedback on the project’s invitation to tender (ITT), saying some researchers were interested but felt the price offered was too low.
Race charter mark
=There was a good response to the consultation on the race equality charter mark. An analysis and response from ECU will be published in June.
=The charter mark has 31 trial participants, representing all four countries within the UK.
=Scottish participants are; Abertay University, Robert Gordon University, University of Edinburgh, University of St Andrews.
Gender equality charter mark
=34 HEIs are taking part in the pilot, including Edinburgh andGlasgow.
=Panels are underway and will complete at the end of June.
Charter mark development
=Chris Hall provided an update later in the day on the charter marks. The race charter has a newly revised handbook and the gender charter mark (GEM) will be giving its first awards in autumn, and will be formally launched at ECU’s conference.
=The group asked if there would be a charter mark for disability, noting that work to support disabled staff and encourage disclosure would be welcome. It was felt that institutions could more easily adopt practices through charter marks. Chris informed the group that ECU had no current plans to develop a disability charter mark, but that ECU had other, ongoing work in this area.
Attracting diversity: equality in student recruitment in Scottish HEIs
=David discussed ECU’s progress with a project aiming to support HEIs to undertake a strategic equality review of recruitment, WP, admissions and related functions.
=Scoping with four institutions has taken place and the findings have been positive.
=The ITT will be advertised in June for consultants to help deliver the project and the invitation to institutions to participate will be sent out before the end of June.
Equality in articulation and progression to HE
=ECU attended the May articulation inter-hub meeting to discuss work in this area. ECU has begun looking at available data and the meeting participantsfound it helpful to have an opportunity to share and discuss existing work on articulation. ECU will provide a session at the Articulation for All conference in September.
Scotland work post August 2015
=ECU updated the group that recent discussions with SFC about ECU continuing to work with Scottish HEIs post August 2015 were positive. ECU will be submitting a proposal to SFC in November 2014 for renewed funding. ECU informed the group that it would be consulting with the group and the wider sector to help develop the proposal.A survey will be circulatedat the end of the academic year and a discussion will be held at the SLG meeting in October.
3. HEA update
=Pauline updated the group on the finalattendance and evaluation figures for the joint conference with ECU in April. The event was fully booked, with over 100 delegates. The conference feedback showed 80% satisfaction and 84% of the delegates said they learned something new.
=Pauline said she and ECU are currently looking into options for publishing the papers delivered on the day.
=HEA and ECU will run the conference for a second time next year and are looking for ideas. It will use the same layout and format of the first event. The group fed back that the format had too much going on to be able to see everything and it would be useful to record future sessions.
=The HEA is currently developing a series of discipline specific practitioner guides to embedding equality for a range of subjects, with ECU and academic input.
=The HEA is delivering a project focused on inclusivity in student access, retention and success in England, which Pauline and ECU are contributing to and hope to establish what could be extended to or shared with Scottish HEIs.
5. Competence standards project phase2 discussion
Understanding the interaction of competence standards and reasonable adjustments
=Chris Brill provided an update on the completed research in five subject areas and noted that a draft report had been completed and feedback had been received from members of the heads of disability services group and the SLG.
=Phase 2 of the project would look to support HEIs to trial and embed competence standards within HEI processes.
=ECU shared Ann Duncan’s (University of Strathclyde) phase 2 project proposal for discussion.
=Building on Ann’s proposal, ECU outlined a model for phase 2 that would be sector-wide and strategic, using action learning and appropriately identified subjects to both support the broad embedding of competence standards and to flag barriers and issues in implementing the guidance developed from the phase 1 research.
=The group noted that some subjects, such as medicine, nursing and teaching, were well established and often had already embedded competence standards. It was highlighted that this would vary depending on the institution and particular subject. Additionally, many subjects don’t have professional bodies or as well-defined institutional infrastructure.
=The group suggested that data (including participation and complaints) could be used to identify appropriate subjects, and that subjects could be clustered within action learning sets to enable a wider range of subject to be consider and to facilitate discussion of similar issues and sharing of effective practice.
=The group agreed that a project model that delivers learning on embedding competence standards in practice is the priority. The heads of disability services group will also be involved in taking the project proposal forward.
Actions: ECU to take project proposal forward in discussion with the heads of disability services group
6. A.O.B
=Sheila asked ECU if there was any news on proposals for DSA (Disabled Students Allowance) that might restrict eligibility for English students coming to Scotland to study. It was felt that changes to DSA could affect the enrolment of disabled students at some institutions.
Action: ECU to provide update on DSA proposals from BIS/Westminster
=Chris Hall raised a question from Naseem regarding Stonewall attending a future SLG meeting.The group discussed their experiences with Stonewall’s Diversity Champion programme. Some members of the group were familiar with the programme and some had taken part in it, with varying levels of success and satisfaction.
Action: Group to defer decision on Stonewall to the October meeting.
NextSLG meeting
=ECU confirmed the next meeting will be on 21 October 2014.
=Queen Margaret University offered to host the meeting.