Anglia Ruskin University is committed to valuing diversity and promoting equality. We seek to maximise the potential of all our staff and students, to be responsive to new ideas, and to equip our students for life in a multicultural and diverse society. It is our aim to provide a supportive environment in which to work and study, where treating each other with dignity, courtesy and respect is standard. This ethos is also reflected in our Vision and Values, which can be seen in our Corporate Plan for 2012-14.

Whether you are a student or an employee, or are thinking of becoming one, the above extract from our Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy is our commitment to ensuring that the way you are treated is fair, and free of unlawful discrimination. We reinforce this commitment via mandatory equality training for our staff, and though our internal communications. Our staff training programme is comprehensive and covers all aspects of diversity including gender, race/ethnicity, disability, sexuality, religion / belief, age, and the characteristics given protection by the Equality Act 2010, that is, transgender, pregnancy/maternity, and marital/civil partnered status. At staff induction conferences we go beyond law, recognising that diversity includes a wide range of factors, any of which may trigger conscious and unconscious biases, e.g., accent, social class, appearance.

We provide a range of information, advice and guidance services for our students through Student Services and our Students’ Union. Both celebrate difference and diversity and can provide specialist support to students as required, whether you are a student parent, need support with adjustments, careers advice as a gay student or help with faith matters. Our staff and our Students’ Union will respect you for the person you are.

Our equality policies apply to our staff and students and are for everyone, whatever their backgrounds or personal beliefs. Everyone at Anglia Ruskin is expected to comply with them. Breaches are regarded as serious and can lead to dismissal or expulsion. We welcome any information that will help us to maintain a culture of dignity, courtesy and respect in all areas of our work.

Equality Act 2010: The Equality Act 2010 requires us to publish information about how we are working to ensure we fulfil the general duties of the Act by 31st January 2012 and annually thereafter. We are also required to publish one or more equality objectives for 2012 - 16. Please click the relevant links below :

• Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2011 (Word document)
• Equality Act 2010: Equality Objectives, 2012-2016 (Word document)
• Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2012
• Action Plan 2013-2016

The links below and on the left will take you to:-

• Anglia Ruskin's equality policy framework. This page introduces our equality and diversity policies, all of which were updated and reapproved by our Board of Governors in 2010. Here you can find links to the full texts of these policies.
• Events with a focus on equality and diversity. This page includes reports of past events and news of future ones. It also includes a link to the staff training and development section of HR Online.
• Staff networks you may wish to join.
• University guidance documents on implementing equality and diversity. Includes information on assessing the impact of our policies and Equality Impact Assessments published to date; flexible working guidelines; how to plan accessible seminars and other events; how to develop inclusive learning and teaching; and other useful documents.
• Our Equality & Diversity Group, including who's on it, who chairs it, and dates of meetings.
• Links to external sites providing a wide range of specialist advice and expertise on-line. They include Government commissions, special-interest and campaigning organisations, and -- if you teach students -- a number of publications related to good practice in learning and teaching.

We are very proud to be working with Disabled-Go, whose website provides detailed access information to our premises. Please visit Anglia Ruskin's entry.

If you have any queries or comments about equality and diversity at Anglia Ruskin, please e-mail the HR Manager (Development & Diversity) or contact our Director of Student Services.