Equal opps update by Maggie Davidson

The Equal Opportunities Committee has been working over the last year to ensure that equality is at the heart of all we do at the University. The programme kicked off with an equal opportunities awareness training session for department heads and senior staff. The turnout was high and feedback suggested that there needs to be more training in equal opportunites for staff.

Recognising that fairness in recruitment and selection is essential, the Committee supported a proposal to develop guidelines for people involved in staff selection. These have now been issued to departments heads and are available from Personnel Services. In parallel with the guidelines, a new application form was created, which removes reference to any personal aspects of an application that could be used in a discriminatory manner.

Equal Opportunities presentations were given at the two induction days during the last academic year. A disability awareness workshop was delivered together with two equal opportunities sessions.

The harassment contacts - volunteers who provide confidential support to staff and students who are targets of harassment or bullying - met for two training sessions. They identified the need for a more user-friendly statement on harassment, in addition to the University's formal policy. This statement will be distributed shortly. Posters with the names and photographs of the harassment contacts will soon be on display.

A message was included in the June salary slips, inviting any staff with disabilities to contact the Equal Opportunities Officer to discuss their current and future needs. Liaison with the local employment disability unit resulted in the University being able to provide two therapeutic placements to people who are rebuilding their confidence in preparation for resuming full-time work.

On the question of childcare - twenty local authority low-cost nursery places have been allocated to provide additional childcare places for students.

Five new members joined the equal opportunities committee this year and work is now underway on the 2001-02 plan to keep our agenda moving forward.

Rosa Michaelson of the department of accountancy and business finance has had her post of national co-ordinator for gender equality for SHEFC extended by another two years.

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