Equality Charters

Here, we proudly share our commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion within the workplace. Our Equality Charters serve as a framework for organisations to align their policies, practices, and culture with the highest standards of fairness and respect for all employees. Explore our resources and join us in shaping workplaces that reflect the values of equality and mutual respect.

Athena Swan

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research. Established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment, the Charter is now being used across the globe to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

Advance HE members can apply for institutional and departmental Athena Swan awards recognising their gender equality efforts.

The University of Lincoln, UK, has been recognised for its dedication to gender equality with a Silver Athena Swan Award.

Run by Advance HE, the Athena Swan Charter is a framework used worldwide to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research. Expanded in 2016, the gender charter now covers students and staff from all disciplines, including professional services, and ensures intersectional consideration of gender inequalities with race, disability, and sexual orientation.

Lincoln received its first Bronze Athena Swan Award in 2014. 10 years on, the institution celebrates its first institutional silver award, and the progress this represents towards gender equality. The University is one of a select number of UK universities to achieve a silver award.

Submission for Silver Athena Swan Charter

Race Equality Charter

The Race Equality Charter (REC) provides a framework through which institutions work to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students, and is underpinned by five key principles:

1. Racial inequalities are a significant issue within higher education. Racial inequalities are not necessarily overt, isolated incidents. Racism is an everyday facet of UK society and racial inequalities manifest themselves in everyday situations, processes and behaviours
2. UK higher education cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords
3. In developing solutions to racial inequalities, it is important that they are aimed at achieving long-term institutional culture change, avoiding a deficit model where solutions are aimed at changing the individual.
4. Minority ethnic staff and students are not a homogenous group. People from different ethnic backgrounds have different experiences of and outcomes from/within higher education, and that complexity needs to be considered in analysing data and developing actions.
5. All individuals have multiple identities, and the intersection of those different identities should be considered wherever possible.

The University of Lincoln, UK, has received the prestigious Race Equality Charter Bronze Award for its efforts to tackle racial inequality.

The University of Lincoln is 1 of only 21 UK universities to hold the the Bronze Award status from Advance HE, which recognises the work the University is doing to identify and reflect on institutional and cultural barriers facing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students.

Staff and students from across the University have played a huge part in the University gaining this recognition, including the self-assessment team. The self-assessment team, led by Simon Parks, was comprised of staff and students from across the university community, who directed our approach and gathered intelligence for our submission.

Looking forward, the University will be establishing a formal committee, ensuring the hard work continues to tackle racial inequality. The University will also be consistently engaging with staff and students from across the University to ensure all voices are heard and all members of our One Community can contribute.

Submission for Bronze Race Equality Charter