Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Environment and Social Sciences

Our Faculty community is made up of staff and students from across the UK and around the world. We deeply value the diversity of perspectives that this brings to our research and our student experience. We are actively working to improve our existing practices, raise awareness, and address structural inequalities in order to create an inclusive, welcoming and equitable environment for all, in line with our Faculty Vision and Strategy. 

The Faculty holds three Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice meetings per year, which are opportunities for all staff and postgraduate researchers to contribute to discussions surrounding our EDI priorities and participate in our work to tackle inequalities.

Community of Practice meetings are coordinated by Nick Burdett, EDI Manager, and Fiona Gill (EDI Lead), and feed into the Faculty Management Team and University EDI Steering Group. If you would like to find out more about these meetings, or our wider EDI work, please email ESS.EDI@leeds.ac.uk.

Our Faculty EDI Manager and Project Support Officer work closely with School EDI Leads within each of our schools, these are:

• Education: Mike Waring
• Law: Dr James Greenwood-Reeves
• Politics and International Studies: Dr Kerri Woods
• Sociology and Social Policy: Dr Hannah Morgan

Faculty student and staff EDI feedback form

We welcome feedback from all students and staff within the Faculty to uncover best practice regarding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). If you are aware of any good practice, events or initiatives that you would like to be promoted in our EDI Newsletter, please let us know.

We also welcome feedback surrounding any EDI related improvements that you feel the Faculty should consider.

You can provide feedback by completing this form. All feedback is provided anonymously unless you choose to include your contact details.

Access to Research Doctoral Scholarship

The Faculty is excited to announce the launch of a new doctoral scholarship initiative for postgraduate research applicants from UK Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to undertake doctoral study within the Faculty. This five-year initiative beginning in 2022 seeks to help address the underrepresentation of ethnic minority students in postgraduate research and throughout academia, including in senior roles.

Faculty EDI Student Advisory Board (SAB)

The EDI Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of students from across the eight schools of the Faculty of Environment and Social Sciences, across all levels of study, who can speak from their own experience to advise decision makers in the Faculty in order to make a positive impact on equity, diversity and inclusivity in student education, research and student experience.

Information and resources

Learn more about EDI at Leeds

• Our Faculty EDI Action Plan aligns with the vision and commitments of the University’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strand of the Faculty’s Vision and Strategy 2023-2030 and our Faculty Athena Swan Bronze Award.
• The University’s Equality and Inclusion Unit is a key place to find information about University EDI policies, institutional frameworks and equalities data. The Unit also provides access to support and resources on a wide range of equality and inclusion issues.
• The policies on Preventing and Addressing Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct outline the University’s policies against bullying, harassment and victimisation, together with complaints procedures for staff and students. 
• LinkedIn Learning provides several courses on equality, diversity and inclusion. All colleagues and students with a University login can access these for free (see the quick start guide). Some examples include:
  • Diversity, inclusion and belonging
  • Inclusive mindset
  • Unconscious bias
  • From bystander to upstander

For students

• Leeds University Student Union (LUU) provides support to students on a range of equality and inclusion issues as well as health and wellbeing. The LUU Equality and Liberation Officer champions equality and diversity across the University and the city and promotes student voices.
• Disability Services supports disabled students and their academic departments, providing information on adjustments as well as information about funding and other forms of support.
• The Student Support and Wellbeing website provides information about the range of support and resources provided by the university.