Gender Equality Scheme - University of Winchester

The University of Winchester
Gender Equality Scheme 2007-10

Section A - Introduction
Contents
…….1
1 Leadership Statement: The University of Winchester’s Vision …….1
2 What is the Disability Equality Scheme and why is it important to …….2
the University of Winchester and me?
2.1 Definitions of sex and gender …….3
Section B – Development of the GES at the University of Winchester …….4
3 Advice and Guidance …….4
4 Collaborative working …….4
5 Communication; consultation; data collection …….4
Section C – Disability equality at the University of Winchester …….7
6 Profile of institution – Where are we now? …….7
7 Gender Action Plan …….7
8 Equal Pay Audit …….7
9 Monitoring Data and Impact Assessment …….7
9.1 Monitoring …….7
9.2 Impact Assessment …….8
10 Benchmarking the University of Winchester against other …….9
institutions
11 What we are currently doing. …….9
11.1 Policies in place to tackle gender inequality …….9
11.3 Staff Development Unit ……10
11.4 Teaching and Learning ……11
11. Widening Participation ……12
11.11 Contractors and Service Providers ……12
11.2 Purchasing & Procurement ……12
11.5 Transgender people and Gender Reassignment ……13
11.6 Summary of Results of Staff Consultation ……13
11.6.1 Summary of staff questionnaire ……13
11.6.2 Summary of staff focus groups ……15

11.7 Summary f Results of Student Questionnaire ……15
Section D - Prioritising and promoting gender equality
……16
12 Scope of the scheme ……16
13 Responsibilities ……16
14 Key Resources ……16
15 Communication and Training ……16
16 Assessing, reviewing, impact assessment and reporting ……16
17 Breaches of the scheme and complaints ……17
Section E - Action plan ...18-24
Appendix 1: Impact Assessment management Process and Timetable
Appendix 2: Summary of responses to consultation

GES Section A - Introduction
1: Leadership Statement: The University of Winchester’s Vision
The Gender Equality Duty is the third of the public sector equality duties.
The three public sector duties, race, disability and gender, are extremely
important to the University of Winchester. They link very closely with our six
institutional values:
• Academic freedom
• Social justice
• Diversity
• Individuals matter
• Spirituality
• Creativity
We seek to ensure and promote equality in all our endeavours
throughout the university at all times.
VC signature

2: What is the Gender Equality Scheme and why is it important to the
University of Winchester and me?
In its vision statement, the University declares its intention "to be a twenty-first
century institution which provides a progressive and challenging higher
education experience and which forms a crucible for the generation and
transfer of knowledge” 1 . In order to realise this vision, we need to ensure that
we recruit and retain the most skilled and experienced teaching and support
staff to deliver learning opportunities and support services of the highest
standard. We must also recruit and retain students of the highest calibre. When
recruiting, we need to ensure that we can choose from the widest pool of talent
that is available – irrespective of gender. We want to ensure that we retain the
skills and experience of those we recruit. We aim to ensure that all stakeholders
are able to contribute to the development and success of the University. To this
end, “the University is committed to promoting equality, diversity and an
inclusive and supportive environment”, and all stakeholders “are required to
treat each other fairly and with respect, and will be afforded opportunities to
fulfil their potential.” 2 We are committed to developing the University of
Winchester in order to make it an organisation that is inclusive to men, women
and transgender people.
1
The University of Winchester, Strategic Plan 2005/11
2
The University of Winchester, Equal Opportunity Policy Statement

Whilst the University of Winchester must meet legal requirements, we are
committed to going beyond that, developing our policies and culture according
to models of best practice.
The new legislation on gender aims to ensure that universities adopt an
approach to gender that focuses on celebrating diversity and actively promotes
equality of opportunity for men and women.
The purpose of the University of Winchester’s Gender Equality Scheme is to
explain how the University will make sure that it promotes gender equality for
stakeholders and challenge discrimination whether direct or indirect.
The objectives of this equality scheme are:
• To remove barriers for women, men and transgender people in the
workplace, including barriers to career progression and inequality of
pay.
• To remove barriers for women, men and transgender people to
study.
• To ensure awareness and understanding of gender and transgender
issues among staff and students at all levels of the institution.
The Gender Equality Scheme for the University of Winchester will be
championed by Tommy Geddes, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Karen Price,
Director of Human Resources, who has overall responsibility for the
implementation of the scheme and the action plan.
Definition of sex and gender
The University acknowledges the difference between sex and gender. The
university includes reference to non-discrimination on grounds of gender
identity and sex in its equal opportunities policy.
Sex refers to anatomical sex. Gender is expressed in terms of masculinity or
femininity and describes how people feel about themselves and how they
expect other people to behave towards them. For the majority of people their
sex matches their gender. However, this is not always the case.
The Gender Equality Duty covers women, men and transgender people.

Section B – Development of the GES at the University of Winchester
?: Advice and guidance
On developing the Gender Equality Scheme the University has consulted with,
and taken advice from, a number of sources:
Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), southern Local Equal Opportunities
Network (LEON), Higher Education Equal Opportunities Network
(HEEON), the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), National Union of Students
(NUS)
?: Collaborative working
The University has created a Gender Equality Scheme Working Group to steer
the Universities response to the legislation. This group comprises individuals
from across the University and includes female & male staff and student
members (see Table 1). The Working Group is chaired by the Vice Chancellor.
?: Communication; consultation; data collection
The University has created a portal page introducing the new legislation,
accessible to staff and students. This includes an option for free comment. An
on-line questionnaire was hosted by a third party (Bristol On-Line Survey) and
was available in hard copy (and alternative formats if requested). An
information leaflet was distributed to all staff via payslips. A press release has
been published in the University’s in-house newsletter. As noted above, the
University has created a Gender Equality Scheme Working Group to steer the
University’s response to the legislation.
Following on from the on-line questionnaire, several focus groups were run to
respond to, and focus on, comments and findings from the questionnaire.
Student consultation has been achieved via the Student Union and through
advice received from the NUS. A student questionnaire was administered
through Union Council and members of the Student Union Executive were
members of the Working Group.
Through this variety of methods a cross section of the university demographic
was consulted with.
The University recognises the need to consult with transgender people on
transgender issues. Both the Gender Trust and Press for Change were
approached for advice.
External stakeholders consulted included private, public and religious
organisations that have used or do use our facilities.

See Table 2 for a breakdown of stakeholders involved in developing the
University of Winchester’s Gender Equality Scheme
Table 1: Members of the Gender Equality Scheme Working Group
Member
Joy Carter
Lenny Dalby
Jonathan Watkins
Julie Hampton
Justin Ridgment
Katie Curtis
Julia Wright
Drew Walsh
Justine Mortimer
Ruth Hellier-Tinoco
David Chalk
Tanya Rehman
Role
Vice Chancellor (Chair)
Equality Officer
Student Services representative
Human Resources representative
Director of CCS
Student Union President
SU Women’s Officer
SU Equal Opportunities Officer
Lecturer (Arts)
UCU Representative
Head of Law
HR Assistant (Secretary)
Table 2: Stakeholders who took part in developing the University of
Winchester 2007-2010 GES
Stakeholder Female Male
Academic Staff via staff questionnaire* 8 6
Support Staff via staff questionnaire* 34 6
Management via staff questionnaire* 2 1
Academic Staff via focus groups 10 5

Support Staff via focus groups 7 3
Management via focus groups 3 0
Students via GESWG 2 1
Students via SU Executive 3 2
Students via Union Council 8 7
External Facilities Users 3 1
Total 80 32
*Fourteen respondents to the on-line questionnaire did not declare their
gender.

Section C – Gender equality at the University of Winchester
? Profile of institution – Where are we now?
?.1 Gender Action Plan
In 2003 the University held an institution-wide Gender Day to consider gender
issues in the institution and to disseminate information from the first Equal Pay
Audit. An action plan was drawn up following this event. Any outstanding
actions from the action plan will be subsumed into the Gender Equality
Scheme action plan.
?.2 Equal Pay Audit
An Equal Pay Audit (EPA) is undertaken on a biennial basis that considers,
amongst other things, pay, grade and application for promotion. The first EPA
was undertaken in 2003 and a further EPA undertaken in 2005. The next is
due this year (2007). The Equal Pay Audit considers 17 detailed questions
under 6 broader headings:
• Are the average salaries of male staff higher or lower than the average
salaries of female staff engaged in like work?
• Are men and women disproportionately placed across the range of pay
scales?
• Is there evidence of men or women being more successful at promotion?
• Are other forms of payment – honoraria, overtime, merit, market
supplements – applied fairly between sexes?
• Is there evidence of discrimination towards one sex on appointment?
• Are there some roles/subjects that attract applicants from predominantly
one sex?
Completed EPAs are published on the university portal (intranet). Action
points from EPAs will be incorporated in to the GES Action Plan.
?.3 Monitoring Data and Impact Assessment
?.3.? Monitoring
As well as detailed data collected through the EPA the University’s annual HR
Report includes gender monitoring data on its staff .

We have currently agreed to undertake annual Equality Monitoring, drawing
together data collected for staff and students on disability, gender and race.
This will include:
Staff:
Job Applicants
Staff in post
Promotion
Grievance
Disciplinary
Dignity at Work (bullying and
harassment) incidents
Dismissals
Exit monitoring
Training/Staff Development
Appraisal
Students:
Overview
Applicants
Admissions
Progression
Disciplinary
Grievance
Exit Monitoring
Take up of students services
Application and Allocation to
University accommodation
Issues raised through Student
Satisfaction Survey etc
An equality profile for the University is available on the Human Resources
portal.
?.3.? Impact Assessment
The University started the impact assessment process in 2005.
Prior to starting on a management process for impact assessment for the
institution the Equality Officer met with Sara Hunter at the University of
Ulster, where there was an existing obligation to equality impact assess policies.
Guidance was also taken from the ECU/Hefce publication Conducting Impact
Assessments for Equal Opportunities in Higher Education. The University has worked
to the definition of impact assessment in the guidance - “the thorough and
systematic analysis of a policy or practice to determine whether it has a
differential impact on a particular group”.
At the time of developing the impact assessment process the University only
had a legal duty to impact assess with regards to race. The University took the

decision to impact assess on all equality areas in recognition that no one
equality area stands alone and a duty to assess on other equality areas was likely
to be introduced at a later date.
The process was agreed through the University committee structure in
2004/05, finally being endorsed at the Planning & Resources Committee in July
2005 (PR121/04-05). This allowed for consultation on the process by a wide
range of staff and students.
The impact assessment management process:
• Screens formal policies, regulations, guidelines & strategies and informal
policies & practices/procedures
• Set a timetable for initial screening and identification of requirements for
full impact assessment
• Acknowledges that impact assessment is not a one-off undertaking and
requires screening forms to be completed for all new policies and a review
of screening of all formal polices etc to be included in the 3 year policy
reviews.
• Acknowledges that policy impact is not the responsibility of one individual
but of all members of staff and thus requires policy owners to undertake the
screening and full impact assessment (where necessary).
By April 2007 the University has undertaken initial equality impact assessment
screenings but has yet to complete the full impact assessments where required.
This includes a full impact assessment of our Car Parking Policy, where
concerns have been raised that part-time members of staff are disadvantaged,
where the majority of part-time staff are female. The other policies identified
for a full impact assessment were the Staff Development & Review Scheme
and the Customer Service Policy.
?.4 Benchmarking the University of Winchester against other institutions
The University will benchmark itself via data provided by HESA.
? What we are currently doing
?.1 Policies in place to tackle gender inequality

The University has several formal policies and an Employee Assistance
Programme in place to help tackle gender discrimination and inequality in the
workplace:
Dignity at Work – deals with bullying and harassment in the workplace and
specifically references harassment of a sexual nature or related to sex. A
Dignity at Study Policy is currently in draft form to replace the Bullying &
Harassment Guidelines for students.
Employee Assistance Programme & Support Helpline – covers all work-related
queries, including providing information and practical assistance to parents on
a wide range of childcare and parenting issues
Equal Opportunities Policy – covers staff and students and states that all staff
and students are treated equitably regardless of any inappropriate distinction,
including family responsibility, gender identity, marital status or sex.
Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy – aims to ensure equality of
opportunity and prohibit any form of unlawful, unfair, obvious or hidden
discrimination, including harassment, on any ground including gender identity
and sex, in the workplace.
Flexible Working Policy for support staff – the policy details the types of
flexible working options may be requested by staff.
Gender Reassignment: a manager’s guide to supporting staff undergoing or
intending to undergo gender reassignment – provides a brief introduction to
gender reassignment and how to support a staff member who wishes to
transition to their acquired gender.
Parents & Carers Policy: support for staff with families and caring
responsibilities – this policy includes information on maternity and paternity
rights and right to request flexible working. It was formally known as the
Support for Staff with Families policy.
These policies will be promotes as part of GES action plan.
?.2 Staff Development Unit
The Staff Development Unit provides a range of events designed to raise
awareness of equality and gender issues. The following are examples:
• University-wide gender awareness events have taken place to which all staff
are invited.
• Roll-out of general equality and diversity training. This included gender and
transgender issues.

• A section on equality and dignity is included in new staff induction.
• A session on Gender and Conversation Style which raises awareness of the
difference between the way men and women communicate.
• The Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
(PGCLTHE) includes sessions on equality and gender.
?.3 Teaching and Learning
A curriculum audit has taken place under the Learning and Teaching project
Addressing Diversity and Equality the Curriculum. This, in part, came from the
consideration of the impact assessment process.
This project addresses issues specific to race, gender and disability with
particular reference to the curriculum and has two phases. The first involves an
audit of existing practice within the University drawing, where appropriate, on
evidence from elsewhere, in order to identify existing good practice and
barriers to development. The second will develop and trial a web-based toolkit
of specific relevance to a small new university recruiting from a region in which
perceptions tend to be of a monocultural and largely middle class catchment.
Its focus will be on promoting curriculum development in order to both meet
the needs of an increasingly diverse student population and to offer curricula
relevant to the global multicultural world in which students will be working and
living.
One of the intentions is to work in a way that tries to avoid some of the
‘equality and diversity elephant traps’ including equality and diversity initiatives
that generate at best reluctant action and at worst seething resentment;
approaches that result in perceptions among academics of a PC discourse as a
real and dangerous phenomenon; and underestimates of the time needed to
talk to people if they are to engage at all let alone with real commitment.
The project hopes to achieve the following
• Better institution-wide understanding of curriculum issues related to
inclusivity and diversity and of barriers to change
• Increased engagement of academic staff with diversity and equality issues
• Raised profile for learning and teaching related diversity and equality issues
among academic staff and senior managers
• Staff development benefits for academic staff from each of the 3 Faculties
• Enhanced leadership capacity among programme leaders and other
academic staff

• Potential enhanced student experience
• Contextualised strategies for use within the University and in similar
contexts elsewhere
Phase one, the curriculum audit, has been completed. Results are not available
for publication at this time (April 2007).
?.4 Widening Participation
Men are under-represented in Initial Teacher Training programmes. The
Faculty of Education runs initiatives to encourage male applicants and to
support male students on teaching programmes. These include a Student
Associate Scheme designed to give undergraduates experience of schools, with
male students a major target audience for the scheme. The Faculty runs a male
student support group, Men in the Minority, to help support and retain male
students in teaching.
The mix of subjects at the university currently attracts majority female students
(70% female). It is recognised that a change in subject mix, such as the
introduction of subjects such as law, may have an impact on the gender ratio of
students. This situation will be monitored.
?.5 Contractors and Service Providers
The Estates Department employs a large number of external contractors and
service providers, as do other faculties and departments, in particular IT and
Communication Services. Just because these organisations and individuals are
not employed directly by the institution does not mean that they are exempt
from the provisions of the Gender Equality Scheme, either in terms of its
benefits or its responsibilities.
The Estates Department already includes adherence to our Equal
Opportunities Policy and Dignity at Work policy in its pro-forma
documentation for contractors and service providers.
In addition the institution will consider ways in which the institution might seek
to procure goods and services from companies which promote gender equality.
For example, when putting projects out to competitive tender, in order to
ensure that external agencies not held to the same standard as the institution in
terms of their legal requirements to promote gender equality, duly recognise
this as an institutional priority.
?.6 Purchasing and Procurement

The institution expends considerable funds each year on the purchasing of
goods and services, ranging from foodstuffs for the Dining Hall, to stationery
for Reprographics. Indeed, very few, if any, of the institution’s faculties or
departments are not involved in purchasing activities on a regular basis.
Although at first sight it might appear unlikely that gender issues might impact
upon this area of activity, it is important to recognise that no institution
activities should be exempt from the considerations of the Gender Equality
Scheme. To this end, the institution should consider ways in which the
institution might seek to procure goods and services from companies which
promote gender equality, and to consider giving preferential consideration to
such companies.
?.7Transgender people and Gender Reassignment
The University recognises the difference between sex and gender identity and is
committed to supporting all (future) members of staff and students, including
transgender people.
In 2003, in response to the Gender Recognition Act, the University produced a
guide for managers to help support (future) members of staff who should wish
to transition to their acquired gender. The guidance was drawn up with
reference to advice given by the Gender Trust and Press for Change as well as
the ECU publication Employing Transsexual People in Higher Education. All
aspects of the working environment were considered when drawing up this
guidance.
The institution will continue to consult with and seek guidance from
transgender people on issues that have significance to transgender people.
?.8 Summary of Results of Staff Consultation
?.8.1Staff Questionnaire
In 2003 the University conducted a Staff Satisfaction Survey that included the
question “Discrimination is not a major issue here” and invited comments
from those who felt there was discrimination. 6 members of staff (13% of
respondents) who indicated some discrimination indicated it was on grounds of
sex but no further evidence was supplied. The Gender Equality Scheme staff
questionnaire built upon this information and tried to identify where
discrimination or gender inequality was perceived.
The questionnaire was designed to get base-level data on which to build.

The questionnaire was accessible on-line and hosted externally to the university
(Bristol On-line Survey). Hard copies were available (and in alternative format)
if required.
Summary of respondents
The questionnaire received 79 responses, 13.2% of total staff (including
associate lecturers). 13 men (16.5%) and 52 women (68.5%) responded to the
questionnaire, with 14 respondents (17.7%) who did not declare their gender.
Of the respondents, 14 were academic staff (17.7%), 41 were support staff
(51.9%) and 3 were management (3.8%). 21 respondents (26.6%) did not
declare this information.
The majority of responses suggested that there was no sex discrimination or
perceived gender inequality in the University. Where issues have been raised
these will be considered in the action plan (Section E).
For staff the issues concerning discrimination or gender inequality against
women are: concern over gender balance in interview panels and committee
membership, job-related gender assumptions, career progression (especially for
academic staff), flexible working and the flexible working policy, gender
inequality for women in management and physical roles and in the Senior
Management Group
For staff the issues concerning discrimination or gender inequality against men
are: job-related gender assumptions, access to paternity/parental/adoption
leave, and access and availability of support services for male staff where that
support is offered by women. In departments, respondents perceived a gender
inequality against men in Human Resources, Library, Registry, Student
Recruitment & Marketing and Student Services.
The questionnaire also raised an issue regarding awareness of formal policies
we already have in place to tackle sex discrimination and gender inequality, in
particular polices on Dignity at Work, Flexible Working, Support for Staff with
Families and the Gender Reassignment Guidelines, as well as awareness of the
Employee Assistance Programme.
?.8.2 Staff Focus Groups
Focus groups were held to gather further data in response to comments on the
questionnaire. All staff were invited to attend lunchtime focus groups, with
staggered timing over three days. The Equality Officer facilitated the focus
groups with another member of the steering group in attendance. Further focus
groups were held by attending team meetings that were already arranged.

Four comments from responses to the questionnaire were used in discussion at
each focus group:
• Formal processes are likely already to have been written with equality in
mind. What happens on the ground however and especially between
colleagues is far harder to discover.
• Danger of over emphasis on discrimination against women as an issue to
the exclusion of discrimination against men
• There are wider cultural factors that the University could do its bit in
addressing e.g. overcoming stereotypical gender roles
• Women are underrepresented because they do not hold an appropriate
proportion of positions of responsibility within the University
Seven focus groups were held. 28 members of staff were consulted via focus
groups, 20 female and 8 male. Of these, 15 were academic staff, 10 were
support staff and 3 were management staff.
In general, support staff did not perceive gender inequality. Support staff
seemed to feel that an issue was being made when no issue was perceived.
Whereas academic staff did perceive inequality, with specific concerns over
career progression, flexible working and availability of (academic) part-time/job
share posts, allocation of workload (and how work was valued) and child care.
This supported comments that had been raised through the questionnaire.
?.9 Summary of Results of Student Questionnaire
A student questionnaire was administered to Union Council and received 15
responses. 7 men (46.6 . %) and 8 women (53.3 . %) responded to the
questionnaire.
Of the respondents, 11 were in level 3 of study, 2 were level 2 and 1 was level
1. 1 respondent did not declare this information.
5 respondents were undergraduates, 1 was postgraduate and the remaining did
not declare this information.
Seven respondents came from Arts, 6 from Social Sciences and the remaining
from Arts/Education and Arts/Social Sciences.
The overwhelming responses from the student questionnaire were that there
was no perception of sex discrimination or gender inequality. The only points
raised were regarding the allocation of all-male flats on the ground floor of

esidences and a perception of course content being aimed at a predominantly
female student cohort.

Section D - Prioritising and promoting gender equality
The University of Winchester is committed to ensuring that all students and
staff are treated equitably and has a commitment to supporting all female, male
and transgender staff and students. We seek to create and maintain an
environment in which both staff and students are able to work and study
without fear of prejudice or discrimination.
The goals of the University of Winchester’s Gender Equality Scheme (GES)
are to create an environment in which best practice can flourish. The GES will
aim to assign clear ownership of the action points and ensure that these are
continually reviewed.
? Scope of the scheme
The GES will cover all staff and students and other stakeholders in the
institution. Priorities for action will be determined by the results of the research
and consultation and then fed into the action plan. Areas of particular
importance and where most improvement is necessary will be addressed.
? Responsibilities
Ownership will be assigned to improvement points within the action plan. As
noted previously the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Director of
Human Resources will have overall responsibility for implementing the scheme
and action plan.
? Key Resources
The Action Plan will be costed and the University’s financial strategy and
annual budgets will address the resource requirements of the DES.
? Communication and Training
The University will publish the GES 2007-2010 and subsequent annual reports
on the University’s intranet (portal). This will ensure that all staff have access to
the document. The documents will also be available in alternative accessible
formats on request. The University will continue to offer gender training and
will consider ways to make this more accessible and to increase attendance.
? Monitoring
The University will monitor the progress of the Action Plan and will publish a
report annually outlining the development of the GES and the response to the
Action Plan.
? Assessing, reviewing, impact assessment and reporting

This strategy will not need to be impact assessed; however, the performance
against the Action Plan will be monitored annually. The monitoring will be the
responsibility of the Equality Officer who will report to the Equal
Opportunities Committee. At all stages of monitoring the views and experience
of female, male and transgender stakeholders will be sought.
Further methods of consulting, engaging and involving women, men and
transgender people in the continued success of the GES will be considered.
? Breaches of the scheme and complaints
Breaches of the scheme and complaints will be dealt with under the existing
University complaints and disciplinary procedures.

Section E - Action plan
This Action Plan has been informed by the consultation processes outlined in the previous sections of this document. It
takes into account the experiences of stakeholders and builds upon their engagement and involvement with and in the
consultation process.
The points on the Action Plan will be monitored by the Equality Officer via Equal Opportunities Committee and the Pro
Vice Chancellor (Administration) retains overall responsibility for the implementation of the Plan.
The Plan will be reviewed annually via the Equal Opportunities Committee and progress reports will be published on the
University intranet (portal). Alternative formats will be available on request. In 2010 the Plan will be redrafted in
accordance with progress made and any changes to legislation. Full consultation exercises will inform all subsequent
Gender Equality Schemes published by the University of Winchester.
Objectives of the scheme and action plan are noted next to the action point
• To remove barriers for women, men and transgender people in the workplace, including barriers to career
progression and inequality of pay.
• To remove barriers for women, men and transgender people to study.
• To ensure awareness and understanding of gender and transgender issues among staff and students at all levels
of the institution.

Action Objective Responsibility Target
Completion
Date
Review of Gender Day Action Plan in light of
legislative changes and implementation of action
points into future DES Action Plans
To continue to produce an Equal Pay Audit
biennially.
To consider how EPA might be expanded to give
greater consideration to progression through the
single pay spine by gender, to include applications
and success/failure for re-grading and
progression, and compare female/male uptake of
sessions in comparison to progression.
To incorporate action points from EPA in future
GES
To publish Equality Monitoring Report annually,
that incorporates data on disability, gender and
race.
To ensure Student Satisfaction Survey is cross
tabulated by gender to see if any issues are raised
Completion
Date
1,3 Equality Officer April 2007 April 2007
1 Equality Officer,
Human Resources
1 Equality Officer,
Human Resources
1 Equality Officer,
Human Resources
1,2,3 Equality Officer,
Disability Coordinator,
Finance and
Planning,
2 Student Services,
Equality officer, Equal
Biennially (next
due in 2007)
2009
ongoing
Annually (first
to be published
by May 2008)
SSS 2008

y gender.
To monitor the effect on the gender ratio of
students with the introduction of new subjects
e.g. law
Ensure that all future impact assessment
procedures consult and involve female, male and
transgender stake holders
To undertake a full impact assessment of the Car
Parking Regulations
To hold a Gender Awareness event for all staff to
roll-out the Gender Equality Scheme
To raise awareness and understanding with staff
and students of formal policies already in place to
tackle sex discrimination and gender inequality, in
particular on Dignity at Work, Flexible Working,
Support for Staff with Families and the Gender
Reassignment Guidelines, as well as awareness of
the Employee Assistance Programme.
To continue to provide gender-related staff
development sessions. To consider how these
sessions are inclusive to all gender and
Opportunities
committee
2 Registry, Planning &
Finance
2010
1,2,3 Equality Officer, Equal
Opportunities
Committee
ongoing
1, 2 Director of CCS October 2007
1, 3 Equality officer, Staff
Development, Equal
Opportunities
Committee
1, 2, 3 Human Resources,
Students Services
November 2007
November 2007
1, 3 Staff Development ongoing

transgender issues.
Ensure that all academic staff are able and feel
confident to teach different styles of learners and
can therefore adjust their teaching styles
Review and incorporate the findings of the
Learning and Teaching project Addressing Diversity
and Equality the Curriculum once published.
Consideration will be given to requiring a specific
response to Equal Opportunities policies on the
Programme Annual Monitoring Reviews in order
to explicitly address the quality of the learning
experience for all students
Consideration will be given to Faculty Learning
and Teaching reports being required to address
responses to Equal Opportunities issues
Produce guidance for (academic) staff on safe 1-
on-1 interactions between staff and students.
Incorporate gender equality into the pro-forma
documentation for all contractors and service
providers (where is not already done so)
Consider ways in which the institution might seek
to procure goods & services from companies
which promote gender equality; consider the
1,2 Learning and Teaching September 2008
2 EOC; all faculties December 2008
1,2 Learning & Teaching June 2008
1,2 Learning & Teaching June 2008
1 Learning & Teaching September 2007
1,3 ITCS, July 2008
1 Estates December 2007

appropriateness of giving preferential
consideration to such companies.
Conference feedback to be monitored and
actions acted upon
Consider how we can break down barriers to
facilitate individuals of one gender to work in
subjects/areas/departments that are dominated
by another gender.
To consider how we ensure that male staff &
students have equal access and availability to
support services where that support is currently
offered by women.
To ensure formal policies give proportionately
appropriate equal consideration to women and
men in regards to
maternity/paternity/parental/adoption leave.
To continue to ensure the interview panels have
an appropriate gender balance.
To gather data on committee membership and
consider how women/men might be encouraged
to put themselves forward for chair/membership
if an imbalance is found.
1 CCS (Conferences) ongoing
1, 3 Equal Opportunities
committee, Equality
Officer, Human
Resources, Staff
Development
1 Human Resources,
Student Services
December 2009
December 2009
1, 2 Human Resources December 2009
1 Human Resources,
Departments, Faculties
1 Equal Opportunities
Committee, Equality
Officer
ongoing
December 2009

To draw up a code of practice for chairing
meetings. To also include guidelines on what is
expected of all participants.
To consider setting up a mentoring scheme for
all new support staff on model of academic
mentoring scheme
Consideration will be given to how workloads are
allocated and the value that is given to different
types of work.
Investigate possibility of university nursery/dropin
crèche facilities, or partnership with other
bodies for term time and holiday provision, that
provides more flexible childcare to accommodate
long hours e.g. lectures that finish at 6pm.
To review appropriateness of allocation to
accommodation practice.
Ensure parity between support in place to
eliminate sex discrimination and tackle gender
inequality provided for staff and that provided
for students e.g. Dignity at Study policy
Equal Opportunities Committee will receive the
Gender Equality Scheme Action Plan and
monitor the progress of action points. It will
revise and update as necessary the Action Plan
1 Director of Registry,
Director of Human
Resources
September 2007
1 Staff Development September 2008
1 ProVC (Academic),
Deans of Faculty
1,2 Equality Officer,
Student Services
2 CCS (Housing
services)
1,2 Human Resources,
Student Services,
Equality Officer
1,2,3 Human Resources,
Equality Officer
December 2008
December 2009
September 2007
December 2009
May 2008

and forward through the committee system.

APPENDIX 1: Impact Assessment Management Process & Timetable
Background
1. Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act we have a legal obligation to assess
and monitor the impact of our new and existing policies on students and staff from
different racial groups.
2. The Government intends to draw gender and disability legislation in-line with race
legislation, and further to extend religion or belief legislation to cover goods &
services, therefore it is likely that we will have to impact assess on all equality
strands in the future.
3. It has been proposed that we will impact assess on the following equality strands
• age
• disability
• gender
• race
• religion
• sexuality
4. It is proposed that we publish the results of all our impact assessments. We are
required to publish race impact assessment data.
The Process: Formal College Policies & Strategies
5. For formal policies and strategies, as identified in Appendix B, the following
process was agreed:
Screening
6. Chairs of owning bodies notified of policies and strategies they need to screen
7. Chairs given a screening pro-forma to complete
8. The screening pro-forma, which includes a recommendation from the Chair on
whether a full impact assessment should be undertaken, passed to the Equal
Opportunities Committee. The Equal Opportunities Committee (EOC) would make
the final decision on whether to undertake full impact assessment.
9. Where a policy or strategy does not need to be impact assessed, the screening proforma
to be attached to the policy or strategy and the policy or strategy to be reassessed
every three years and when significant changes made to the policy or
strategy. Where the policy or strategy is deemed to require a full impact
assessment the impact assessment will be attached to that policy or strategy.
10. Where a policy or strategy is deemed to require a full impact assessment, the policy
will be returned to the Chair of the owning body, who will arrange for the impact
assessment to be undertaken.
Impact Assessing the policy

11. The Equal Opportunities Officer (EOO) will support in collating existing data, both
quantitative & qualitative, to aid the impact assessment and will be available for
queries/consultation. The EOO will also produce guidance on how to undertake an
impact assessment. The EOO will not undertake the assessment.
12. Once an impact assessment has been undertaken and any changes required have
been identified, the policy, impact assessment and proposed changes must go back
through the Committee process for approval. The impact assessment is to be
attached to the policy.
13. A summary of the assessment & policy amendments should be sent to the EOO.
The EOO will advise the EOC when policies and strategies have been impact
assessed.
The Process: informal policies, practices and procedures
14. For informal policies, practices and procedures the following process was agreed:
Identifying informal policies, practices and procedures
15. A three step consultative approach will be taken to identifying informal policies,
practices and procedures:
16. Step 1: A panel of experts, which will include a range of contributors from across
the College, will be convened to draw up a list of informal policies, practices and
procedures.
17. Step 2: This list will then be sent to schools/departments in order to ensure there
are no significant omissions. The EOO will produce guidance on the sorts of
things to consider when defining an informal policy, practice or procedure.
18. Step 3: a wider electronic forum with College-wide representation will be
convened. This forum will approve this list, again ensuring there are no significant
omissions.
Screening
19. Once identified, these informal policies, practices and procedures will be screened.
Where these informal policies, practices and procedures do not have an owning
body, the most appropriate faculty/department, the originator, will be tasked with
undertaking the screening process.
20. The screening pro-forma, which includes a recommendation from the originator on
whether a full impact assessment should be undertaken, passed to the Equal
Opportunities Committee. The Equal Opportunities Committee (EOC) would make
the final decision on whether to undertake full impact assessment.
21. Where an informal policy, practice or procedure does not need to be impact
assessed, the screening pro-forma will be held on the Equal Opportunities’
webpage and the informal policy, practice or procedure to be re-assessed every
three years and when significant changes are made.
22. Where an informal policy, practice or procedure is deemed to require a full impact
assessment, the policy will be returned to the originator.

Impact Assessing the policy, practice or procedure
23. The EOO will support in collating existing data, both quantitative & qualitative, to
aid the impact assessment and will be available for queries/consultation. The EOO
will also produce guidance on how to undertake an impact assessment. The EOO
will not undertake the assessment.
24. Once an impact assessment has been undertaken and changes implemented, the
informal policy, practice or procedure must go back to the EOC for agreement
along with a summary of the assessment & amendments. The impact assessment is
to be published on the portal.
25. Where the outcome identifies a need for a new policy it will follow the normal
policy making procedure.
Timescale of Impact Assessment process
Formal Policies and Strategies
Notification to Chairs’ of Owning Bodies of Impact Assessment
Screening to be completed and returned (with recommendations)
to EOC
Summer term
Oct 2005
decisions on necessity to fully Impact Assess will be made at October EOC
If NO Impact Assessment required, screening form will be appended to Policy or
Strategy; to be re-assessed in 3 years and when significant changes are made to the
policy or strategy
If YES an Impact Assessment is required, Policy or Strategy will
be returned to the originator. Originator must undertake full
impact assessment. Assessment will be supported by EOO but
not undertaken by EOO.
Where an individual has more than one policy, strategy practice
or procedure (formal and/or informal) that is deemed to require a
full impact assessment, the EOC will prioritise the policies.
Those policies that are deemed to be of the highest priority will
follow this presented timescale. Others may be delayed (subject to
negotiation)
Full Impact Assessment to be done and, where an adverse affect
has been identified, changes identified by MAY 2006. The policy
must go back to the owning body for agreement. A summary of
assessment conclusions and policy or strategy amendments to go
to EOC in May 2006.
May 2006
Any changes identified should be implemented by July 2006 June 2006
Summary of assessment conclusions and policy amendments to be appended to the
Policy and thus published on the portal; to be re-assessed in 3 years and when

significant changes are made to the policy.
Informal Policies, Practices and Procedures
Firstly the informal policies need to be identified
Step 1: panel of experts convened to draw up a list of informal
policies. Panel to include representation from support &
academic staff and student union:
Proposed panel:
TG, CS, LD, AK/CH, LL (Natfhe and Equality), SU Rep
(Sabbatical/EOO/General Manager), PC, LB/NC, JR
Step 2: List sent to departments & faculties and other groups that
exist within the College e.g. Subject Administrators Forum, to
ensure there are no significant omissions.
Step 3: College-wide forum with representation from all
departments/faculties and all grades which will ratify the list,
ensuring there are no major omissions
Once informal policies have been identified ownership will be
decided. Ownership will be approved by Senior Management
Sept 2005
Returned to panel
Dec 2005
Feb 2006
Feb 2006
Informal Policy owners to be notified of Impact Assessment March 2006
Screening to be completed and returned (with recommendations)
to EOC
May 2006
decisions on necessity to fully Impact Assess will be made at May 2006 EOC
If NO Impact Assessment required, screening form will be appended to Policy; to be
re-assessed in 3 years and when significant changes are made to the policy
If YES an Impact Assessment required, Policy will be returned to
the originator. Originator must undertake full impact assessment.
Assessment will be supported by EOO but not undertaken by
EOO.
Where an owning body has more than one policy (formal and/or
informal) that is deemed to require a full impact assessment, the
EOC will prioritise the policies. Those policies that are deemed
to be of the highest priority will follow this presented timescale.
Others may be delayed (subject to negotiation).
Full Impact Assessment to be done and, where an adverse affect
has been identified, changes implemented by October 2006. A
summary of assessment conclusions and policy amendments to go
to EOC in February 2007 for agreement.
Revised October
2007

Summary of assessment conclusions and policy amendments will be published on the
portal; to be re-assessed in 3 years and when significant changes are made to the
policy

APPENDIX 2: Summary of responses to consultation
Summary of Responses to Staff Questionnaire
The first group of questions (1a-7d) asked about discrimination in the staff
life cycle. The majority of respondents did not identify any discrimination.
Points of the life cycle which are of note and drew comment were:
• at interview, a concern raised over appropriate panel membership,
• job related gender assumptions e.g. “men don’t make good
administrators” of those short-listing/appointing
• whilst no respondents noted any discrimination against men in access &
availability of training, there was some feeling of discrimination against
women.
• 10 respondents (12.3%) to a question on career progression felt there was
discrimination against women in this area. This was re-iterated in focus
groups, in particular this was a concern for female academic staff.
• 10 respondents (12.5%) to a question on flexible working felt there was
discrimination against women in access to flexible working. A further 8
(10%) felt there was discrimination against men.
• 7 respondents(8.6%) felt there was discrimination against men in access
to maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave, with one specific
reference to “perinatal (sic) leave entitlement”.
• No respondents felt there was discrimination against women in access to
childcare facilities
• In response to four questions regarding the end of employment
(resignation, retirement, redundancy and university termination of
employment) only 4 respondents felt there was any discrimination against
women or men.
The second group of questions (9a-10) looked at gender inequality in support
and representation of staff. Points of note and which drew comment are:
• Comments regarding committee membership concerned gender balance
in committees, how members are appointed to committees and regarding
women’s tendency to be reticent about expressing their views.
• In response to 4 different questions on access to and availability of
harassment contacts, university nurse, counsellors and human resources
staff, a total of 10 respondents felt there was gender inequality against
men. Additional comments noted a concern that men may not want to
approach a female nurse or may not feel comfortable approaching a

predominantly female Human Resources staff with a gender related
problem. This is compared to a total of 6 respondents who felt here was
gender inequality against women in the same.
• Regarding appropriate policies and fora in place, 9 respondents felt there
was inequality against women compared with 4 respondents noting the
same against men.
The third group of questions asked about awareness of formal policies and
the employee assistance programme the institution has in place to tackle sex
discrimination and gender inequality.
In general the majority of respondents were aware or very aware/had used
these formal policies. However,
• 10 (12.5%) respondents were not aware of Equal Opportunities Policy,
with a further 16 respondents (20.3%) not aware of the Equal
Opportunities in Employment policy.
• over a quarter of respondents (26.6%) were unaware of the Dignity at
Work policy,
• 34% respondents (27) unaware of Flexible Working for support staff
policy
• 40% (32) respondents were not aware of the EAP
• 43% (34) respondents were unaware of the Support for Staff with
Families policy.
• the Gender Reassignment Guidelines were the least well known with over
half respondents (59.9%) unaware of them
The third group of questions asked about perceptions of gender inequality in
different roles, which were grouped as supervisory, management and physical
roles
7 respondents (8.75%) felt there was gender inequality against women in
supervisory roles, compared to 2 respondents (2.5%) who felt there was the
same against men and 62 respondents (77.5%) who felt there was no
discrimination.
However, the figures were higher for gender inequality against women in
management (17 respondents, 21.25%) and physical roles (14 respondents,
17.1%). A particular concern was raised about women in role(s) of power in
the Faculty of Arts.

The fourth group of questions asked about perceptions of gender inequality
in grades.
No respondents felt there was any discrimination against men in grades 7 to
Senior Management (inclusive).
In no grades did a significant number of respondents perceive discrimination
against women. One respondent commented that their perception was
“males dominate Grades 8 and 9”. Further, another respondent commented
that Grades 9 & 10 “are never advertised as possible for part-time working”
where evidence suggested that in the past two “full time” roles had been held
concurrently.
Almost double the number of respondents (27, 34%) did not respond to the
question regarding perception of gender in equality in senior management
compared to a mean of 17 (21.5%) for other questions in the section.
The fifth group of questions asked about perception of gender inequality in
different departments and faculties. To note that:
8 repsondents (10.1%) felt there was gender inequality in the Senior
Management Group with all the PAs being women and no female pro-VCs.
Only one respondents felt that there was gender inequality against women in
estates but it was noted that “estates is a very male dominated department”
10 respondents (12.7%) felt there was gender inequality against men in the
Human Resources department.
9 respondents (11.4%) felt there was gender inequality against men in the
Library. On respondent felt that “it’s hard for men to support a
margage(sic)/family on a library assistant’s salary at UW[…].”
14 respondents (12.7%) felt there was gender inequality against men in
Registry.
9 respondents (11.4%) felt there was gender inequality against men in
Student Recruitment & Marketing
12 respondents (15%) felt there was gender inequality against men Student
Services.
A number of comments noted that Human Resources, Library, Student
Recruitment & Marketing and Student Services were female dominated. One
respondent went on to ask if this was “some sort of social reproduction, with

female managers hiring other women rather than men?”. The perception of
gender inequality seems to be linked to physical numbers.
In none of the faculty’s did a significant number of respondents note a
perception of gender inequality against women. One respondent did
comment on the perception of a “proponderence (sic) of men in promoted
academic posts, especially heads of subject” in Arts and Soc.
7 respondents (8.9%) felt there was gender in equality against men in the
faculty of education
Summary of Responses to Student Questionnaire
total respondents 15
male 7 46.67%
female 8 53.33%
m/f split in student population 21-79 %
Level of study
level 1 level 2 level 3 (blank)
Grand
Total
female 1 1 6 8
male 1 5 1 7
Grand Total 1 2 11 1 15
no
yes -
against
men
yes -
against
women
blank
Pre-application process e.g.
prospectus, open days 15 0 0 0
Application process e.g. forms 15 0 0 0
Interview (if applicable) 11 1 0 3
Offer 13 0 0 2
Enrolment e.g. process, timings 15 0 0 0
Accommodation e.g.
application, allocation 10 4 0 1
Curriculum e.g. course content 14 1 0 0
Assessment e.g. types of
assessment, marking 11 0 0 4
Progression 15 0 0 0
Disciplinary & Grievances 14 1 0 0
Appeals 15 0 0 0
Withdrawal 15 0 0 0
Graduation 11 0 0 4

Do you feel there is any gender
inequality in the service that the
university provides to you as a
student? 15 0 0 0
Do you feel there is any gender
inequality in the facilities we
offer you as a student? 15 0 0 0
Free comment responses
• on "audition" for my course I was the only male on that specific date
• reports of unequal numbers of men & women sharing houses
• although I was allowed to live in a house of 5 men this was frowned upon
and I know of others who have had this problem
• all men on bottom floor of West Downs
• men are generally put on bottom floor of Alwyn because makes women
safer. Or maybe it is just a rumour. I do sort of understand and agree
though.
• due to the large number of women on the course the topics chosen
sometimes appear more designed to appeal to women eg feminism
Responses from Consultation with External Stakeholders:
5 responses, 4 from women and 1 male respondent. They represented both
private and public sector users of our facilities, a religious organisation and
an HEI-specific organisation. No respondents felt here was any gender
inequality in the services or facilities we offer.