Mainstreaming equality through governance and management programme

In 2011 ECU provided a programme of support for four Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs) as they developed work to mainstream equality into existing processes and practices in their staff development, student services, or governance and management structures.

One of the key successes of this programme was working closely with governors and senior managers to help institutions realise the ambitions of their equality strategy by utilising existing processes. Building on that success, our new programme will extend this aspect to more Scottish HEIs.

Programme overview

The programme model will provide tailored consultancy and support over the course of a year for participating institutions through a combination of institution-based facilitation and group meetings with other participating institutions.

HEIs will nominate a team of representatives from their governance and management structures to engage with the programme and take the work forward in their institutions. They will be assisted to:

• Evaluate their current approach to equality or equality strategy
• Develop a plan of activity to enhance and mainstream their approach, focusing on existing processes and practices, values and behaviours
• Implement planned activity and begin to measure impact
• Review progress to enable further development

Participants 

The following HEIs are taking part in the programme:

• Heriot-Watt University
• Robert Gordon University
• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
  
• Scottish Agricultural College
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Edinburgh