FoNS Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee

The FoNS Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee acts as the central coordinating body for the development, oversight, and continuous enhancement of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Outreach activities across the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FoNS).

The Committee aims to foster a supportive, inclusive, diverse, and inspiring culture by promoting collaboration, sharing best practice, outreach and ensuring alignment with Faculty and institutional priorities.

Terms of Reference

Purpose of the Committee:

The FoNS EDI Committee acts as the central coordinating body for the development, oversight, and continuous enhancement of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Outreach activities across the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FoNS).

The Committee aims to foster a supportive, inclusive, diverse, and inspiring culture by promoting collaboration, sharing best practice, outreach and ensuring alignment with Faculty and institutional priorities.

Objectives:

  • To champion and oversee evidence-led enhancement, review and improvement of Faculty frameworks and programmes for delivering an inclusive, diverse, supportive and inspiring culture within FoNS.
  • To provide a forum for discussion on issues of concern or opportunity relating to the support, inclusion and equal access for all, across all protected characteristics, and to escalate matters to the Faculty Management Committee (FMC) as appropriate
  • To maximise the impact of initiatives through shared and coordinated approaches, including shared administration of activities as appropriate.
  • To use available data to generate insights and inform enhancements to the portfolio of activity in this area, and to make recommendations to FMC for areas for review or enhancement.
  • To scope and commission time-limited working parties to review and propose solutions for identified issues, concerns or new initiatives.
  • To maintain an up to date understanding of local and national developments in relation to key charter initiatives (such as Athena, Race Equality Charter) and to act as the key FoNS coordinating/reference committee for FoNS development and input into university and/or departmental submissions (where relevant) for EDI accreditations.
  • To receive Departmental reports related to this Faculty-level EDI Committee
  • To report more broadly to FMC as appropriate

Membership

  • FoNS Associate Dean for EDI (Chair)
  • FoNS Administrative Assistant (Secretary)
  • FoNS Education & EDI Coordinator
  • FoNS Outreach Manager
  • EDI Departmental Leads (where there are several leads per department one should come on a rotating basis):
    • Chemistry
    • Centre for Environmental Policy
    • Grantham Institute
    • Life Sciences
    • Physics
    • Mathematics
  • FoNS HR Strategic Partner
  • Athena Swan Coordinator
  • FoNS Data Protection Manager
  • Royal College Science Union Vice President Welfare
  • FoNS Digital Communications Officer

Other people may be invited when their expertise is important to the Committee.

Schedule

The Committee will meet once per term. Additional meetings may be convened as required.

Review of Terms of Reference:

Terms of Reference and membership of the committee will be reviewed annually.