Equity, diversity and inclusion framework text version

Download the framework to find out more about our principles, goals, and our focus equity groups (PDF)

This is the Equity, diversity and inclusion framework for the University.

Along the top with a purple heading are Our aspirations - A vibrant, creative, supportive and inclusive environment that encourages the recruitment, development and retention of a diverse community of talented staff and students.

Next to that is Our principles: We acknowledge and respect the distinct status of Māori as thangata whenua and are committed to meeting the University’s obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi. The voices of those who experience disadvantage will be actively sought and inform the ongoing development and co-design of university policy and practice. Our focus will be to recognise and address systemic disadvantage. Our core-ethical values of respect, responsibility, fairness, integrity and empathy will underpin all of our actions supporting equity, diversity and inclusion. Merit is the overriding criterion for decisions affecting individuals. Progress will be measured as we focus on improving outcomes for our identified equity groups. This is a living document that will require continual development.

Spanning the whole page underneath these is Our goals.

Attraction and Recruitment - We will determine effective and targeted plans and initiatives to attract and recruit a diverse community of staff and students who can broaden and enhance our perspectives and actively contribute to the achievement of our strategic goals. Particular attention will be given to attracting and recruiting students and staff from our identified equity groups.

Participation - We will provide a safe and respectful environment, responding proactively to the diverse needs of members of our community. This will require the development of a broad range of plans and actions to ensure that all staff and students can successfully participate in university life. We will give particular attention to meeting the needs of our identified equity groups to ensure that barriers to successful participation are removed.

Influence and engagement - We will encourage and support inclusive behaviours and relationships amongst academic staff, professional staff and students. To achieve this, we will increase awareness of, and commitment to, equity, diversity and inclusion amongst members of our community. Policies and practices to support and value the activities of all staff and students will be developed. We will also actively engage and connect with our local and global communities in ways that reflect our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Retention - We are committed to retaining a diverse community of talented students and staff who have the opportunity and support to succeed in their own areas of strength or endeavour. People within our community will be accepted for their unique qualities and will be empowered to access the opportunities available to them.

Underneath our goals are two green arrows pointing to blue boxes, one titled Our focus for staff, the other titled Our focus for students.

Under Our focus for staff there is a bulleted list with these staff groups: Māori staff, Pasifika staff, staff with disabilities, staff working in professions or disciplines where there are significant gender disparities, Lesbian, gay Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQIA+) Takatāpui staff, Women staff, especially academic women.

Under Our focus for students there is a bulleted list with these students groups:  Māori students, Pasifika students, students with disabilities, students from refugee backgrounds, students studying in disciplines where there are significant gender disparities and/or where there are issues of gender equity, Lesbian, gay Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQIA+) Takatāpui staff, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Spanning the bottom of the page in a green block is an icon of three people with the text next to it: in simple terms, equity enables our differences to be recognised, diversity is the mix of our differences and inclusion is getting the mix to work well together.

This Framework has been approved as a University Policy.