Useful EDI resources - School of Physics

This Inclusivity Charter lays out the principles that guide how we interact with each other and work together within the School, also reflecting the wider values of the University of Birmingham.

The School of Physics and Astronomy is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment where equality, diversity and inclusion are valued. Everyone in the School has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. All staff and students are expected to uphold the principles laid out in this document.

We are Ambitious, Innovative, Open, Collaborative, and Responsible.

Through ambition and innovation, we facilitate and conduct world-leading research. We transmit our passion and enthusiasm in educating and supporting the next generation of physicists. In the course of our mission, we interact with colleagues, collaborators, students and the public.

We are open to all colleagues, collaborators and students who come to work and study with us. We treat them with sensitivity, respect, and fairness. Openness and transparency ensure equality of opportunity to all members in the School. These values should guide you in any committees, communications and activities you take part in.

Our goals are achieved in a collegiate and collaborative spirit, through activity at local, national and international levels. We support and respect each individual, their capacities and needs, irrespective of personal characteristics and identities.

We are individually and collectively responsible for supporting and promoting an inclusive working and learning environment.

These values should guide you in all aspects of School life.

All forms of harassment, bullying, victimisation and discrimination are unacceptable. These unacceptable behaviours include, but are not limited to,

• inappropriate jokes and derogatory or stereotypical remarks,
• ridiculing and undermining behaviour,
• isolation, non-cooperation or deliberate exclusion,
• insults, name-calling and offensive language and gestures,
• intimidating, coercive or threatening actions and behaviour,
• inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact,
• unwelcome sexual advances,
• physical assault or threats of physical assault.

We remind you that the following characteristics are protected by law: age, disability, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

For more information about harassment and bullying see the University Harassment and Bullying Policy.

Report instances of harassment and bullying at Report and Support.

More information about reporting, support and wellbeing can be found on the One-Stop Shop.

This charter will be revised annually. For feedback, contact Vincent Boyer (v.boyer@bham.ac.uk).

Training for staff and students can be found on the university-wide equality and diversity page. Further training for staff involved in the recruitment and selection processes is also available as well as unconscious bias training. For students, an equality and diversity module is available.

The Not On campaign is a joint guild of students and university campaign to raise awareness about sexual harassment issues and promote an environment in which sexual harassment of any kind is deemed to be wholly unacceptable and to enable students to have the knowledge, ability and confidence to report and take action against all forms of sexual harassment. To this end, workshops on sexual harassment are available student societies committees, teams, and groups. The workshops explore consent in relation to sexual harassment, showing students how to look after themselves and their friends on a night out.

The Not On campaign invites all students a staff to pledge:

• to take action to prevent sexual harassment, and to support others to do so too.
• to not tolerate, condone or ignore sexual harassment of any kind. I will challenge sexual harassment.
• to educate myself and others about sexual harassment – to learn what it is, how it makes people feel and why it’s Not On.

Sign the Not On pledge.

The University of Birmingham is involved with equality and diversity activities in a large number of areas:

• gender
• LGBTQ+
• disability
• parents and carers
• race
• religion and belief
• age
• inclusive curriculum
• dignity at work and study

A full list of these areas is available from the university's equality, diversity and Inclusion page, with relevant links provided for each area.

The University of Birmingham equality scheme sets the university's equality objectives and the actions we will take to promote equality, prevent discrimination and promote greater understanding between different groups of people. The objectives of this scheme can be encapsulated in four key points:

1. Inclusion: we provide an environment that is accessible, welcoming and safe.
2. Attainment: everyone can flourish and succeed to the best of their abilities.
3. Flexibility: we support different ways of working and learning.
4. Embedding: the active promotion of equality informs our culture and behaviour.

The Juno Project is an initiative lead by the Institute of Physics and was created to address gender equality in physics and to encourage better practice for all staff, while also working towards developing an equitable working culture in which all students and staff can achieve their full potential. This is done through an evaluation process which recognises that have taken action to address gender equality in physics and to encourage better practice for all staff. This evaluation process is based on six principles:

1. A robust organisational framework to deliver equality of opportunity and reward.
2. Appointment and selection processes and procedures that encourage men and women to apply for academic posts at all levels.
3. Departmental structures and systems which support and encourage the career progression and promotion of all staff and enable men and women to progress and continue in their careers.
4. Departmental organisation, structure, management arrangements and culture that are open, inclusive and transparent and encourage the participation of all staff.
5. Flexible approaches and provisions that enable individuals, at all career and life stages, to optimise their contribution to their department, institution and to science engineering and technology.
6. An environment where professional conduct is embedded into departmental culture and behaviour.

The School of Physics and Astronomy is currently a Juno Champion and is in the the process of renewing this status.

The Athena SWAN Charter by the ECU was established to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. This charter, as outlined on the Athena SWAN site, covers women (and men where appropriate) in:

• academic roles in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM), and arts, humanities, social sciences, business, and law (AHSSBL)
• professional and support staff
• trans staff and students

with respect to:

• representation
• progression of students into academia
• journey through career milestones
• working environment for all staff

The School of Physics and Astronomy currently holds an Athena SWAN silver award.