Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitments
The Faculty of Education is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at Edge Hill University and beyond.
What does EDI mean to us?
Equity: Our Faculty’s approach to EDI recognises the structural nature of inequality. This means that we address inequality by focusing, not only on individual behaviours, but also on the structures in our Faculty and beyond that keep inequalities in place. This involves seeing sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism, colonialism, and wider local and global injustices as connected to the policies, practices, and processes of social institutions, including our own. In this sense, we understand that our structures are not neutral, but can also be implicated in reproducing unequal social outcomes.
Diversity: Our Faculty’s approach to EDI recognises the transformative value of diversity as an educational and social good. This means that we see diversity of thought, experience, and representation as central to creating a more equal culture where staff, students, and partners can thrive. Because of this, we are committed to challenging the dominance of already advantaged voices in the academy and beyond and strive to expand the kinds of experiences we draw from and amplify in how we carry out and improve our work.
Inclusion: Our Faculty’s approach to EDI sees inclusion not only as an outcome but also as a process for achieving equity and diversity. This means that we see authentic inclusion as an ongoing practice that actively challenges policies, practices, and processes that maintain the power and advantage of those who already benefit from unequal social outcomes. For us, it is a practice that requires critical reflection on our own institution’s work, with the view to actively resisting exclusionary policies and practices.
What makes us unique?
Our ABC approach to EDI recognises the importance of:
- Advocating for change;
- Building coalitions;
- Caring for others and the environment.
Advocating for change: As a Faculty, we recognise the advantaged position we hold in society. For us, teaching, administration, research, and community service are public-facing activities. This brings a responsibility to advocate for ideas, policies, and practices that serve and safeguard local, national, and international communities, in particular communities otherwise excluded from and by society and its structures. This responsibility brings with it a commitment to being brave as a Faculty, especially in situations where advocating for change may not be popular or easy. From our perspective, advocating for change is an exercise of academic freedom as well as a democratic process of learning and un-learning that challenges advantage and aims at building and sustaining opportunities for under-represented communities to give voice to their own experiences. Such work also welcomes opportunities for productively criticising and improving Faculty and university-wide policies and practices as a valuable and necessary feature of academic life.
Building coalitions: As a Faculty, we recognise the intersectional nature of inequalities, i.e. how inequalities can be reproduced across compounding processes of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and classism. In responding to this, we advocate for a coalitional approach to advocating for change, i.e. an approach that begins from the view that our local, national, and international communities are best served when people work together across their differences. Our commitment to EDI is underpinned by an educational approach that sees difference as an opportunity for learning, where feelings like guilt, discomfort, or defensiveness can be restoratively worked through in a way that supports, protects, and respectfully challenges everyone in our community. Challenging exclusionary norms, policies, and practices is a necessary part of this educational approach, though this is done always with the aim of sustaining relationships in our communities, rather than alienating one another.