Passed: March 2022 (15th)
What do you want? / Why do you want it?
The sense of belonging of international students at Leeds, as well as the mitigation of microaggressions and the increase of intercultural inclusion of said students, all need to be improved. By lobbying the University to make such training compulsory (like plagiarism training), not only students but staff will receive education and knowledge on how to change, and hence improve the international experience at Leeds.
This idea came out of of one of our International Student Advisory Board meetings; a lot of students present were concerned about discrimination they and their peers had experienced in the local area and on campus, particularly after the pandemic. The board felt strongly about this issue and were in agreement that changes needed to be made and that LUU & the University should be at the forefront of these changes.
Part of this change will take the shape of an LUU campaign called ‘We Are Leeds’, but I wanted a longer term solution as well that would better empower members and staff to recognise and combat instances of micro-aggressions and discrimination.
If the University provided compulsory Intercultural Training for all staff and students here at Leeds they would not only be showing their commitment to changing the culture on campus and in the wider community but providing valuable education.
I envision that this would be part of the same compulsory modules as things like plagiarism training, and could be delivered in partnership with LUU.
Expires: March 2025 (15th)
Submitted By: Nicole Jimenez
Officer: TBC
Area of Work: TBC
Updates
04/04/23: New Race Equality Charter Manager starts the role in May. Haryati will check in with them to find our their priorities in the role and where this could fit in with it.
12/12/2022: Initial meetings have taken place about updating the Equality module for staff. Clear that a lot more work needs to be done on it.
09/05/22: Discussions around the package that University offer. There is a mandatory module with some additional pieces of online learning offered. Overall, this has an ad hoc structure rather than presenting a cohesive training package, which is a priority for the ODP&L team going into the next year. Because of staff changes and the upcoming consultation on EDI training this policy will require long-term monitoring to see implemented, however it is in accordance with the thinking of the University team and their planning of the more cohesive training package, if the budget for that is confirmed. The next steps are to promote the consultation of EDI training - ensuring as much and as diverse feedback as possible.
