Equality and diversity

The School of Geography and Sustainable Development is committed to creating an inclusive environment that supports equality and diversity. The School aims to achieve fair and equal representation for all, enabling all members of staff and students to contribute and reach their full potential. All staff operate under the University’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy.

The School is against any kind of discrimination and harassment on any basis, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. For more information on what constitutes bullying or harassment, please see the University’s advice and support web page.

Report and support

If you need to report or talk with someone about issues relating to equality and diversity, please get in touch with either Mike Simpson (Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) or Dan Clayton (Head of School).

The Report and Support tool is available to report any concerns you have related to wellbeing, bullying, discrimination, abuse, assault or harassment of any sort. You can report anonymously or using your contact details. If you provide your contact details, a member of staff will be able to contact you to help provide support. This tool can be used by students, members of staff, members of the public or visitors to the University.

Mediation service

The Mediation Service is available to students, staff and members of the public, experiencing disagreement or conflict, who would prefer a less formal method of discussing University-related disagreements and grievances. The service is also available for groups or teams.

The Mediators are staff members from The University of St Andrews who have undertaken formal mediation training accredited by Scottish Mediation. Several Post Graduate students have also qualified in Mediation. Mediators act impartially and separately from University Schools and Services. They are solely interested in helping those engaged in the service reach a mutually acceptable solution.

Mediation is a confidential, informal, voluntary, self-determined and without-prejudice process. If you or someone you know is involved in a disagreement that is in its early stages or has reached an impasse, please contact mediation@st-andrews.ac.uk for an informal chat about how the mediators can help.

Common areas

The School of Geography and Sustainable Development has a number of spaces within our building that are available for all staff, students and visitors to make use of for a diverse range of activities. Room 306 is provided as a quiet room for the purpose of breastfeeding, quiet contemplation or any other occasion when staff may benefit from privacy. The Playfair Room (room 329) is available to honours students throughout the day as a study commons. We also provide an accessible, gender neutral, ground floor bathroom which now includes a baby change table (room 212).

Athena SWAN started with the Athena Project and the Scientific Women’s Academic Network (SWAN) advancing representation of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) in higher education. It has been expanded to include arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL). Athena SWAN covers professional and support staff and also transsexual staff and students. Levels of the award are Bronze, Silver and Gold.‌

The School of Geography and Sustainable Development was awarded Athena SWAN Bronze status in October 2019. The Athena SWAN charter is awarded for commitment to the advancement of gender equality in academic, professional and support roles, recognising departments and institutions taking action to identify and overcome barriers to career progression for all.

Please contact Mike Simpson (gsdedi@st-andrews.ac.uk) if you would like to feed into this process or are interested in any further information.
Please see below a Living Best Practices Guide for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Safety (IDEAS) within the Curriculum.

St Andrews IDEAS Guide (PDF)

This document has been developed through the Unravelling Privilege Project funded by the University of St Andrews Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development Project Members:

Anna Crawford
Hanna Ewen
Jo Mhairi Hale
Jess Hope
Bahrathi Keeping
Alejandra Pizarro Choy
Jenny Park
Charlotte Tang
Jo Sharp
Mike Simpson

This guide is a living document that draws on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) team’s workshop attendance, review of our School of Geography and Sustainable Development’s (SGSD) module handbooks, a year of dialogue amongst the JEDIs, wider SGSD EDI committee, and others (Jasmin Hinds of CREDI, iCRAG’s EDIG, Diversity in Geosciences (DiG-)UK), and our own external research to offer some suggestions for teaching staff in designing modules, crafting lectures, running field courses, and engaging with difficult conversations about race, power, and privilege that tend to (and should) emerge in any academic environment. We include a list of references and resources for further reading. We are very happy to receive feedback whether you have suggestions for modifying the guide or questions about any of the material contained therein. This will be an ongoing process, and this living Guide is just one step in that process.
Resources and further information on equality policies and initiatives in the University:
- Academic promotions
- Aurora Mentoring Initiative (for women)
- Career break policy
- Carers, childcare and school holidays information
- Caring fund application process
- Elizabeth Garrett Mentoring Programme (for women)
- Equal pay statement
- Equality and diversity inclusion policy
- Family friendly policy
- Flexible working policy
- Good gender equality practice in employment
- Guidelines for scheduling meetings
- Health and wellbeing at work initiatives
- Maternity leave policy
- Occupational Health Service
- Paternity leave policy
- Returning to Work from leave - please refer to guidance provided by the university's Occupational Health Service
- Shared parental leave policy
- Sickness absence policy
- Trans staff and student policy
- Unconscious bias awareness
- University Athena SWAN
- University equality, diversity and inclusion information
- Women in Science

Equality and diversity

Report and support

Mediation service

Common areas

Athena SWAN

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Safety (IDEAS) in the curriculum

Resources