RDM EDI Committee Michaelmas Term 2024

The RDM Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (EDIC) discussed successes, challenges, and future initiatives.

To mark our successful Athena Swan Silver renewal, the committee shared a celebratory cake (pictured above!).

This renewal means we have a new 5-year EDI action plan to work towards and we’re going to be aiming higher on equality, diversity and inclusion across RDM. A summary of some of the items discussed at this EDIC October meeting is below and our next meeting will be in January 2025.

Respectful Behaviours Framework

A key item within this meeting, the RDM Respectful Behaviours Framework, opened up an important conversation. It's clear that having a respectful place to work and study is essential, and there is a need to embed Respectful Behaviours standards across staff and student interactions. Across the University there is a push for leaders to be open to feedback and foster a positive environment.

Data Insights

Thanks to the University’s expanded EDI data access, we now have the ability to get a clearer view of departmental diversity.  These data help RDM and the University develop and evaluate equality objectives, they also contribute towards RDM EDI annual reports and help us monitor our progress on the Athena Swan / EDI action plan. The more people who complete their diversity data via the HR self service, the more accurate this data will be.

Upcoming Initiatives

• The RDM Researcher Association is gearing up for its annual RDM Careers Day on 28 November, with eight speakers and two workshops covering diverse career paths, from academia to industry and university administration.
• For EDI specialists, the Medical Sciences Division’s (MSD) Athena Swan Gold Event will be in March 2025.
• Early in 2025 we will re-run the incredibly useful Staff Experience and Student Experience Surveys. These surveys help us understand what is going on across RDM and the University. The results help us design activities, events and strategies for the future. We'll be launching the 2025 survey communications in January and this will include a summary of the actions we've completed because of everyone's input in the previous surveys.

Round Table Updates

• The RDM EDI Champions and RDM Committees shared their progress on EDI goals.
• The Career Development Committee is re-launching with a focus on better reaching underrepresented groups.
• The Mentoring Committee will be working to raise the profile and benefits of mentoring across the Department.

Student Representative

We talked about having a student join the RDM EDI Committee. This is a chance to contribute towards departmental equality priorities supporting a range of underrepresented groups across RDM. An advert will be place in the RDM Bulletin to recruit a new student representative.

If you have any comments or ideas about EDI and/or the EDI Committee please contact me via email: charlotte.smith@rdm.ox.ac.uk.