Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER I
THE CHANCELLOR AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

In this section

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

Policy statement.

The University of Cambridge is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to a pro-active and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity.

The University is therefore committed to a policy and practice which require that, for students, admission to the University and progression within undergraduate and graduate studies, will be determined only by personal merit and by performance. For staff, entry into employment with the University and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and by the application of criteria which are related to the duties and conditions of each particular post and the needs of the institution concerned.

Subject to statutory provisions no applicant for admission as a student, or for a staff appointment, or student, or member of staff, will be treated less favourably than another on the grounds of sex (including gender reassignment), marital or parental status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or age. For students, ability to meet the requirements of the selection criteria for competitive admission and for staff, ability to perform the job, will be the primary consideration.

If any person admitted as a student or appointed as an employee considers that he or she is suffering from unequal treatment on any of the above grounds in his or her admission, appointment, or progression through the University, he or she may make a complaint, which will be dealt with through the agreed procedures for complaints or grievances or the procedures for dealing with bullying and harassment, as appropriate.

Good practice definitions.

The University will take active steps to promote good practice. In particular it will:

Promote equality of opportunity

Promote good relations between people of different racial groups, between women and men, and between disabled and non-disabled people

Have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination on grounds of race, sex, disability, and all other grounds set out in the statement on equal opportunities

Subject its policies to continuous assessment in order to examine how they affect all under-represented groups, especially ethnic minority students and staff, women, and disabled students and staff, and to identify whether its policies help to achieve equality of opportunity for all these groups, or whether they have an adverse impact

Monitor the recruitment and progress of all students and staff, paying particular attention to the recruitment and progress of ethnic minority students and staff, women, and disabled students and staff

Promote an inclusive culture, good practice in teaching, learning, and assessment, and good management practice, through the development of codes of best practice, policies, and training.

Take positive action wherever possible to support this policy and its aims

Publish this policy widely amongst staff and students, together with policy assessments and results of monitoring

Statutory obligations.

The University will meet all statutory obligations under relevant legislation and, where appropriate, anticipate future legal requirements signalled under EU Directives. The University's policy is guided by:

Equal Pay Act (1970)

Sex Discrimination Act (1975)

Race Relations Act (1976)

Disability Discrimination Act (1995)

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)

Human Rights Act (1998)

Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000)

EU Equal Treatment Framework Directive (2000/78)

and, in addition, the Codes of Practice issued by the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality, together with the Codes of Practice on Disability and Age Diversity. These Codes are not legally binding (though they are admissible as evidence in Employment Tribunals) and the University supports them fully.

The policy will be amended as appropriate to meet the demands of future legislation.

Further guidance will be issued on the general duty under the RR(A)A to:

Have due regard to the need to eliminate racial discrimination

Promote equality of opportunity and good race relations

and on the specific duties under the RR(A)A to:

Assess the impact of policies on ethnic minority students and staff

Monitor the recruitment and progress of ethnic minority students and staff

Set out arrangements for publishing the results of impact assessments and monitoring

Disability Equality Policy

The University is committed, in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to a pro-active and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity. This commitment is underpinned by the University’s core values, expressed in its mission statement:

freedom of thought and expression,

freedom from discrimination.

The University is therefore committed to promoting disability equality, seeking to eliminate disability discrimination, and promoting the new positive statutory duty for disability (which came into force in December 2006). In pursuit of these goals the University will:

  1. (i)assess the impact of policies on disabled students and staff;
  2. (ii)monitor the recruitment and progress of disabled students and staff;
  3. (iii)set out arrangements for publishing the results of its impact assessments and monitoring.

The University will fulfil these duties in relation to all aspects of its work, namely governance, leadership, and management; research and scholarship; student admissions, access, and widening participation; assessment and academic progress; teaching and learning, including curriculum design and delivery; provision and access to support services; staff recruitment, selection, training, career development, and progression; conduct; partnerships and community links. These are functions directly affecting staff and students at work and study.

The University recognizes that all areas of its activities are interconnected and interdependent. Thus all members of the University and all staff share a collective responsibility for these functions, according to their individual roles and responsibilities, and all are expected to have due regard to the duties and goals set out above. The Council and the General Board have a particular responsibility in relation to all these functions, on behalf of the Regent House and the University. Those in leadership and other senior roles, such as heads of institutions, also have special responsibility for many of these functions.

Gender Equality Policy

The University is committed, in its pursuit of academic excellence, to equality of opportunity and to a pro-active and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity. This commitment is underpinned by the University’s core values, expressed in its mission statement:

freedom of thought and expression;

freedom from discrimination.

The University is therefore committed to promoting gender equality, seeking to eliminate sex discrimination, and promoting the positive statutory duty for gender. In order to fulfil its duty the University will have due regard to the need:

to eliminate discrimination and harassment;

to promote equality of opportunity between men and women.

The University will fulfil these requirements in relation to all aspects of its work, namely governance, leadership, and management; research and scholarship; student admissions, access, and widening participation; assessment and academic progress; teaching and learning, including curriculum design and delivery; provision and access to support services; staff recruitment, selection, training, career development, and progression; conduct; partnerships and community links. These are functions directly affecting staff and students at work and study.

The University recognizes that all areas of its activities are interconnected and interdependent. Thus all members of the University and all staff share a collective responsibility for these functions, according to their individual roles and responsibilities, and all are expected to have due regard to the duties and goals set out above. The Council and the General Board have a particular responsibility in relation to all these functions, on behalf of the Regent House and the University. Those in leadership and other senior roles, such as heads of institutions, also have special responsibility for many of these functions.

Race Equality Policy

The equal opportunities policy states that the University is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to a pro-active and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity. This commitment is underpinned by the University's core values, expressed in its mission statement:

  1. (i)freedom of thought and expression;
  2. (ii)freedom from discrimination.

The University is therefore committed to promoting racial equality, seeking to eliminate racial discrimination and promoting good relations between people of different racial groups. In pursuit of these goals the University will:

  1. (i)assess the impact of policies on ethnic minority students and staff;
  2. (ii)monitor the recruitment and progress of ethnic minority students and staff;
  3. (iii)set out arrangements for publishing the results of impact assessments and monitoring.

The University will fulfil these duties in relation to: governance, leadership, and management; student admissions, access, and participation; assessment and academic progress; teaching and learning, including curriculum design and delivery; provision and access to support services; staff recruitment, selection, training, career development, and progression; behaviour and discipline; partnerships and community links. These are functions which directly affect staff and students at work and study.

The University recognizes that all areas of its activities are interconnected and interdependent. Thus all members of the University and all staff share a collective responsibility for these functions, according to their individual roles and responsibilities, and all are expected to have due regard to the duties and goals set out above. The Council and the General Board have a particular responsibility in relation to all these functions, on behalf of the Regent House and the University. Those in leadership and other senior roles, such as heads of institutions, also have special responsibility for many of these functions.

Religion and Belief Equality Policy

The University’s core values are freedom of thought and expression and freedom from discrimination. It therefore respects religious or philosophical beliefs of all kinds, including the lack of religion or belief. It also respects the right of all members of its community to discuss and debate freely issues of religion, belief, and philosophy. So far as is practicable the University will attempt to accommodate requests for adjustments to accommodate religious observance.

The Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003 prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in employment and in vocational education. The Regulations define religion and belief as including any religion, religious belief or similar philosophical belief; the Equality Act 2006 extends the definition to make it clear that a reference to religion includes lack of religion or belief. The Equality Act also extends the prohibition of discrimination to the provision of goods and services, and therefore to accommodation, catering, etc. provided to students or the general public. The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 makes it unlawful to stir up hatred on racial or religious grounds. However, the law does not prohibit discussion or criticism of religion.

Discrimination can be direct (i.e. treating someone less favourably because of her or his religion or belief or non-belief) or indirect (i.e. applying a provision, criterion or practice which would put a person of a particular faith at a disadvantage compared to others and which is not a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim). Discrimination also includes harassment of somebody on account of their religion or belief or victimization for having taken action to combat discrimination.