Our approach to equality and diversity
Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Strategy
Supporting the University Strategy 2026, is the Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Strategy. Our goal is to:
Create an environment where our people can participate and flourish, where equality, humanity and social justice are valued and promoted within and beyond York St John University.
Our strategic themes are to:
- Close gaps in opportunities and outcomes because of a particular, or combination of, socio-economic status, disability, gender and/or any other status where disparities are not justified.
- Engage a diverse representation of students with the implementation of the Learning and Teaching Strategy.
- Make our working environment more accessible, inclusive and fair, by understanding and addressing barriers.
- Address existing race inequalities, achieve a culturally diverse and inclusive environment, and pull individuals from all ethnic backgrounds.
- Create and deliver a collaborative programme to promote freedom of speech, while fostering respectful interaction, free from discrimination, violence and abuse.
- Embed a culture of respect and promotion of healthy relationships, geared towards addressing and preventing hate crime, harassment, sexual misconduct and domestic abuse.
- Create an accountability framework for University, Schools and Services for the delivery of the EDHR strategy, supported by capacity building of all staff to learn, educate and challenge.
On 29 April 2021, Governing Body approved the refreshed Strategy 2026. The following key performance indicators have replaced the equality objectives:
- Enable positive access, awarding and progression outcomes for all students in line with our Access and Participation Plan 2020-2025.
- Eliminate the gender pay gap (GPG) and ethnicity pay gap (2026 staging targets: 5% mean and median GPG, retain zero pay gap for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff).
- Diverse student population of 10,000 including undergraduates, postgraduates (including research students) and degree apprentices.
Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy Statement
Our Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy Statement sets out our commitment to producing, implementing, reviewing and monitoring policies which promote equality, diversity and human rights and to sustaining an environment which is free from all forms of unfair treatment, discrimination and harassment for all those who study, work and engage with the institution.
Our University committees are requested to ensure that, in undertaking the business of the meeting, decisions taken are consistent with and reflect and promote the University’s Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy.
Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy Statement (PDF, 0.1MB)
At York St John we are committed to speaker diversity in the events we organise. The Guide to Organising Diverse Events sets out our position and provides practical tips.
Find our Guide to Organising Diverse Events on the staff intranet.
Equality impact assessment
The University aims to ensure that we promote equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our work, and comply with equality duties. An equality impact assessment (EIA) is a structured approach to address inequalities and build an inclusive environment, helping to close gaps between groups. Staff should conduct an EIA as soon as a policy, procedure or practice is under consideration, or early enough during a project to influence decisions.
View the Equality impact assessment page on the intranet.
Annual reporting
We have a duty to publish information about the diversity of our university community and report on our progress in relation to meeting the public sector Equality Duty.
We do this through an annual equality and diversity report to Governing Body and publishing diversity monitoring data on this website.
Gender pay gap report
Regulations introduced as part of the Equality Act 2010 (section 147) require that UK organisations with more than 250 staff report and publish specific information on an annual basis relating to:
- Median gender pay gap
- Mean gender pay gap
- Quartile pay bands
- Gender pay gaps in bonus pay
We publish this information in annual reports which provide the detail behind our figures and the actions we are taking in relation to these issues.
View our most recent reports on our dedicated Gender pay gap page.
Gender Pay Gap Reports from 2017 until present can be viewed on the government's gender pay gap service.
Diversity monitoring
We have a duty to publish information about the diversity of our university community and report on our progress in relation to meeting the public sector Equality Duty.
We do this through an annual equality and diversity report to the Board of Governors and publishing diversity monitoring data on this website.
Diversity monitoring data How we monitor equality data
