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Student diversity and inclusive practice

Students are diverse in a number of ways and we often talk about ‘protected characteristics’ as defined by the Equality Act (2010). These characteristics include: gender or gender status, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity status, age, caring responsibilities, disability, race (caste, ethnic or national origin, nationality or colour), religion or belief. Equality of opportunity, fairness and inclusion are fundamental to our University strategy.

The University of Leeds has committed to supporting staff to ensure learning, teaching and assessment is inclusive. Inclusive practice means we aim to consider the needs of all students when we design and deliver all teaching and learning. The University of Leeds has developed Baseline Standards for inclusive practice to underpin our commitment to ensuring that teaching meets the needs of our diverse student population. This University resource covers what is meant by inclusive teaching and assessment, with links to various online training courses:

https://inclusiveteaching.leeds.ac.uk/resources/

Some of the resources for clinical educators are also addressing diversity and inclusion: https://mededcpd.leeds.ac.uk/timetoteach/

Disabilities and inclusive practice

Ten percent of students across all undergraduate programmes in the School of Medicine enter with a known disability (2020/21 cohort). Disabled students can receive reasonable adjustments, exam recommendations and individual support from Disability Services. For clarification, someone is disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.  When studying, examples include long term mental health conditions, dyslexia, ADHD, autism, mobility or sensory impairments, and long term health conditions.

Disabled students choose whether they wish to share their diagnosis and recommended adjustments with the School. The reports will be shared with a designated ICU or Year lead. The format of these reports is being updated to improve communication of these recommendations. However, given the size of some programmes in the School of Medicine and in respect of student choice to disclose, we may also leave it with the students to decide to speak with you, the educators, about their disability. Inclusive practice means being transparent about expectations (e.g. with assessment) so students can decide whether to disclose a disability and discuss adjustments. This lets the student, who will know their disability best, evaluate their learning needs and request support if needed.

As a minority group, disabled students may feel marginalised and concerned about being stigmatised should they disclose their disability. To create an inclusive learning environment, we can embrace the principles of inclusive practice. There is guidance from professional bodies, for example, the GMC Welcomed and Valued: Supporting disabled learners in medical education and training. For educators, this means providing the space and opportunity for students to disclose their disability (e.g. one-to-one meetings).

Inclusive pedagogies and practices can reduce the need for individual adjustments for disabled students, reducing barriers to learning and enhancing sense of belonging. Examples include providing resources in accessible formats and designing assessments that only assess on competency standards (e.g. not on aspects such as speed at which a task is completed which are not required for the course). In a placement context where mobility may be an issue, providing information on accessible entrances and facilities as standard information would be inclusive.

If you would like to discuss practices in your context and explore ways to make these more inclusive, please contact the School Academic Lead for Inclusive Practice (SALIP), Naomi Quinton. She would be happy to meet one-to-one or with teams to share resources and learn about any challenges in your context which could inform the School Action Plan. If you have any questions about the support available for students or have a student who is unsure about whether they qualify for support the contact email is: [email protected]. Students can also access in-person drop-in support at the Chemistry West building on campus.

 

Minority groups and inclusive education

Specific groups can be marginalised in a Higher Education in particular. These groups include students identified as:

  • Widening participation (which may include First in Family, growing up in care, and entry via a school with generally low participation in Higher Education)
  • Mature students
  • International students

These groups of students may experience barriers within the context of placement learning in terms of:

  • Travel (particularly for commuter students) which can impact on students financially as well as time they can allocate to studying
  • Exclusion from use in-group language use/colloquialisms
  • Lacking access to mentors (which can provide access to aspects of the ‘hidden curriculum’)

Staff should be aware that all students are different and enter the university from a range of diverse backgrounds, with different circumstances. Inclusive practices may include providing teaching materials in a digital mobile-friendly format for viewing while commuting, offering remote access learning as appropriate, using clear and unambiguous language in communicating with students, and providing lists of key terms and resources to support learning (including learning of the ‘hidden curriculum’). It is also important that staff value diversity (e.g. through curricular representation and opportunities for student voice).

We can also be inclusive by pre-empting questions students may have and providing answers to them prior to the learning session. This shows we are aware of the diversity of our students. Questions students have had are:

  • Where is the nearest prayer room?
  • What is the policy on wearing a hijab in teaching sessions/on placement?
  • Are there any accommodations for prayer time?
  • Who can I speak to about a disability which may or may not require adjustments?
  • How can I report an incident of discrimination I witnessed or experienced on placement?
  • Are there gender-neutral changing facilities available to me?

Educators can also work to reduce feelings of alienation which may develop as a result of a curriculum which does not reflect their lived experiences or those of their communities, or worse is discriminatory and biased. Discrimination can also occur on an interpersonal level and impact student learning on placement. A bystander may respond to a witnessed micro-aggressions in various ways, and should take into account student preferences, patient context, and other situational factors. We recommend a minimal intervention of a brief one-to-one check-in with the student directly impacted by a micro-aggression to discuss appropriate next steps.  Students may also be directed to the Freedom to Speak up Guardian for support, advice and guidance. The University is developing various initiatives around decolonising the curriculum and we hold regular events, open to all in the School, exploring sense of belonging.

For all protected and marginalised groups there is a need to combat prejudices and discrimination and promote a sense of belonging. There are various online training resources, such as this offered by the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership that cover topics such as unconscious bias, racial micro-aggression and how to be an ally. The School also has online training resources and various other ongoing equality and inclusion initiatives. Please direct any queries about equality, diversity, and inclusion activity in the School of Medicine to [email protected].

Changing identity information

People may choose to change their identity information for many reasons. This could include marriage, divorce, religious or cultural reasons, personal preference, or gender transition.

The processes described in The Changing my name: Supporting School of Medicine students, staff and placement providers document, apply to anyone who wishes to update their name or identity information within the University of Leeds systems or during placements. This document is part of our commitment to fostering inclusive and supportive practices.