CMAC EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLICY

CMAC is committed to achieving and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in its research, teaching and working environments, and to ensuring these environments support positive relations between people. This document outlines our policy, ensuring our culture embraces and engages with ED&I through every aspect of our workforce. This policy is complementary to guidelines set across the breadth of individual university departments that host CMAC staff and students.

1. Introduction

1.1 CMAC values its staff and students and is committed to encouraging everyone to realise their full potential.

1.2 CMAC is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all, irrespective of their protected characteristics:

age
disability
ethnicity
gender reassignment
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation
marriage and civil partnership
pregnancy and maternity

1.3 CMAC does not tolerate, and will work, to prevent and eliminate discrimination as defined under the Equality Act 2010 and to ensure that CMAC students, staff and visitors are treated fairly. This policy enables staff, students and other relevant partners to understand their rights and responsibilities in relation
to CMAC in the promotion of equality of opportunity, encouraging diversity and preventing discrimination.

1.4. Our ambitions to continue to improve diversity, enable inclusion and promote equality are embedded within our 2020-25 CMAC strategic plan.

2. SCOPE

2.1 This policy is applicable to CMAC students and staff at:

University of Strathclyde
University of Bath
University of Cambridge
Imperial College London
University of Leeds
Loughborough University
University of Sheffield

2.2 This policy is applicable to CMAC students and staff including those recruited with Strategic Partners, for example but not limited to:

National Physics Laboratory
CPI
International Strategic Partners

2.3 This policy is also applicable to all visiting researchers or seconded staff including those from:

Tier 1 partners
Tier 2 partners
Other collaborators

3. KEY PRINCIPLES

3.1 CMAC will work to promote staff and student diversity in line with the following four principles:

Creating an inclusive workplace
Advancing and increasing diversity
Career progression and retention
Measurement and accountability

3.2 Creating an inclusive workplace

3.2.1 CMAC aims to meet the different needs of different groups, as appropriate, whilst promoting shared values. In so far as possible, the different needs of individuals within the community will be accommodated in policies, procedures and practices of their home institution or company to ensure equality of
treatment.
3.2.2 CMAC employees can request flexible working and CMAC will consider flexible working requests in line with the law, and employers’ flexible working policies.

3.3 Advancing and increasing diversity

3.3.1 CMAC works to ensure all of our staff, students and partners, as well as those who apply or seek to apply to work or study with us, are treated fairly and are not subjected to discrimination on any grounds.

3.3.2 Therefore age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy/maternity are not considered as criteria in any decision-making concerning student admissions, progression or support, or in the criteria applied to staff
recruitment and selection, promotion and staff development opportunities.

3.3.3 CMAC is aligned with University accreditation schemes such as Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter, Disability Confident employer amongst others, to promote positive practice and make commitment towards advancing diversity.

3.4 Career progression and retention

3.4.1 CMAC actively encourages career progression for all staff to maximise diversity across all career stages and job families.

3.4.2 CMAC will promote current success rates across gender, age and ethnicity of students and staff during recruitment processes in order to attract applications from as wide a pool as possible.

3.5 Measurement and accountability

3.5.1 We may sometimes ask permission to collect data, including data about protected characteristics, in order to do business and improve our workplace culture. We operate according to legal requirements including GDPR. The CMAC privacy statement shows how we use data that we collect only with
permission from users: https://www.cmac.ac.uk/privacy.htm

3.5.2 CMAC acknowledges the EPSRC guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion, and adheres to these to ensure the activities we support is inclusive for everyone (https://epsrc.ukri.org/funding/edi-at-epsrc/).

3.5.3 Where relevant, Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) will be conducted during the development or review of CMAC policies, procedures and practices. EIA is a systematic, evidence-based process which ensures our practices are the most effective that they can be for students, staff and the wider
communities they affect.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1 All CMAC staff, students and others to whom this policy applies, are responsible for ensuring their own understanding of this policy and for seeking clarification on any aspect of the document as required. Staff and students will be reminded of their responsibilities through the appropriate communication channels.

4.2 All CMAC staff and students are required to adhere to this policy and everyone is expected to support CMAC in promoting good relations and challenge discrimination and harassment.

4.3 External partners will be made aware of their responsibilities in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the requirement to comply with the relevant CMAC policies and regulations, during their initial interactions with CMAC.

5. IMPLEMENTING THIS POLICY

CMAC will ensure that:

5.1 CMAC staff and students are made aware of this policy through a range of communications and training activities. It will be made publicly available for consultation and distributed to all staff and students during their CMAC induction process.

5.2 CMAC staff and students are provided with appropriate equality, diversity and inclusion training and development support.

5.3 The Hub Director, Hub Industry Director, Hub Programme Manager and CMAC National Facility Manager are accountable for delivery of the equality commitments detailed in 2020-25 CMAC strategy within in their designated areas of responsibility.

5.4 A CMAC equality and diversity action plan will implement the principles of this policy and to deliver upon the equality commitments outlined in the 2020 – 2025 CMAC strategic plan.

5.5 If any individual is concerned that this policy has been breached, they can contact the CMAC Hub Programme Manager, any member of CMAC EDI WG or as signposted by their home department for advice. All matters will be treated sensitively and confidentially. Links to staff and student policies and
procedures related to complaints, discipline, dignity and respect and grievance can be found on the institutional websites referenced in Appendix A.