Addressing the barriers that limit access and belonging, with particular attention to removing barriers to marginalised groups, can only be created and sustained through an inclusive institution with a culture that is well aligned to purpose, values and goals.
Understanding that institutional culture influences an organisation's ability to be innovative internally and agile in responding to external change is critical to organisational sustainability. This is what attracts students and talented people, and enables the whole organisation to be sustainable and thrive.
Therefore, leaders must find ways to create and explore shared understanding about culture, identity and the organisation's direction of travel in a unifying way. With a practical focus on addressing challenges, this theme will explore the challenges of understanding, enabling and supporting an inclusive culture from student to board.
An Advance HE member benefit
This project is an Advance HE member benefit and is open to colleagues at Advance HE member institutions.
Creating diverse and inclusive Boards is essential to creating a sustainable organisationElonka Soros, Launch of Advance HE Board Diversity Toolkit.
The Inclusive institutions: enabling and supporting culture change project aims to:
- Stimulate new thinking for governing bodies and senior executives
- Consider wellbeing through the lens of enabling culture
- Explore inclusive culture and creating the right conditions for academic staff to be innovative and deliver flexible teaching and learning.
- Identify ‘what works’ examples via case studies and reflections from a range of institutions.
Introductory blog - Inclusive institutions enabling culture change
Kim Ansell, Advance HE's Senior Adviser in governance, leadership and management introduces this theme.
Exploring the organisational conditions required to enable flexible learning to thrive
In this podcast, Kim Ansell, Senior Advisor at Advance HE, is joined by Professor Lisa Hanna, Dean of Students and leader of the Office of the Dean of Students at Deakin University, Australia, to share her insights and expertise on how institutions create an inclusive culture which enables innovative and flexible teaching and learning.
Wellbeing as a strategic imperative – virtual sandpit event
This event - also forming part of our Member Benefit theme Organisational Wellbeing - provided an opportunity for senior leaders to discuss how organisational wellbeing should be positioned as a strategic imperative and explored the key question, ‘Have we managed to create healthier and more compassionate institutions as a result of the pandemic and has that had a positive impact on an inclusive and enabling culture?’
The sandpit event included two provocations, the first from Nancy Hey, from What Works Wellbeing, and the second from Barbara Bassa, Senior Advisor, Advance HE. Follow the link below for a summary report of the discussion.
In order to create a feedback loop for organisational learning, Kim Ansell and Barbara Bassa from Advance HE interviewed Vinita Suryanarayanan, COO from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and Paul Britton Manager EDI and Colleague Wellbeing to reflect on this event and offer a management response. The podcast is available via the link below.
Related programmes, events and consultancy services
Below you will find information on Advance HE programmes, events and consultancy services under the inclusive institutions theme.
Consultancy for driving progress in equality, diversity and inclusion
We can help you remove barriers to education, employment and success, so that higher education can reach its full potential, and your diverse staff and students can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.
Introduction to Race Equality e-Learning Course
Our e-Learning course provides a simple solution to ensure all staff have access to a quality introduction to race equality. The course is available to purchase on an institutional licence.
Inclusive Learning and Teaching EDI workshop series
Our Inclusive Learning and Teaching EDI workshop series focus on gaining practical experience of connecting EDI with teaching and learning in the context of post-pandemic pedagogy and creating structural EDI change in teaching and learning. These two-part workshops are aimed at institutions and individuals wanting to build an evidence-based support structure for inclusive teaching and learning. Institutions looking to book multiple workshops in our Inclusive Learning and Teaching EDI workshop series will receive a 10% discount when booking all five workshops and each workshop can be attended by a different individual from the same institution. The current workshop series started on 1 March 2022.
Knowledge Hub
The Advance HE Knowledge Hub brings together thousands of higher education resources covering a wide range of topics and themes all into one place. Search by keyword or use the search filters on theme, sub-theme and content type to find resources relevant to you.
Advance HE Connect
Advance HE Connect our online network that is open to all those who work in HE providing a space where the sector can share, connect and collaborate in one place with 23,000 HE peers from 100 countries around the world. The platform features special interest groups, events and collaborative projects.
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