Study with us
Equality, diversity and inclusion
EDI is embedded in our culture, curriculum and community. We are proud of the collaborative work staff and students do to keep EDI issues at the heart of our conversations and practice.
Jennie Batchelor, Head of Department
Our equality and diversity working group
Our committee is the driving force behind our inclusive environment. Comprising both staff and students, the group meets regularly to ensure our work aligns with the University’s initiatives on race, gender and disability inclusion. Their dedication was central to securing our Athena Swan Silver Award (2024).
Diversity in research
The Department has a unique commitment to literature from around the world. As such, we seek to push the boundaries of English literary study beyond the British and Anglophone canon. Much of our research centres global literature, multilingualism, translation, and post and de-colonial studies.
Between 2020 and 2022, our academics founded the Decolonising Network. The Network sought to develop, foreground, and extend decolonial research and teaching practices in the department, University and nationally. The aims of the Network are now embedded in our research and teaching practices.
Our diverse curriculum
Decolonisation is embedded as a central principle and reflective practice in our curricula. From the moment students enter their degree, they are taught to think critically and expansively about literary texts and the kinds of cultures and ideologies they represent. They are encouraged both to read widely beyond the Anglophone and Western canon, and to analyse canonical texts through a variety of critical lenses.
We actively promote inclusive learning in all stages of curriculum design, delivery and assessment. We regularly consult with students and act on their feedback. This shapes our teaching, ensuring our lectures and seminars remain welcoming, tolerant and inclusive environments for everyone.
Widening participation
The study of literature should be open to all.
We support students who have faced challenges in entering higher education with a dedicated Widening Participation Officer and departmental access initiatives.
These efforts are supported by the wider University, which offers:
- Outreach schemes for 16–18 year old students.
- A range of scholarships and bursaries.
Discover our support for widening participation
Students at Shamini Flint’s talk on Asian crime fiction at the York Festival of Ideas. We proudly support the University’s free festival as a vital way to ensure our students have direct access to diverse literary voices and global perspectives.
From my experience as a widening participation student, internships seemed out of reach as you usually assume they’re unpaid. However, there are many opportunities for paid internships over the summer...These are paid living wage and are a great opportunity to explore different sectors whilst still getting direct support from the University.
LGBTQ+
We are dedicated to creating a respectful and inclusive community for everyone.
We offer an exceptionally diverse range of inclusive teaching, research supervision, and extracurricular engagement in LGBTQ+ and gender studies.
- Our undergraduate modules explore global queer cinema, literatures, cultures and activism.
- Our MA in Queer Studies offers literary and interdisciplinary engagements with queer studies.
- We host world-renowned LGBTQ+ writers, scholars and artists through our various research school seminar series and Writers at York event series.
Disability and mental health
Led by dedicated staff officers, our Department works closely with students and University support services to offer tailored support and to ensure our learning and working environments are accessible to all.
Supporting staff and students
At York, we have various sources of support and information about equality, diversity and inclusion. Every department has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion who acts as a visible and proactive advocate of EDI within their department.
Regular events are held to raise awareness of present-day barriers and highlight ongoing work to remove such challenges across the University.
Advice, guidance and information for students, and for staff supporting students, on equality related issues.
Information about University-wide EDI initiatives, staff networks, and health and wellbeing support.
