Equality, diversity and inclusion
We aim to make the Department of Language and Linguistic Science a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone to thrive in.
Our equality working groups
Our equality work is split into two groups:
- Our Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI) committee focuses on all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion, apart from sex and gender. It consists of staff and students.
- Our Athena Swan committee focuses on gender and sex equality, diversity and inclusion.
Staff
- Tamar Keren-Portnoy - Working Group Chair
- Beverley Braithwaite - Support Services
- Elia Lorena Lopez Ramirez - Safeguarding officer
- Tamara Grant - Disability Officer
- Amelia Gully - Athena Swan Committee Chair
- Monika Schmid - Head of Department
- Maria Muradas-Taylor
- Ahmed Khaleel
- Ben Gibb-Reid
- Thomas Jochum-Critchley
- Carmen Alvarez-Mayo
Students
- Harry Groom
- Alice Richardson
- Mollie Richards
- Gauranshi Sharma
- Rashida Hussain
- Amelia Gully - Working Group Chair
- Beverley Braithwaite - Support Services
- Angela O'Flaherty
- Catherine Laing
- James Chantry
- Julia Kolkmann
- Michelle Hickman
- Tamar Keren-Portnoy
Athena Swan
Our Athena Swan Bronze Award reflects our commitment to recruiting, retaining, and supporting the careers of women and all staff in line with gender equality principles. As part of this, we:
- hold department events during core hours to maximise participation for all staff
- have introduced a workload committee to improve transparency in workload allocation
- improve performance and development review procedures to proactively discuss and support career progression and promotion opportunities.
You can see the full details of our action plan in the appendix of our Athena Swan Bronze Award application:
, 3,565kb)
Neurodiversity group
The Department's neurodiversity group organises events and provides support for neurodiverse staff, students and allies. Regular events include:
- craft and chill
- coffee and chill
- therapy dog sessions
- discussion panels.
Helping students adjust to academic culture
We run special sessions for first-year undergraduates to support the transition from college or sixth form to university.
These sessions help students develop academic skills and build a sense of community within the Department.
The adjusting to academic culture sessions were, and still are, really helpful for understanding the course and new concepts you're learning.
First year undergraduate student.
Our commitments
We’ve developed a range of initiatives across the department, as well as actively engaging with University-wide initiatives to support our staff and students.
- Gender equality: We’ve made gender equality a priority in all aspects of our work. Our efforts were recognised with an Athena Swan Bronze Award in May 2021.
- Race and equality: Our staff and students come from a range of backgrounds and nationalities. We thrive as a result of our diverse community.
- LGBTQ+: We’re dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ students and staff as part of our efforts to create a respectful community in which everyone can be themselves.
- Trans and non-binary: We provide a welcoming environment for people to be who they are, irrespective of their gender identity, and we value their unique contributions.
- Disability: We work closely with the University's Disability Services team to help make sure our learning and working environments are accessible to everyone.
- Mental health: We have a dedicated Student Experience and Support Officer who provides tailored support to students experiencing difficulties.
- Parents and carers: We fully endorse University policies that enable our staff to work in family-friendly ways. Students who are parents or carers also receive additional support from the University and us throughout study.
- Widening participation: We believe the study of languages and linguistics should be open to all. The University offers a range of outreach schemes for 16-18 year old students. A number of scholarships and bursaries are also available.
- Mentoring and coaching: Mentoring schemes are available for staff and students. We pair new undergraduate students with second or third year mentors to help them find their feet at university.
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.
