York St John University LGBT Staff Network: an overview

by Ynda Jas · 13 May 2014

The Network was established by members of staff in September 2013 with the election of a steering committee and the agreement of the terms of reference. It is chaired by Dr Fiona Thompson, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, which enables the Network to feed into the University’s policy and strategy. Its secretary, Andy Law, coordinates the activities of the Network and its Steering Group and keeps a record of its members. Other members of the Steering Group include: Marije Davidson (Equality and Diversity Adviser), David Garfield, Amy Lynch, Dr Helen Sauntson, Jo Thompson and Karl Wojdylewicz (student representative; YSJ LGBT+ President).

Despite its short existence, the Network has identified key policy issues for the University, encouraged dialogue about the position of LGBT staff and students at the University and established a firm presence in the city of York, through providing leadership in the organisation of LGBT History Month (February 2014).

The Network is developing:

this blog to provide a widely-accessible and long-lasting channel of communication and source of information, as well as a constant, professional presence¹;
plans for this year’s York Pride event, our sponsorship package providing us with a place in the parade and a stall at the main venue (as well as the University’s logo on the website).

The journey so far: a retrospective

In June and July 2013, a survey was conducted online (print version below – if it does not show up properly, you can open the survey in a new tab/window) to gauge interest in a network and determine foci. This, and a follow-up drop-in session², informed the agenda for the first meeting in September 2013, including the identification of two themes: the use of international placements in countries where it is illegal to be LGBT³, and coming out to students. The Network and Steering Group have met on six occasions altogether and held one social event. The Network has established a notable external presence both within the city and across the north of England. This has been achieved through a high level of activity and networking.

Representatives of the Network have attended:

the launch of Stonewall’s guide Maintaining Network Group Momentum: Supporting lesbian, gay and bisexual employees at Liverpool John Moores University;
Stonewall’s Yorkshire and Humber Workplace Equality Index awards night at the University of Sheffield;
two meetings of Campus North, a network of LGBT staff networks in northern higher education institutions, at The University of Sheffield and the University of Bradford;
the York Pride 2014 launch night at the Hilton;
meetings of York LGBT Forum, which we now host.

The Network’s activities have included:

raising over £50 for North Yorkshire AIDS Action with a stall for World AIDS Day⁴;
co-ordinating the first ever city-wide collaborative campaign for LGBT History Month, which included a programme (below – if it does not show up properly, you can open the programme in a new tab/window) of over twenty events from organisations and groups including Aesthetica, City of York Council, City Screen, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York City Football Club, York LGBT Forum, York Pride, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Yorkshire MESMAC, Yorkwalk and staff and student groups from both universities⁵.

Alongside the work of the Network, Human Resources have helped to facilitate an increased profile for LGBT-related work by taking a lead on engagement with Stonewall, including preparing our first ever Workplace Equality Index submission, improving our Gay by Degree score and submitting a profile to the Starting Out careers guide. Human Resources have also arranged for the Authentic Role Models Programme to be delivered at the University⁶.

The journey continues: forethoughts

Further work for the Network may include:

exploration of international issues, which might take the form of:
- input into the review of policy relating to study and work abroad, which should also consider potential impact on other protected characteristics such as sex and religion and belief;
- input into the review of inductions for all students (not just international), looking at how this can foster a positive approach to equality and diversity⁷;
encouraging student sexual orientation and gender reassignment disclosure.

Engagement with Stonewall and Campus North, as well as with York-based organisations for LGBT History Month and World AIDS Day, has helped to raise the profile of the Network across the city and more widely across the north of England, promoting an image of the University as an inclusive and welcoming institution. However, it has been raised through Network meetings, both from staff and student voices, that the Church foundation projects a more conservative, traditional approach to diversity to those who are relatively new to the institution. It has become apparent that the embedded culture of acceptance is all but invisible to many, and that visible celebration of difference is necessary in order to make explicit the underlying progressive and liberal nature. The Network can play a vital role in enabling this, and in turn help to achieve the University’s mission to:

‘provide open and progressive higher education that embraces difference, challenges prejudice and promotes justice’;
‘provide widely-accessible opportunities’;
‘extend and deepen the University’s external contribution regionally’;
‘[promote] personal and professional development for […] staff’.

Footnotes

¹ ^ For information on how to follow the blog and keep up to date with the Network’s activities, see the Subscribe! article.
² ^ A report was written summarising the findings of the survey and the follow-up drop-in session; this can be accessed via the Moodle site.
³ ^ Later widened to study and work abroad and the integration of other cultures into the University.
⁴ ^ For more information, see the World AIDS Day 2013 article.
⁵ ^ The campaign received high praise. Excellent support was provided by Vanessa Simmons in the Arts Events team in bringing the programme together, which was designed pro bono by professional York-based designers LazenbyBrown. Authentic You: Being Yourself at Work, an event hosted and co-organised by the University, which featured an opening speech by the Acting Chief Executive of Stonewall, Ruth Hunt, received very positive feedback.
⁶ ^ For more information, see the Stonewall Authentic Role Models Programme article.
⁷ ^ One possibility could be a short version of the Cross Cultural Awareness workshop currently offered to staff by Golnar Bayat.