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University wins Guardian Award

30/03/2017

The University of Wolverhampton has won a top industry award for its work to encourage staff equality.

The University took the award for Advancing Staff Equality in the annual Guardian University Awards in London on Wednesday 29 March 2017.‌

Judges picked out the University’s BME Steps to Leadership programme, which aims to tackle the lack of diversity in UK universities, especially at leadership level.

The University created a two-day personal development programme for its black and minority staff targeted at staff just below senior manager level to help raise participants’ confidence and develop their leadership skills.

Delivered in partnership with the Black Leadership Initiative, participants receive an assessment of their skills and attributes and a personal development action plan among other support. It is also followed by up to six individual mentoring or coaching sessions.

The first pilot of the scheme was a success – with 100% of participants reporting that the course was either good or excellent and judges noted it could easily be adopted by other universities and has been submitted as a best practice case to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Vice-Chancellor for the University of Wolverhampton, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “We are delighted to have won this significant recognition of our commitment to equality. The University of Wolverhampton has a diverse staff and student community and we encourage everyone to be successful and maximise their potential. The BME Steps to Leadership programme was a huge success and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in this pioneering initiative.

“As the University of Opportunity, we are at the forefront of combating and confronting inequality. This award is the latest recognition of the strength of our commitment, following on from our Times Higher Education Outstanding Support for Students award for our ‘Three Minutes to Save a Life’ programme which supports students with suicidal thoughts, and last week our LGBT Staff Network won the West Midlands Network Group of the Year award at Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index (WEI) Midlands Awards 2017.”

The Guardian University Awards showcases the work done in UK Universities and has 15 categories covering a range of areas including student experience, sustainability, teaching excellence and inspiring buildings.

A full list of winners and shortlisted entries can be found on the Guardian Higher Education Network.

Further information

Picture: Dr Meena Dhanda and Dr Moses Murandu with the University's Advancing Staff Equality Guardian University Award 2017.

For more information please contact the Media Relations Office on 01902 32 2736 or 01902 518647.

Date Issued: Thursday 30 March 2017

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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