On this page you'll find information on schemes and ideas to improve our practices and case studies on EDI at the Faculty of Population Health Sciences.
Our vision
"I know how hard it is to manage an academic career with a hectic home life and enabling all UCL staff to achieve a healthy work-life balance is of paramount importance. To do this, we need to increase uptake of flexible working and establish good working practices across the whole Faculty. A truly constructive appraisal can help facilitate this, as well as providing equal opportunities for promotion, mentoring and training."
Suzy Buckley, Vice-Dean (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion)
FPHS Race Equality/Equity Advisory Group (FREAG) Checklist
The FPHS Race Equality/Equity Advisory Group (FREAG) checklist has received approval from both the FEC and the Faculty EDI Committee on November 23 and March 24, respectively. It was collaboratively developed by the GOS ICH Race Equity Group, led by Lola Solebo, along with EDI representatives from across the faculty.
This comprehensive checklist outlines essential and core items that should be present in each department. We are asking institutes to implement the essential items listed. Additionally, the core items, which represent feasible, beneficial, and important activities, should also be taken into consideration. View the checklist.
Equality in staff recruitment and retention
Fair Recruitment Specialists
As part of UCL’s work on the Race Equality Charter, UCL has created a pool of highly-trained Fair Recruitment Specialists who will bring very valuable input into recruitment activity across UCL. The Specialists are volunteers drawn from UCL staff who identify as Black and Minority Ethnic (BME). This is in response to feedback from departments that it is often difficult to have sufficient ethnic diversity on panels, as BME staff are under-represented in certain roles and grades at UCL.
Work-life balance
UCL acknowledges that its staff are most productive when they have achieved a work-life balance that enables them to meet their responsibilities outside work. UCL Work-Life Balance Policy provides a framework within which departments can consider how best to enable staff to achieve an effective balance between work and life outside the workplace. Read our case studies:
- My experience of the FPHS carers fund: Dr Emilie Sauvage
- My experience of flexible working: Dr Suzy Buckley
Faculty annual appraisal survey
Following the introduction of faculty appraisal season in 2018, which runs from January until March, staff engagement with the appraisal process has vastly improved. By the end of the process, 94% and 91% of staff had received an appraisal in 2019 and 2018 respectively, compared to 80% in previous years.
We know there is still a lot of variation in the quality and efficacy of these appraisals and we are now focussing on improving appraisal quality and consistency across the faculty.
As part of this, the Faculty initiated an Annual Appraisal Survey to collect qualitative data to find out what staff expect from the appraisal process and if these expectations are actually met.
Equality in teaching and research
B-MEntor
B-MEntor is a cross-institutional mentoring scheme for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) academics and researchers, and Professional Services staff. Mentees can obtain career advice and direction, receive help with identifying and clarifying issues, problems and obstacles, source new ideas and practices, and gain the opportunity for networking across a broader spectrum than provided by the day-to-day environment.