*The Inclusivity Award 2022/23 is now closed for submissions. Please do keep an eye out for the launch of the award for 2023/24*
What is the Inclusivity Award?
The SU aims to be an inclusive organisation in everything we do. Our student body is made up of various student demographics who may experience barriers to involvement in certain events and activities that take place. We have developed the Inclusivity Award to help you break down these barriers and make your activities more inclusive. Taking part in the Award should help you create lasting, cultural changes to your activities, where inclusivity is embedded in everything you do.
Signing up to the Inclusivity Award will allow you to reach a more diverse range of students, from a wider range of backgrounds, bringing new ideas and ways of thinking.
Inclusivity should be a priority for all of us – this Award is designed to facilitate just that.
Any student leaders can complete this award! This includes academic reps, execs, group committees, peer mentors and PAL Leaders.
Key Dates for Your Diary:
Signing Up for the Inclusivity Award:
Gather an Inclusivity Award team to help you with your inclusivity work! This should be a team of students within your student leader position e.g. the members of your sports committee. You may choose to have a leader of the team as well. Email inclusivityaward@bath.ac.uk stating that you will be completing the Inclusivity Award and the names and student leader positions of those who will be in your Inclusivity Award team.
Completing the Award:
Access the Student Leader Hub for equality, diversity, and inclusivity resources to inspire your work. All members of the Inclusivity Award team will need to complete the Be The Change module to be eligible for the Inclusivity Award. All other resources are optional but recommended. Examples of previous projects completed as part of the Inclusivity Award are also be included in the resources. These are categorised into “quicker projects”, “intermediate projects” and “long-term projects”. As well as this, there are some examples of barriers you could address and some previous projects included at the bottom of this webpage.
Use the resources to plan your ideas for your projects and get going! If you have any questions in the meantime or require any further guidance or support with your projects, please email inclusivityaward@bath.ac.uk.
Submitting Evidence:
You will need to submit evidence of your projects to inclusivityaward@bath.ac.uk by the (extended) deadline of 17 April. This submission can take the form of written reports, videos, blogs, podcasts, or any other appropriate format – get creative!
Assessing Submissions:
Your submission will then be assessed by a group of students and staff. Your submission will be assessed against the criteria for Bronze, Silver and Gold awards (see below). For student leaders who have completed the award in previous years, your submission will also be assessed to ensure it builds on the work you've completed as part of the Inclusivity Award in previous years.
Criteria for Inclusivity Award - Bronze, Silver, and Gold:
- Bronze Award: total of 2 points
- Silver Award: total of 5 points (including at least one intermediate or long-term project)
- Gold Award: total of 8 points (including at least one intermediate or long-term project)
Quicker Projects (1 point):
- Shorter wins with minimal planning required e.g. editing marketing materials to reflect inclusivity, producing a glossary of key terms, or changing venue of socials to be more accessible for members.
Intermediate Projects (3 points):
- Small project involving planning, e.g. collaborative event with another student group to recruit more diverse membership, organising new regular alcohol-free socials, or holding an inclusivity session with an external speaker.
Long-Term Projects (5 points):
- Larger project involving planning across semester, with intention for long-term implementation e.g. inclusivity training for all members, annual inclusivity campaign, or implementing a successful peer-support system within the group.
Outcome of Submissions:
After assessing your submission, we’ll get back to you congratulating you and notifying you of the award you’ve received! We’ll share these across The SU website to showcase your amazing work! Take a look at our news story to read about some of the projects that were completed as part of the Inclusivity Award 2021-2022.
Some Examples of Barriers:
- Lack of mixed gender activities/gender neutral facilities
- Lack of wheelchair access
- Long periods of activity as a barrier for disabled students
- Lack of role models for particular demographics e.g. postgraduate students
- Fear of sexual harassment
- Lengthy time commitments
- High cost
- Travel requirements
- Age discrimination
- Lack of childcare/child-friendly events
- Lack of alcohol-free events
- Peer pressure/discrimination
- Language barrier
- Activities focused on UK culture
Examples of Previous Projects:
- BUGS (Bath University Guides and Scouts) consulted Scouting, Guiding and SSAGO (Student Scout and Guide Organisation) policies to form their own anti-bullying policy.
- Football delivered all men's competitive players a presentation reminding them of behaviour expectations and avoiding peer pressure, supported Kick It Out, hosted the first round of the FA People's Cup, established their first recreational programme for women and took part in University Mental Health day to challenge the fear of discrimination.
- Football met with LGBT+ and the SU Sport Officer to work on overcoming barriers, made a public display of support by giving out 100 pairs of free rainbow laces, took part in Kick It Out and wore rainbow laces during Varsity.
- Gliding created new promotional material showing students with different characteristics to demonstrate that everyone can get involved.
- Jiu Jitsu ran an exclusive session for LGBT+ members with 12 attending and 2 joining the club as a result.
- Kickboxing replaced a coach that had received complaints, mostly from female members of the club, and took part in the This Girl Can campaign, running a kickboxing session with approximately 90 attendees, of which 8 became new members.
- LGBT+ elected their first BME and Bi Reps as well as holding a meeting on bi-erasure, running an online bi-erasure campaign and creating a confidentiality guide for closeted members.
- RAG provided options for LGBT+ people to take part in their events focusing on romantic relationships with Take Me Out featuring two rounds with a mixed gender panel and Blind Date providing an option for friendship dates for aromantic people.
- BREAK held joint training sessions with Warwick, Exeter and Bristol, exposing their members to a wider variety of break dancers and introduced their first ever female teacher in Semester 2, allowing female members to have someone they can relate to more closely.
- BUGS (Bath University Guides and Scouts) created promotional materials featuring students with different characteristics to demonstrate the range of people in their society and ensured these photos were featured heavily during Refresh Week.
- Football introduced a new Diversity and Inclusion officer to their committee, specifically to raise the profile of ethnic minorities, and established a buddy scheme in which senior members of the club welcomed and guided younger members.
- Jiu Jitsu encouraged their female members to attend promotional events such as the University's 50th Celebrations and took part in This Girl Can week bringing in a female instructor where, of the 10 non-members attending, 3 joined the club as a result.
- The Tabletop Society updated their marketing photos to show a gender balance and also made sure that a least one female member was at stalls during Freshers' Week and Refresh Week.
- Gliding created a glossary of terms and published the checklist taught by instructors in early lessons to tackle potential language barriers.
- V Team held events to celebrate different cultures including a handicraft and painting session, a multicultural market, an Age UK Chinese Sunday Lunch and a charity sale with authentic Hong Kong food whilst also developing a variety of socials including a meal, a trip to Komedia and board game social.
- Badminton organised a number of alcohol-free events, including a trip to the National Badminton League, a trip to the All England Championship, a Christmas meal, a pizza and film night and a disability day.
- BREAK organised a number of alcohol-free events and socials including a karaoke social, as trip to Bristol trampoline park and a number of workshops and competitions.
- BUNSS (Bath University Natural Sciences Society) organised a number of alcohol-free events including a Christmas meal, a BBQ and a careers event.
- Kickboxing organised a number of non-alcoholic socials including an ice skating social and a film and Nando’s night.
- LGBT+ organised a number of non-alcoholic socials including coffee mornings, a meal and a BBQ.
- Mountaineering organised a variety of socials including a trip to AirHop, a board games afternoon, an Antarctica talk and casual pub trips.
- The Scandinavian Society organised a number of alcohol-free events including a meet and greet, movie nights, coffee and cake gatherings and trips to Bath Film Festival.
- Badminton ran two female-only sessions and included information in their socials descriptions about removing peer pressure from socials.
- BREAK have participated in a wide variety of shows and have introduced cyphers (dance circles where one person dances in the centre) into their training sessions to build confidence and self-esteem.
- BUNSS (Bath University Natural Sciences Society) ensured committee members attended the introductory departmental talk, organised social events to allow people to meet others on their course, worked with peer mentors to create a better support network and established a stronger online presence to tackle feelings of isolation.
- Karate organised 2 welcome socials for introducing current and new members whilst also organising a range of socials, post-training meals and pair-based drills during sessions to tackle isolation.
- Nightline have used Facebook rather than email for signing up to shifts to make the process feel more informal, publicised the role of their welfare officer and organised more socials to tackle a lack of energy or motivation.
- V Team ran training sessions to help their members, particularly project leaders, to build their confidence, sent thank-you emails to volunteers after every event and particularly recognised those that had put lots of effort into their projects.
- Gliding made sure that the costs of learning to fly were clearly displayed on their webpage and promotional materials whilst also using a simulator for students to get a free taster and discussing the cost of training with those interested in joining.
- Karate organised large kit and equipment orders to reduce costs, subsidised costs further through successfully securing sponsorship, organised free and cheap socials and booked accommodation for BUCS events early to secure a cheaper price.
- Kickboxing used their budget to pay for transport to the University Kickboxing Championships in Leeds to reduce the overall price to £30, thereby reducing the price by over £50 compared to previous years.
- Nightline secured money for breakfasts for volunteers, encouraged members to get in touch if they have financial difficulties and organised free and low-cost socials including free food events and a film night.
- RAG provided volunteers with free entry for their Zombies and Fireworks events, subsidised travel to raids and provided free pizza at their first social.
- The Tabletop Society updated their webpages to make the costs involved in participating clearer.
- BUGS (Bath University Guides and Scouts) have promoted that they hold events on different days each week and made sure their programme was easily available for all to see on social media.
- Jiu Jitsu launched an hour-long session on Tuesday lunchtimes particularly aimed at attracting postgraduate students and have discussed introducing a Postgraduate Secretary onto their committee.
- Mountaineering organised sessions in evenings and created a 'Bath Postgrad Climbing' Facebook group as well as organising frequent Sunday evening walks, advertising them through the Postgraduate Association to reach postgrads.
- Mountaineering listed all their upcoming events on their calendar, gave at least a week's notice for all their events and gave a full month's notice for their Christmas trip with a 'save the date' email.
- Nightline have reached out to those who haven't signed up for shifts and encouraged those who cannot commit to night shifts to join their publicity team.
- The Scandinavian Society sent out a list of all their events for each semester at the start of the semester through both emails and their webpage whilst also giving advance notice of events through Facebook.
- Karate paid for a member to become a minibus driver which has helped reduce the time, effort and cost for those wishing to attend competitions.
- LGBT+ created an accessibility guide for their group's webpage which has been commended by Enable as an example of best practice.
- V Team used simple clear language, photos and symbols in all promotional materials, provided information about events and sessions in multiple ways and encouraged their members to approach them if they had any issues.
- BUNSS (Bath University Natural Sciences Society) organised a careers event along with a networking event and webinar to encourage students focusing on employability to get involved in their activities.