The award is given to those convenors that undergo a process of review and reflection with their students to ensure that they have considered authors and perspectives from divergent backgrounds, such as race, gender, sexuality, disability, internationalisation, and socio-economic contexts within their discipline. Diversity Mark aims to support staff in representing diverse perspectives and authors in their reading list, which in turn leads to a more inclusive learning experience for students.

Resources required:

  • Student interns (diversity mark officers).
  • Academic/professional services staff to support.
  • Technical skills for platform development.
  • Funding for conferences and events i.e. running focus groups and incentives (refreshments).

Available evidence of impact:

  • Student focus groups at the end of the process.
  • Changes made to reading lists.
  • Attendance at conferences.
  • Page views of toolkits and webpages supporting.
  • Informing other university agendas.
  • Increasing understanding of importance of representation on reading lists/curriculum.

Links to available resources:

Implementation and potential challenges:

  • Committed experts within department and professional services staff.
  • Time and resources.
  • Buy-in from the university.
  • Funding – hiring student assistants or/and external consultants/speakers.

How to Use:

  • Collaborate with other university departments (Academic departments, Student Experience, Students Union, Library etc,).
  • Gain school approval.
  • Consider core modules to review as a minimum.
  • Produce evaluation tools for academics to reflect on diversity of resource lists.
  • Prepare Diversity Mark best practice evidence from other schools/departments.
  • Refer to Diversity Mark toolkit.
  • Recruit work study students to work with academics.
  • Collect data and analyse.
  • Present finding to school/departments.
  • Implement an accreditation framework.
  • Measure impact and outcomes.