Inclusivity

The School of Engineering and Innovation seeks to maintain the highest standards in teaching, research and enterprise. To do this, we are committed to ensuring that staff and students work within an environment which is inclusive, where people are treated with dignity and respect, where inequalities are challenged, and where we anticipate and respond positively to different needs and circumstances so that everyone can achieve their potential.

These values are in accordance with the Open University’s mission of being ‘open to people, places, methods and ideas’ and its values of inclusivity, innovation and responsiveness.

All staff and students in the School therefore commit to:

• Treat others with dignity and respect, mindful of the diverse School community
• Adopt a professional attitude at all times to create a positive working environment
• Listen to and support each other
• Be sensitive to, and considerate of, others in everything we say and do
• Respect the views of those who hold different opinions from our own, and where possible seek out such views before voicing our own opinions
• Endeavour to keep our promises which are both honest and realistic
• Respect each other’s time and personal space, maintaining confidentiality at appropriate times
• Constructively challenge behaviour that does not fit this framework

The School has a duty of care to its members, and all members have a duty of care to each other to ensure there is no discrimination or exclusion on the basis of protected characteristics and experiences, including, but not limited to: age, disability, caring and dependency responsibilities, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, political opinion, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, trade union membership or other distinctions.

The School is proud to be holder of an Athena SWAN Silver award to demonstrate our commitment to addressing the under-representation in particular of women in Engineering. Therefore we also adhere to the Athena SWAN Charter.