Challenges for HEIs in implementing equal opportunities Paragraph 142:
In addition to the legislative and good practice demands on institutions, there are a number of areas where HEIs face specific challenges in implementing equality of opportunity for staff.
Studies[1] as part of the joint funding councils’ research programme into equal opportunities for staff showed that the general lack of commitment of middle managers was a key barrier to the implementation of initiatives, and that under-investment has an impact on improving equality in HEIs (for example, the resourcing of equality practitioner posts, equal opportunities training for staff and other interventions such as mentoring). [We think we could have saved them the time regarding the general lack of commitment of middle managers. They are part of the problem and often the problem itself...]
In most of the institutions studied, the equal opportunities monitoring information was often incomplete and/or HEIs had failed to act on the basis of the data they had collected. Bullying and harassment were found to be a problem in a number of HEIs (17 per cent of survey respondents had experienced either bullying or harassment), with the most likely perpetrators being senior colleagues.
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1. We would like to know about these studies.
So HEFCE knows, or at least suspects, but does it do anything else?
So HEIs have failed to act on the data they collected... What a surprise! And nobody has done anything about it... More surprises! In fact, life is full of surprises...
2 comments:
So HEFCE knows about bullying and yet is a silent witness.
Bullying exists because it is permitted... it is condoned.
It is condoned by individuals, by individual institutions and by HEFCE.
Anyone and everyone who knows that bullying is taking place has a duty to take action.
There is no neutral position.
What action have you taken today to prevent bullying?
What have you done employees of HEFCE?
Bullying is not a spectator sport.
We must never forget - and as the minister told us recently - universities are 'independent' bodies. In effect, this means they can get away with anything.
Certainly HEFCE is not going to make a big issue out of workplace bullying. It has identified the issue, the concern BUT what can it impose or police on universities?
They just need to produce some data that they have policies in place, perhaps review the policies, perhaps send somebody on a short course, and we have ticked all the boxes... Universities are good at ticking boxes...
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