All posts by Georgia

LGBT+

Rainbow@ncl

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Rainbow@ncl is a newly-established staff and PGR network, which aims to challenge heteronormativity, support LGBT+ staff and students, and promote inclusion of people of diverse genders, sexualities, and relationships.

Today (28th September) 12-2pm, they are having a celebratory launch event in the Reception Rooms of the Armstrong Building. If you would like to come along, please register here.

To find out a little bit more about Rainbow@ncl ahead of their launch event, I spoke to Dr Gareth Longstaff, a lecturer in Media and Culture Studies and the Chair of Rainbow@ncl.

Why did you decide to start the network?

Before the inception of Rainbow@ncl, there had been an informal, socially-focused LGBT+ staff network called Mosaic. About a year ago, Kate Chedgzoy (EDI lead in HaSS) and I met with the hope of forming something new that was still a support network, but was also able to feed into broader issues across the University and within Higher Education.

The first scoping event happened the week after Induction Week in 2017, and since then we’ve made a huge amount of progress in forming a steering group and setting up the network.

What do you think the network means to its members?

I believe Rainbow@ncl means a great deal to its members. It provides staff with a strong support network at work, and, for many, it provides the first opportunity they’ve had to meet with likeminded people in an open, inclusive space to discuss the issues they’re facing. It lets people know that their thoughts and feelings are valid, and that they are understood by others.

The network is intended to be inclusive to all staff who identify as LGBT+, regardless of their background or position within the University. Everything we do is decided collectively, even down to small details such as the timings and locations of events. We hope to make the network even more diverse than it already is, and to focus on intersectionality and work with other EDI networks across the University.

Where you might see the network going in the future?

We feel as though we’ve never had as much institutional support as we do at the moment, so it’s really important for us to keep up this momentum and make ourselves a visible, sustainable and embedded presence within the University.

We are working to increase our prominence, through initiatives such as the distribution of over 2000 lanyards, raising the LGBT+ flag at key points of the year, developing a front facing webpage for the Network, as well as by working with other networks, such as NU Women and BAME, to promote intersectionality. We want everyone in the University to have a sense of what we do, by embedding ourselves into the culture, politics and policy of the University, whilst still retaining our autonomy as a network.

We also hope to work as a critical ally to senior management groups, to affect policy development, such as Trans policy and gender neutrality in documentation. We also want to ensure policy is consistently reviewed to make it as transparent and inclusive as possible.

If you’d like to find out more about Rainbow@ncl and how to get involved, come along to their launch event 12-2pm today (28th September). Alternatively, click here to read more about them.

TeamTalk

Meet our new Communications Team

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As mentioned in the previous post, this September we’re officially relaunching FMS EDI communications! As part of this relaunch, we have a fabulous comms team and a brand new look.

As well as our existing EDI Team (Candy, Malasree and Ann), we are bringing on board fivemore colleagues with communications experience, to make sure our EDI message is heard loud and clear across the Faculty, and that you’re all aware of the great work which we’re doing! We are excited to introduce…

Dominic Lamb

Dom works in NICR and has experience managing their social media pages and designing their intranet site.

“EDI over a number of years has become more and more embedded in everything we do as a Faculty due to the hard work and effort our EDI team have put in. Having been part of the Faculty and the local NICR team for a couple of years, I wanted to be more involved. I’ll be helping with the ideas and events that will be coming up, with editing the new intranet and developing social media content as my main focus. I look forward to the launch of the EDI communications team and seeing you all at many of the upcoming events.”
Dom Lamb

Elizabeth Amies

Lizzie works in the Graduate School. She was involved with communications in the transfer of Durham University’s School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health to Newcastle.

“I’m excited to be part of the Faculty’s EDI comms team to support the awareness raising and embedding of the great work the Faculty is doing to ensure that EDI is at the forefront of all our activities and thinking. I’m looking forward to being able to support a calendar of events being developed across the Faculty, and to showcasing the enthusiasm and energy for EDI that we all have.”
Lizzie Amies

Ann Fitchett

Ann Fitchett is the Events, Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for IoN, which includes organising their events and managing their social media.

“It’s really important that the work of the EDI team is visible to demonstrate how committed the Faculty is in supporting all its members to reach their full potential. It’s easy to become trapped in your own small bubble so to help spread the message to all the different units is a very exciting challenge.”
Ann Fitchett

Joanna Matthan

Jo is one our Lecturers in the School of Medical Education. S has expertise in social media and is a member or their EDI team.

“I’m really excited to be joining the FMS EDI Comms Team. I’ve partaken in EDI committee meetings on a school level for a few years, but the opportunity to have a wider impact as part of a dedicated and innovative team means taking my passion for equality, diversity and inclusion to a new level. Being part of the EDI Comms team will, I hope, help to widen our scope of what we currently perceive as EDI and to become even more inclusive as a University.”
Jo Matthan

Bana Abdulmohsen

Bana is a Teaching Fellow in our School of Dental Sciences (SDS) and a member of the SDS EDI Team. Currently, she is organising the SDS cross-cultural awareness training for students and staff.

“I am excited about becoming more involved in EDI as part of the Faculty’s EDI Comms Team. I have received support from the EDI Team, and am eager to help promote and cascade the EDI ethos, activities and events so that other staff across the Faculty can benefit too.”
Bana Abdulmohsen

As well as our excellent new comms team, we also have a brand new look!

  • Our blog has been completely refreshed, to keep you up to date with everything that’s going on with FMS EDI.
  • We have a new intranet site where you’ll find all the information about what we do, the support available to you, and our upcoming events.
  • Our Twitter will soon have a specially designed new profile photo, to set us apart from everyone else.

We’re really excited for the upcoming year in FMS and can’t wait to show you all what we have planned!

TeamTalk

Our Student Interns

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As some of you may already know, this summer our team has taken on three student interns to help with the promotion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Medical Sciences…

I (Georgia Spencer) am one of the two Communications Officers. I have just completed my History undergraduate degree and am continuing my studies at Newcastle University in September with a Masters in Cross-Cultural Communication and International Marketing. So far in my role, I have completely redesigned this blog, to make it more attractive and easier to navigate. I’ve worked on a number of blog posts around Pride and the recent raising of the rainbow flag at Newcastle University, and I’ve also spoken to members of several staff networks to help produce promotional materials for them.

Currently, I’m working on designing a brand new internal site for FMS EDI on NU Connect, which I intend to complete by the end of my internship. I have also created a calendar with awareness days to plan events around, and intend to produce promotional material for events such as International Men’s Day and National Mentoring Day based on this. I’m also planning a blog series on staff in FMS who’ve been successful in their careers while working part-time, to raise awareness of flexible working – if anyone in FMS would be interested in speaking to me for it, please get in contact!

I am excited for the rest of my internship as it’s giving me great experience for my Masters and a career in communications. I’m also really enjoying developing some of my existing skills, such as writing, while also using them in new platforms I’ve learnt about, like SharePoint. Finally, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge about EDI issues specific to FMS, as well as being able to raise awareness of broader EDI issues that are important to me.

Lorna Britten is a Data Analyst Officer. She is a Maths undergraduate, beginning her final year of study in September. In her role, Lorna has been studying data about students and staff in FMS and presenting it in bar charts and graphs. In particular, Lorna’s work has focused on ethnicity (which has not been done before for FMS), looking at data regarding headcount, attainment, offer rates and acceptance rates. She has also looked at intersectionality, to see how other factors such as gender and disability affect these statistics.

In the second half of her internship, Lorna will be comparing her findings against national averages and trends, to see where Newcastle University falls within these. She will also more carefully examine the admissions and acceptance data, to make her findings more accurate. Finally, she hopes to present her findings as a series of infographics, in order to make the data more readable and impactful.

Lorna is enjoying her internship, as she feels she is learning important new skills and gaining experience, while also being able to help with a task that will hopefully encourage change, making Newcastle University a more equal place to study and work. She is also interested in potentially becoming a Data Analyst when she graduates, and believes this internship is providing her with relevant experience and helping her discover if it would be a career path she is interested in.

The third student intern is Joe Robson, who is also working as a Communications Officer. He’s a History and Politics undergraduate, who, like Lorna, is moving into his third year in September. During his internship, Joe has been preparing a series of blog posts on EDIF funded projects, speaking to those involved and drafting the posts. He’s written a report on our FMSDiversity Twitter account, looking at who follows us and using analytics to make recommendations about how to reach more people. He’s also been working on flyers about the rainbow Newcastle University lanyards.

By the end of his internship, Joe hopes to have produced more flyers and blog around future events and initiatives, such as International Women’s Day. He also intends to review the externally facing FMS EDI website, as well as complete his work on an FMS EDI logo.

Joe believes his time as a Communications Officer will give him experience in the communications and publicity fields, as well as providing him with transferable skills such as teamwork. He also hopes to gain a better sense of the EDI issues within his own University, as well as in Higher Education more broadly.

LGBT+

Newcastle Pride 2018

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This weekend marked the eleventh year of Newcastle Pride, and what an incredible Pride it was.

The main celebrations kicked off at 12pm on Saturday from the Civic Centre, with an estimated 20,000 people marching all the way from the city centre to Nuns Moor Park, and thousands more lining the route in support. This year was the largest Newcastle Pride to date, and in some places the loud, colourful parade took over half an hour to pass onlookers.

The atmosphere was joyful, energetic, and most of all, accepting. All across the city, the rainbow flag was present. People wore it, painted themselves with it and carried it. It flew proudly in pubs, shops and at Newcastle University, celebrating 50 years of rainbow.

Festival director, Stephen Willis, highlighted this year’s efforts to make Pride inclusive for all, stressing that they had “strived to make sure that there was something for all ages and identities”. And that there was. Marchers of all genders, ages and races (and even a few furry friends!) came out to show their support, demonstrating how diverse of a place Newcastle truly is. Importantly, the route was also accessible, ensuring those with a disability could participate.

There were also marchers from local and national organisations, including community groups, retailers and the emergency services. People demonstrated their diversity, creativity and freedom through their outfits. Some came on stilts, and one was even dressed as the Queen.

Supporters carried placards and banners bearing poignant slogans such as “it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be” and “love is a human right”. Meanwhile, others took a more humorous approach, including a bee-themed sign with the words “bee proud” written on it.

Near Haymarket, the air ambulance circled overhead in support, adding their sirens to the sounds of whistles, singing and army drums; and on Nuns Moor, there was music from artists such as S Club, Alexandra Burke, Gareth Gates, Steps and the Vengaboys. The weekend closed with a candlelit vigil at 9pm on Sunday, where thousands of candles were lit to remind people of the significance of Pride.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend that truly demonstrated how far both the LGBT+ community and society has come. Bring on Pride 2019!

LGBT+

Pride in Newcastle University

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Yesterday morning, Newcastle University raised its very first rainbow flags in support of Northern Pride and all its LGBT+ staff and students.

The event was an enormous success and meant a lot for both the University and to all who came. It demonstrated Newcastle University’s commitment to preventing social injustice and ensuring every single member of their community feels accepted, included and understood.

Here’s what attendees from around the University had to say about what the day meant to them…

As a Newcastle undergrad 13 years ago, I had no idea how important it is to feel represented by the institution you belong to. University is a life changing time for young people, and sometimes you just need to know that someone else understands you. Raising the flag today feels monumental. To me, it means that young people will see the flags and realise that they are represented here at Newcastle, not only by their LGBT peers, but by the LGBT staff who teach and support them. And by seeing the Newcastle University rainbow lanyards, LGBT students will know that there are people here who understand them. If this makes a positive difference to just one student, then I think we’ve done something right.
Dr Billie Moffat-Knox (Staff Demonstrator, School of Psychology)

It was a great day to show LGBT+ Staff and Students that they are valued by the University. There was a real sense of community and solidarity on campus today. LGBT+ rights have come so far recently however, it is so important to recognise how far we still have to go to achieving full equality and acceptance from society. Many come to University and it’s finally a chance for them to be who they really are, without having to hide any part of their identity. I think that by flying the flag the University is sending out a positive message to anybody; whether you’re a Student, a member of staff or a member of the public. Whoever you are, you are free to be yourself at Newcastle University.
Jack Green (NUSU Welfare and Equality Officer)

I think flying the rainbow flag sends an important message that NU strives to be an inclusive University that recognises and respects its LGBTQI+ staff and students.  I was proud to be present this morning, and I hope it sends a signal of hope and encouragement to everyone within and beyond our University about the need to value diversity, which we think about especially during Pride week in Newcastle.
Professor Helen Berry (Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of Postgraduate Studies in HASS)

Seeing the rainbow flag being raised over our campus for the first time yesterday meant a lot to me, both personally and professionally. It comes at a time when more than ever we need to take action for change to ensure respect and equality for LGBT+ people. By flying the flag, the University publicly aligns itself with this commitment and I’m proud to be part of that. The rainbow flag was designed 40 years ago as a symbol of hope and has come to mean much more for me throughout my life, as I’m sure it has for many other people worldwide. Here’s to raising the flag over our campus every year from now on.
Rob Bedford (Deputy Team Manager, Student Health and Wellbeing)

I felt it was a significant and optimistic event showing how much we as an institution and a society have moved on. The breakfast was good too!
Dr Sue Thorpe (Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology)

If you didn’t get a chance to be at the flag raising ceremony, don’t worry! The flags will continue to fly all this week outside the Armstrong Building and the Medical School for you to see, and more of our very popular rainbow lanyards are due to arrive in the coming weeks.

You can also show your support by attending Northern Pride this weekend. Saturday’s parade begins at 12pm from the Civic Centre and on Sunday at 9pm there is a candlelit vigil to remember both the successes and the struggles the LGBT+ community have faced, and to reflect on the importance of Pride. You can find more information here.