Belonging at UNE Action Plan 2025 - 2027

The main diversity domains UNE is focusing on are:

• Gender
• Disability
• LGBTQIA+¹
• Age
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• Culture, language & religion²

UNE has a unique opportunity to spearhead our efforts to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into our core business to attract and retain a higher number of staff and students from a broader base, thereby meeting emerging Government requirements that will flow out from the Australian Universities Accord and improving productivity, innovation and engagement. Foremost, ensuring UNE is accessible to all meets our social responsibility as a Government-funded, local and regional employer.

There is a range of resources providing evidence of the health, social and economic benefits of actively addressing institutional discrimination on individuals, groups and entire organisations. These include the cost benefit to organisations of hiring people with disabilities to measurable increases in the productivity of organisations with leaders and board members from diverse backgrounds³. UNE aims to position itself as a leader of fostering acceptance and inclusion.

The University’s objectives in relation to EDI are outlined in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Rule. Summarised, the principles in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Rule are the following:

1. Foster Diversity: UNE recognises that fostering diversity benefits the University community and results in a safe, innovative and prosperous environment.
2. Zero Tolerance for Discrimination: UNE is dedicated to providing an environment that upholds the principles of social justice without fear of discrimination, harassment or bullying, where all students, employees and others participating in our community are treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.
3. Break Down Systemic Barriers: UNE acknowledges that societal historic and ongoing disadvantage has created barriers to access and progression for some groups in the community and will work to become part of the solution to this inequality. UNE is committed to our social and community responsibilities in line with the principles founded on Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4. Recognise Intersectionality: UNE recognises that many members of its community experience multiple forms of prejudice and discrimination and that equity and true inclusion can only be achieved, if the intersectional lived experience of all its members are considered.
5. Embed Australian Indigenous Knowledges: Each member of the UNE community is recognised and valued for their diversity. The significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the nation’s First peoples is particularly acknowledged.

Alignment

This Action Plan is an evolving document and is designed to align with related strategies, projects and committees.

There remain distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment (2025 – 2029) and Education (2023-2025) Strategies, due to the comprehensive pieces of work required for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

To provide governance and oversight of the actions of these strategies and this Action Plan and ensure collaboration and consideration of the intersections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students with lived experience of other equity domains, the following mechanisms are in place:

• The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee provides recommendations to the University’s Senior Executive and governance committees, if relevant, on the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of relevant strategies, policies, action plans and programs.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy Oversight Committee reports to the Vice-Chancellor on the implementation of the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy.

UNE has a uniquely diverse student cohort⁴ with:

• 4.5% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, which is above the target of 3% recommended in the Universities Accord Report [‘Accord’];
• 20.58% students from the lowest quartile SES backgrounds [on par with the recommended target in the Accord];
• 20.58% regional, rural, and remote students, which is close to the recommended target in the Accord of 24.0%;
• 8.7% students from non-English Speaking Backgrounds; and
• 18.33% students with a disability, which is on par with the Accord recommendation, but does not reflect the rate of disability in the community.

At the time of publication of this Action Plan, close to 10% of UNE staff members are from a Non-English-Speaking background; 3.5% indicate they have a disability; and 2.44% of staff are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. A gender pay gap of 12.9%⁵ remains and the UNE governing bodies are not equally represented by women and people from other equity cohorts.

Two recent external surveys have shed light on the profile of UNE staff with diverse genders and sexualities and their experiences of inclusion at UNE.  In the 2023-24 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Survey, 29% of those who participated in the survey identified as from the LGBTQIA+ community, including 6.2% identifying as gender diverse.

Over 60% of respondents who identified as LGBTQIA+ reported that they have not disclosed their LGBTQIA+ status at work, as they fear this may impact their career and wellbeing. This demonstrates an urgent need to improve visibility of LGBTQIA+ inclusion as well as structural inclusion through policies, processes and programs.

Recent improvements to the University’s equity, diversity and inclusion efforts include:

• The UNE Ally Network was re-established in 2022 with representatives from across the University.
• In late 2023, a Queer Space for staff, students and visitors was launched in Dixson Library.
• Improvements to the most utilised UNE Datahub dashboard [BI Course Monitoring Dashboard] to enable filtering of student data on more than one demographic and equity category. Visualisation of the intersectionality of students’ experiences enables for more accurate planning of student activity.
• Introduction of Study Access Plans with study adjustments for students from diverse backgrounds and with complex lived experiences, including carers, victim-survivors of gender-based violence and elite athletes.
• The Counselling and Psychological Service (CAPS) ran a support program for current and aspiring students from Armidale’s Ezidi refugee population.
• Staff in Student Services have undergone training in supporting neurodiverse students.
• A new health record management system in CAPS will have mechanisms to capture minority cohorts to better assist measuring the impact of support services
• Expansion of online mental health resources for students.
• Rollout of a student engagement system, Atrium, for academic staff, including a streamlined referral system to student support services
• Introduction of the UNE Inclusive Language Guide under the revised Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Rule and new Procedure.
• Revision of UNE’s Equity Committee to improve representation of diverse stakeholders and students.
• The UNE Graduate Research School has amended Higher Degree by Research (HDR) policies, procedures, and support services to better meet the needs of the University’s diverse student cohort. This includes HDR and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation on the Graduate Research Committee and the Research Committee, the revision of Study Access Plans (SAPs) for HDR candidates with a disability, as well as targeted professional development and support activities to guide HDR students through their degree.
• The Manna Institute, a UNE-led and jointly run initiative with partners of the Regional Universities Network (RUN), is building place-based research capacity to improve mental health in regional, rural, and remote Australia. The Manna Institute has embedded EDI in its functioning through the inclusion of people with mental ill-health, First Nations peoples and service providers in their co-design research processes. The Institute’s Management and Working Groups include people with diverse lived experiences.

This Action Plan brings together activities identified in consultation processes that will deliver incremental improvements to our systems and behaviours that will cumulatively bring about the change required for UNE to remain a welcoming, inclusive and successful university.

The Action Plan has been developed collaboratively with the Chair and other representative of the Student Council, members of the UNE Ally Network and the Equity Committee, ensuring the actions remain relevant, supported and include the views of staff and students with lived experience.

Outcomes from the 2021-2023 Allyship  Report and the Safety, Culture and Wellbeing Review have been incorporated into this Action Plan.

UNE business area owners of the actions set out in the Action Plan were consulted to ensure the proposed actions were reasonable and actionable.

See Actions page for details

The format of this Action Plan has been adapted from: HRC Disability Action Plan Guide 2021.

Key Documents

• Some documents are available to current UNE staff and/or students only.
• UNE Future Fit Strategic Plan
• UNE Business Plan 2024-27
• UNE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2019-2024
  [no longer available online, but can be requested by contacting edi@une.du.au]
• UNE Indigenous Education Strategy 2023 - 2025
• 2021-23 UNE Allyship Project [not published, but can be requested by emailing edi@une.edu.au]
• 2023-24 AWEI Survey – UNE Results [confidential]
• UNE Safety Culture and Wellbeing Assessment
• UNE 2020 – 2021 Accessibility Action Plan
• Diversity Council Australia, Racism at Work: How Organisations Can Stand Up to and End Workplace Racism, Sydney, Diversity Council Australia, 2022
• Disability & Accessibility: A Case for Action
• ILO Global Business and Disability Network
• Resources for employers | IncludeAbility
• Australian Universities Accord Final Report
• NHMRC – Gender Equity
• NSW Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP) - Focus areas are:

1. The University’s services adequately meet the needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (MPSP Focus Area 1).
2. All plans and organisational processes include effective consideration of culturally diverse communities (strategic, operational and business area plans) (MPSP Focus Area 2).
3. Senior management leads and is accountable for building a culture that promotes diversity and all staff demonstrate skills in culturally inclusive practices (MPSP Focus Area 3).
4. People and communities from culturally diverse backgrounds have meaningful input into policies and systems (MPSP Focus Area 4).

• National Indigenous Higher Education Workforce Strategy
• Universities Australia Indigenous Strategy 2022 - 2025

Legislation

Activities to improve EDI at UNE contribute to the University meeting the following legislation:

1. Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth)
2. Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW)
3. Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth)
4. Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW)
5. Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
6. Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth)
7. Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
8. Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (NSW)
9. Heritage Act 1977 (NSW)
10. Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (Cth)
11. Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth)
12. Higher Education Support Amendment Act 2023 (Cth)
13. Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
14. Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW)
15. Multicultural NSW Act 2000 (NSW)
16. Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)
17. Racial Hatred Act 1995 (Cth)
18. Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)
19. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 Domain 2 Learning Environment: Standard 2.2 – Diversity and Equity (Cth)
20. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
21. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
22. Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth)