Inclusive Practice in FEHW

Faculty of Education, Health & Wellbeing pledge in #closingthegap by 2030

The Faculty of Education, Health & Wellbeing (FEHW) hosted an Inclusive Practice Leadership Day led by Dr Devinder Rana-Rai, Director of Teaching Excellence (Associate Dean). Devinder explained that the significance of having and Inclusive Practice Leadership Day. The new University Access and Participation Plan informs the Office of Students about how we as a higher education provider will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from the University of Wolverhampton.

This event allowed FEHW Executive to bring this agenda to our Heads of Department and Course Leaders where they were given the opportunity to reflect on and inform our next steps to address and eradicate our attainment gaps by 2030. The Inclusive Practice Day proved to be a highly engaging event which was attended by over 90 delegates who are part of the University pledge to close the gap by 2030. Our pledge was visually captured where each delegate held a cover page of the report authored jointly by Universities UK and National Union of Students BLACK, ASIAN AND MINORITY ETHNIC STUDENT ATTAINMENT GAP AT UK UNIVERSTIES (May, 2019).

Professor Julia Clarke, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) opened the day alongside Dr Alex Hopkins Dean of FEHW. Professor Julia Clarke’s opening remarks focused on how the University is developing strategy and will focus on the success of all our students and our University ambition to eradicate all performance gaps. In delivering this, discussion around strong leadership and the importance of conversations about race and changing cultural would be important in addressing this agenda.

The day carried on with an engaging question and answer panel, presentations on BAME Faculty Data, BAME staff experience and the role of FEHW Equality and Diversity Inclusion Committee. Our staff worked on activities around what they would like to have in the inclusive practice week and also worked on an activity which will now inform a FEHW Access and Participation Framework.

Dr.Devinder Rana-Rai discussed how the evaluation of the day has been extremely positive and the engagement of our heads of department and course leads was great to see. We have been focusing on the inclusive agenda for the last 14 months in FEHW through our course re-approvals and FEHW Teaching Excellence Strategy and we have inclusive research groups that have been doing great work in this area which are led by our SENDIS Education teams. With our highly engaged staff and current practice we now enter the phase of opening up difficult conversations, embedding inclusivity in our curriculum and assessment expectations and focus on the sense of belonging for all of our staff and students in FEHW.

Dr Devinder Rana-Rai further states, “At the University of Opportunity we now look forward to turning this challenge into opportunities and bring with us a strong inclusive lens in all of the work that we do. This event was a starting point at Faculty level ‘to contemplate on conversations which are not easy for us’ but will be necessary in a supportive environment which will being about cultural change and question our moral, ethical and social values as educationalist. With our great Heads of Department and Course Leaders in FEHW and strong leadership, I am sure we will embrace this new agenda and look forward to the work ahead”.

#FEHWMAKINGADIFFERENCE
#CLOSINGTHEGAP