New ‘inclusivity champions’ appointed
A network of ‘inclusivity champions’ has been appointed to help meet the needs of our diverse student population.
26 School Academic Leads for Inclusive Practice (SALIPs) have been appointed, working to help meet the needs of our diverse student population
The 26 School Academic Leads for Inclusive Practice (SALIPs) will work to further promote and embed inclusive approaches, by helping colleagues understand what this means for them in their own disciplinary context.
They will be conducting reviews with staff and students throughout 2019-20 to better understand current approaches to inclusive teaching.
They will also take the lead on change locally, which will help Schools meet the institutional baseline standards of inclusive teaching, agreed by the Taught Student Education Board last year.
The appointment of SALIPs is a key part of the Inclusive Learning and Teaching Development Project, which began in 2016 as a collaboration between the Academic Practice team in OD&PL and Disability Services.
Led by Jenny Brady, Project Lead for Inclusivity at the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE), with support from Dr Beth Johnson from the School of Media and Communication as Academic Lead, the project also includes representation from a range of services, Schools and Faculties, as well as LUU.
Professor Tom Ward, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Education, said: “I’m grateful to many colleagues who are leading on this important work, and want to extend particular thanks and a warm welcome to the 26 inclusivity champions.
“Everything we are learning about this area suggests that inclusive practice in teaching and assessment benefits all our students.
“This year, we are particularly interested in the potential impact on non-continuation rates and the BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) awarding gap; in both cases, we want to see the effort and care of all involved translate into concrete actions.”
Louise Banahene, Head of Educational Engagement, said: “Research into teaching, learning and assessment has shown that an inclusive curriculum benefits all students, regardless of background.
“The work of the SALIPs to embed approaches is an important strand of this work and reflects our institutional commitment.”
Jenny Brady said: “It’s really exciting to have a network of colleagues who are passionate about improving inclusivity and who can make a real difference out in Schools and Faculties.
“The SALIPs have already started collaborating and sharing ideas – I’m really looking forwards to seeing how this develops.
“Look out for our new website – providing resources for colleagues and further information about the project – launching in November.”
Sign up for workshops
More workshops have now been organised to further promote the embedding of inclusivity in learning and teaching at Leeds.
Jenny Brady and Kirsten Thompson, Digital Practice Adviser from OD&PL, will explain the project in more depth in the latest round of Everyday Inclusion in Everyday Teaching sessions.
Workshops are being held on Monday 28 October, Thursday 28 November and Wednesday 11 December. They are suitable for all staff in student-facing roles. Further details and booking information can be found in the OD&PL course catalogue.
Visit the Inclusive Teaching website or contact Jenny Brady or Dr Beth Johnson for further information.
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