Equality is at the heart of the University’s mission and aims. The University will achieve a working and learning environment which is inclusive and maximises the potential of all staff and students.
The Two Ticks symbol
Positive about disabled people
The University of Southampton is committed to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities in employment and for students. Individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the University.
Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
In line with the University of Southampton’s commitment to equality and diversity, we will do the following:
- ensure equal opportunity and treatment for all persons in the provision of employment for staff and achievement for students
- ensure that no person applying for employment or for admission as a student to the University will be treated less favourably in the grounds of their sex, race, class, colour, racial group, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, trade union membership or otherwise, religious belief or physical or mental disability
- actively assist groups that experience disadvantage in education and employment to benefit from belonging to the University
- seek to identify the needs of groups that experience disadvantage in employment and education in achieving an inclusive working and learning environment and in achieving the equal opportunities policy
- seek to employ groups that are under-represented within its staff base. Selection procedures and criteria will ensure that staff are selected and promoted on the basis of their relevant merits. Procedures will be monitored and regularly reviewed. Where necessary, the University of Southampton will provide staff with particular training to facilitate them to apply to promotion
- actively seek to widen participation to enable students that do not traditionally participate in Higher Education to do so
- ensure that admission procedures select students fairly and appropriately according to their academic ability and that the procedure is monitored and regularly reviewed
- actively pursue its commitment to equality and diversity in hiring contractors and other bodies to work in the University
- actively pursue its commitment to equality and diversity in the composition of its management committees.
Equal Opportunities form and the Two Ticks symbol
We ask you to complete either an Equal Opportunities form on paper or as part of the on-line application process. The Equal Opportunities Form is important to us as the Human Resources Department uses this information to monitor fairness in dealing with all applicants. This information is retained in confidence by Human Resources and is not supplied to the employing department. The University is very clear about its responsibilities in embracing diversity and ensuring that we recruit people of a high calibre on the basis of their skills, abilities, and experience.
We also display the two ticks symbol which means that we undertake:
- to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and consider them on their abilities
- to ensure there is a mechanism in place to discuss, at any time, but at least once a year, with disabled employees what can be done to make sure they can develop and use their abilities
- to make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they stay in employment; to take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make these commitments work
- each year to review the five commitments and what has been achieved, plan ways to improve on them and let employees know about progress and future plans.