Prior to this year, GCUSA already had a strong track-record on equality and diversity; but in 2012/13 we decided to do more.

We created a new staff post; Policy and Campaigns Assistant. One aspect of this role was to give greater support, advice and consistency to our liberation volunteers, campaigns and activities.

We also recruited an “LGBT Engagement Intern”; a part-time role held by a student, with the primary focus of helping GCUSA better engage with our LGBT student population and build ties with the wider LGBT community, both locally and nationally. Activities undertaken as part of this role included holding focus-groups, conducting surveys, improving the LGBT areas of our website and producing a comprehensive final report with findings and suggestions. Our Intern also worked closely with our LGBT Convenor, Student Officer team, staff members and external stakeholders to kick-start our LGBT Society and deliver a variety of events, activities and campaigns, such as our “I support equal marriage” campaign and producing an “It Gets Better at GCU” video. Creating this post has really helped to increase or engagement with LGBT and understanding of what it is that they want from their Students’ Association.

A major part of our work this year was conducting a comprehensive piece of primary research called “Putting the YOU in GCU”. The aims of this survey were to measure students’ perception of equality and diversity on campus, finding out about their experience of discrimination, measuring “comfortability” on campus and generally identifying areas in which we and the university were getting right and where improvements were needed. This project was led by our Vice President Wellbeing (VPW) Sinead Wylie.

During the research and writing stages, the VPW worked alongside Students’ Association staff, Liberation Convenors a wide range of University staff, NUS and external stakeholders to ensure all key areas were considered.

The Students’ Association committed funding towards prizes, which meant students were incentivised to participate. We recognised that the survey was substantial for those who opted into multiple liberation or other characteristic groups, but felt that every question asked was vital.

527 students participated, which surpassed our ambitious target of 500. This was down to strong promotion and a commitment by all Officers to ensure that GCU students’ voices were heard. The survey was promoted via:

• Social media
• all-student emails
• a student engagement day run by Sabbatical Officers
• Equality and Diversity t-shirts worn by Sabbatical Officers, staff and volunteers
• Student media

When the survey closed, the VPW made an initial assessment of the results and identified keys recurring areas that required attention. The results were then analysed in more depth by a member of GCU’s marketing team, who fed his findings back to us in a report (attached).

Key areas for improvement included:

• Events and activities for specifically for disabled students or that were more outwardly accessible/perceived as accessible to disabled students
• Comfortability of LGBT students with bathroom and changing facilities
• The experience of parents and carers

Following the survey, the VPW organised an event called “Diversity Fest” in February this year. This was a three day long campaigning festival, during which a range of events and activities themed around equality and diversity took place. These included:

• A Human Library – challenging prejudice through conversation
• Disability-themed/adapted sports
• Movie nights
• Global Café buffet evening
• Caley’s Got Talent – talent show
• Equality and diversity video-pod

Student engagement was good across the campaign and feedback showed that all events were well-received. Students commented that they enjoy having the opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures and about people from backgrounds different to their own.

Our “Diversity Fest” campaign was short-listed for “Campaign of the Year” at NUS Scotland Awards 2013.

The Students’ Association also participated in GCU’s Equalities Summit; an event designed to feed into GCU’s Equality Outcomes report. Our VPW and Policy and Campaigns Assistant attended and assisted the university in recruiting student participants to further ensure that the student voice was represented on the issue of equality and diversity.

Since then, the university has published a draft of their Equality Outcomes; influenced by our research; and have invited the VPW to sit on their Equality and Diversity Committee, ensuring that the student voice continues to be heard.

The Students’ Association is also in the process of updating our own Equality and Diversity Policy, ensuring that that everything we have learned this year is reflected throughout our own policy.

GCUSA are currently looking into ways in which we can become a ‘Zero Tolerance’ Students’ Association; with three representatives from GCUSA attending an NUS Scotland training session about this. Being a non-commercial Association, we recognised that being ‘zero-tolerance’ is a different challenge than if we ran our own venue, but we are committed, nonetheless, to ensure this happens.

In session 2013/14 we will launch our own Equality and Diversity Committee; as recommended in our SUEI accreditation feedback. At the moment we are designing the remit and composition of the committee, and are committed to ensuring that as many student groups as possible are represented.

A further plan for the next academic year includes creating “equality and diversity assessment” procedure for all of our events; in the same way as we currently do with “risk assessments”. This will ensure that we are proactive rather than reactive with regards to equality and diversity concerns throughout the organisation of student-led activities.

For the remainder of session 2012/13, we are determined to build upon all of the good work we have been doing around equality and diversity and to look closely at the results of our survey and campaigns to ensure that every single GCU student is represented by our work. We will continue to work hard to listen to, engage and satisfy students who do not feel that they are comfortable on campus or adequately represented.

As a result of our work this year, GCUSA won the “Equality and Diversity Award” at NUS Scotland 2013 awards.