Diversity and inclusion

Located across four campuses on Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta land, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we work and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging. We endeavour to increase engagement with First Nations people in all our activities.

The D&I committee includes members from different career stages and disciplines at our four campuses. The overarching priorities of the committee include:

• Actively championing diversity and inclusion to create a welcoming and thriving scholarly culture
• Fostering a culture whereby diversity and inclusion is viewed as crucial to achieving innovation and excellence
• Promoting awareness and understanding of diversity and inclusion issues among our staff and students
• Organising annual events to celebrate and promote diversity such as IDAHOBIT, National Reconciliation Week, and NAIDOC Week, among others.

Our goals

The SAFES Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee’s purpose is to champion and build good practice and innovation in equality, diversity and inclusion, by bringing together staff and students to identify, discuss, advise on and help take forward all aspects of School activities and policy related to equity, diversity and inclusion. The key areas of activity will be to:

• Raise awareness of equity, diversity and inclusion in the School and across all our partnerships, collaborations and student placements, to embed an ethos of mutual respect and dignity, and to promote a positive workplace culture which embraces diversity;

• Promote and disseminate University-wide policy and initiatives and work with the University of Melbourne Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and across Faculty of Science, to help implement the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy;
• Identify equity and diversity-related issues, put forward activity and policy initiatives for consideration by the School, and monitor their implementation and impact;
• Provide advice to staff and students within SAFES concerning equity, diversity and inclusion issues, and promote transparency and channels of communication.