Cardiff scores top marks in Stonewall University Guide

Cardiff is the only university in Wales to achieve top marks in a Stonewall checklist for assessing how supportive universities are for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) students.

Stonewall's Gay By Degree University Guide is designed to help LGB prospective students choose a university that will welcome and support them and contribute to their student experience.

Stonewall has worked with students to identify ten key things that universities should be doing to offer LGB students the most positive experience possible. Cardiff University scored ten out of ten in this checklist for the second year in a row, which includes anti-homophobic bullying policy and mandatory training, student sexual orientation monitoring, and explicit welfare support and information for LGB students.

Other criteria on the checklist are a network for staff and a society for students. The University has an active LGBT+ Association that provides advice, runs welfare campaigns and awareness events, and lobbies the Students' Union and the University to improve university life for LGBT+ students. There is also an LGBT+ Society that organises social events throughout the year.

For staff and postgraduate students, there is the award-winning Enfys network which aims to provide a gateway of support and a forum for discussion of issues to help promote equality and diversity within the University and to external organisations. Enfys was named Best Welsh Employee Network Group by Stonewall Cymru this year for its commitment to diversity and creating a positive workplace culture.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan, said: "Supporting our students and providing an inclusive and welcoming student experience is of vital importance to Cardiff University. We recognise the advantages of a diverse and talented student community and the benefits that this brings to students and the University as a whole. I am delighted that the Stonewall University Guide has rated us with full marks once again this year and we will continue to do everything we can to reinforce our commitment in this area."

To demonstrate this commitment, staff from the LGBT+ community along with senior University staff including the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Riordan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Professor Karen Holford, and Head of the School of Healthcare Sciences, Professor Sheila Hunt, have appeared in a video for the international 'It Gets Better' campaign to show how the University is striving to improve LGBT+ equality at Cardiff.