Equality diversity and inclusivity

We take pride in providing a warm and welcoming environment for everyone.

Many different nationalities and a diverse range of backgrounds are represented among our staff and students, and all of our lecture theatres, offices and laboratories are wheelchair-accessible.

We are very proud of the gender balance among our students with 23% of our undergraduates being female. This is set against the national average which is unfortunately only approximately 15% across the higher education sector. Addressing the current gender imbalance in STEM subjects is one of our priorities. We foster an environment where female staff and students can flourish and reach their full potential. This commitment to women in engineering has resulted in us being awarded the Athena Swan Bronze Award.

The School actively supports University widening access initiatives, as well as the University Equality and Diversity Policy. We also have our own initiatives and policies to promote diversity and equality, including providing our staff with appropriate training in this area.

We hope to get as many students and staff involved and engaged in our equality, diversity and inclusivity events as possible.

We are proud to be the top university (ranked 10th out of 100) out of all employers in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2020. We have also been recognised as a Stonewall Top Trans Employer as well as a Diversity Champion.

Widening access

Addressing the recruitment, retention and progression of students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in higher education is important.

We are dedicated to promoting equality and we recognise the benefits that a diverse and talented student community can bring.

We help widen access to university by:

• raising aspirations with tours and talks to schools, which showcase the world of engineering
• recruiting a diverse community of engineering students, and welcoming applications from students of all backgrounds.
• providing flexibility and support by offering an undergraduate Foundation Year and some of our postgraduate courses can be taken in a flexible part-time format. Extra support is available throughout the year in English language skills and mathematics.

Contact us

We encourage our staff members and students to get in touch if they would like to see anything particular at future equality, diversity and inclusivity events or to speak to our team.