PURPOSE
This policy outlines Leaders Institute’s (LI) diversity and equity principles and processes.
DEFINITIONS
Diversity: the understanding that each individual’s lived experience is unique and that a person may identify by using one or more of the following attributes: sex; race; age; colour; national or ethnic origin; marital or relationship status; pregnancy or potential pregnancy; breastfeeding; political conviction; religious conviction; impairment; need for carers; assistance animals and disability aids, family responsibility or family status; gender; gender identity; intersex status; sexual orientation; gender history.
Equity: the quality of being fair and impartial.
Equality: treating everyone the same. Equality of opportunity is about ensuring everybody has an equal chance to take up opportunities and to make full use of the opportunities on offer and to fulfil their potential.
Disability: Defined broadly under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 as any physical, sensory, neurological, intellectual, psychiatric, or learning disability, and includes physical disfigurement, the presence in the body of disease-causing organisms and total or partial loss of part of the body or a bodily function. It also includes a temporary, permanent, current, past, or future disability, and chronic health conditions which may not commonly be considered disabilities.
Online: includes digital resources and computer-based educational technology.
Reasonable Adjustments: an action or actions taken by an education provider to assist a student with a disability in accessing and participating in a course on the same basis as a student without a disability.
Under-represented and Disadvantaged Subgroups: identified people from historically disadvantaged and/or under-represented subgroups, including: First Nations Peoples; people with a disability; people from low socio-economic backgrounds; people from remote, rural, or isolated areas; people who are the first in their family to attend an institute of higher education; people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; people with gender, sex, and sexual diversities; under-representation of women in senior positions; and people with caring responsibilities.
PRINCIPLES
LI supports the following principles within the workplace, learning and teaching, research and scholarship, and student support and services:
- each member of LI has the right to be treated with respect, equality, and dignity and to be able to participate in all aspects of LI life on an equal footing;
- equitable opportunity for individuals to access and advance in employment and education;
- ensuring admission pathways for First Nations Peoples;
- the local, national, and global community are reflected within the LI community by attracting and retaining staff and students from a broad range of backgrounds;
- LI management fosters a culture that embraces equity in employment, education, and research with a focus on gender equity and First Nations Peoples inclusion;
- LI courses nurture graduates who demonstrate cultural capability and have skills and knowledge that enhance diversity and equity;
- LI decision-making bodies encourage the participation of people from diverse backgrounds if this does not result in unjustifiable hardship for LI;
- LI students and staff will communicate in ways that are inclusive and reflect LI’s commitment to valuing diversity;
- LI programs and measures improve access, participation, retention, and success of students from under-represented and disadvantaged subgroups;
- LI develops and implements programs and measures to improve access and outcomes for staff from under-represented groups;
- LI ensures periodic monitoring and reviewing of diversity and equity performance;
- induction and orientation strategies ensure all staff and students know their rights and responsibilities.
ACCESSIBILITY AND DISABILITY
LI is committed to:
- monitoring of accessibility compliance to ensure standardisation where possible;
- promoting accessibility practices throughout the Institute community;
- informing students about how to register for disability support;
- processing applications for disability support in a timely manner and communicating the outcome clearly to students;
- maintaining student confidentiality and privacy.
Students seeking disability adjustments are responsible for:
- providing honest and true information with health professional documentation;
- registering for disability support, usually upon receiving a letter of offer;
- meeting with the relevant Program Director to discuss accessibility arrangements;
- notifying the Unit Coordinator prior to commencement of the unit reasonable adjustments they wish for the relevant unit.
Scope
Whole Institute
Key Stakeholder
All staff and students
Procedures
STUDENT REGISTRATION
1. Complete the Disability Registration Form.
2. Follow the instructions provided by the Student Support team.
REPORTING
Academic Board periodically reviews policies and student data reports related to the student life cycle to ensure equal opportunity and inclusion are being appropriately maintained.
Executive Management Team periodically reviews policies and reports related to staff employment ensure systemic issues impacting equal opportunity and inclusion are address.
Appeals for Reasonable Adjustments
Where the student is not satisfied with reasonable adjustments made, the Grievances and Appeals Policy procedures can be followed.
Where internal resolution methods have been unsuccessful students can contact the Human Rights Commission. A further external complaint reporting option is the QLD Anti-Discrimination Commission.