The University Code on Equal Opportunity for Working Class Students and Academics

2021

Adopted by the Alliance of Working Class Academics

Preamble

Universities

Inspired that they have an important role in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education to ensure equal opportunity, improve equitable access, enhance mobility and accountability by the United Nations targeted date of 2030,

Acknowledging that students and academics from a richly diverse range of working class heritages add economic, social and cultural value to communities, the state and the global community,

Acknowledging that students and academics from a richly diverse range of working class heritages enhance the scholarship, work, productivity and research impact of university communities,

Mindful that working class students and academics have been and are being denied fairness and equal opportunities,

Adopt the University Code on Equal Opportunity for Working Class Students and Academics 2021.

 

Article 1

The Dignity and Value of Working Class Histories and Experiences

Universities seeking to achieve a sense of belonging by students and staff from a wide range of working class heritages, undertake to include in a respectful manner the rich range of working class histories and experiences in designing their curricula, and in developing and monitoring their institutional policies and practices.

Article 2               

Working Class Heritages Within Intersectional Equal Opportunity

Universities undertake to include working class heritages in their intersectional approach to equality and opportunities for training and promotion, including measures to assist working class heritage staff to overcome specific hurdles to their full successful performance.

 

Article 3                

Recruitment, Retention, and Promotions of  Working Class Heritage Staff

Universities undertake to ensure that their employment policies and practices provide for equal treatment of working class heritage staff in relation to their recruitment and retention, salaries and promotions policies.

 

Article 4       

Access, Admission, Retention, Full Participation and Achievements of Working Class Heritage Students         

Universities undertake to ensure that their admission and retention policies and practices guarantee equal treatment of working class heritage students, and that they assist working class heritage students in overcoming hurdles to full participation in university life, to their achievements, and in seeking employment.

 

Article 5     

Grants, Scholarship and Funding

Universities recognise that there may be additional economic and time-specific hurdles for students and staff with working class heritages in access to university, first degrees, further university qualifications, research assistance and conference attendance, and therefore will acknowledge these experiences in assisting members of the university community to overcome these hurdles.

 

Article 6       

Implementing the University Code – Involvement of Staff and Students

Universities undertake to publish the University Code, to discuss its application with their students, staff, and academics, and to initiate training on the equality, dignity and value of working class heritages.

Article 7       

Publication of Policies, Data and Progress on Implementing the University Code

Universities will adopt and fulfil their implementation policies in the University Code and, after consultation, will publish a plan of action setting out how they will give full effect to the Code.

Universities undertake to promote, publish widely, and distribute their implementation of this Code.