Working Group to Support Trans and Non-Binary Students and Staff
Our trans and non-binary staff and students are a vitally important part of our community. In 2021, the Working Group to Support Trans and Non-Binary Students and Staff on our Campuses was set up to support our trans, non-binary and gender non-confirming staff and students, providing a space to enable the community to be heard more directly by the University.
The group works to identify issues of concern or areas of improvement and undertakes, as a group, action to address those issues.
Group members
The Working Group is made up of a variety of staff and students from across the University, including, for example:
- members of the LGBTQ+ Staff Forum
- Student’s Union (SU) representatives - including the SU Colchester Trans Officer and the LGBTQ+ Officers on all campuses
- Director of Inclusion
- members of academic staff with relevant expertise in the field of LGBTQ+ rights
- University’s Trans and LGBTQ+
.
The group takes an intersectional approach to all issues and works with the other University
Group activities
The group undertakes a variety of activities. Some of these activities so far have included:
- Supporting and promoting the implementation of the University’s inclusion policies for the benefit of trans and non-binary students and staff.
- Creating a map of all gender-neutral bathrooms on all campuses.
- Seeking to foster positive cultural changes on all campuses.
- Supporting the University in providing Trans Awareness training for all senior staff and staff in heavily student-facing roles.
- Advising on the creation of a University-wide calendar of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion days of significance.
- Identifying sources of funding to support trans and non-binary students to help them tackle the specific challenges they face while studying.
