Our Values
Respectful of the diversity of the views, backgrounds and life experiences of its students, staff and Fellows, Sidney Sussex College aspires to be an open and welcoming environment in which to live, learn and work free from discrimination. The College recognises that ensuring equality, valuing diversity and promoting a culture of inclusion are vital to achieving this goal.
Our Policies
The work of the College on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) takes place within a Policy Framework prepared by a Working Group and endorsed by the College Council. Recognising that the College is bound by a range of duties and obligations, this Policy Framework does not seek to establish a novel EDI policy for the College, but rather sets out how we intend to meet our obligations, implement our commitments and live up to our values. You can find the Policy Framework here.
Equal opportunities in recruitment and employment are covered by the College’s Equal Opportunities Policy, which can be obtained from the College's Human Resources Manager - HRManager@sid.cam.ac.uk
Monitoring and Reporting
Dame Sandra Dawson – Sidney’s first woman Master and the first woman to lead one of the formerly all-male Colleges in Cambridge – sums up the task of EDI monitoring as follows:
We need base lines of data so that direction and pace of change can be evaluated. But one does not grow a plant by measuring it alone, although logging its growth does show what we are achieving.
Professor Dame Sandra Dawson
Both the Charities Commission Code and the Higher Education Code of Governance contain important principles that relate to the governance of the College and the pursuit of EDI objectives. At their core are requirements to monitor and report the steps we are taking to build our EDI knowledge, identify gaps and take appropriate action. We do this through the publication of an Annual Report, which you can read below.
Click 'Open' to read in full screen mode - in full screen mode, you can also download this report.
What We Want to Achieve
Aside from acknowledging that, as a charity operating in the Higher Education sector, we are bound by equality duties and codes of governance, giving space for EDI reflection and discussion helps us not only to fulfil our charitable purposes but also to create an environment in which our students, staff and Fellows learn, live and work in ways that achieve their full potential. We believe that it is from diverse experiences and backgrounds that we are better placed to learn from one another, develop shared understandings and allow our differences to be opportunities for innovation rather barriers to attainment.
