Diversity, put very simply, is about treating all individuals fairly, with dignity and respect. It is not about treating everybody the same, as different people have different needs.
Diversity is one of LUU's core values so it is at the heart of everything that we do. We think that by having diversity at the heart of what we do we will be:
The area in which we operate - the University as well as the city of Leeds itself - has a diverse population, so it is important that our practices and policies reflect this. For example did you know the following:
So we are certainly a cosmopolitan community. Given that diversity is about treating all individuals fairly, with dignity and respect, it is important that the Union ensures that its services are relevant to this diverse membership. And by services we don't only mean shops and bars, we also include services such as Democracy Support, Student Activities and Student Advice.
That's why diversity is a key part of the Union's plan and its work.
In 2006 LUU carried out a major piece of research to find out what students from diverse groups think of LUU and what they want from the Union. The findings showed that whilst some diverse groups feel that the Union is good at catering to their needs, some groups feel that there is much more that the Union can do. The findings were fed back to managers and now each department has a number of initiatives on their plan that we hope will make a real difference. These include ensuring that the new signage is appropriate for students with visual impairments, introducing child friendly Give It A Go for students with children, ensuring that the range of candidates standing for election is more reflective of the make-up of the student body, a cultural festival to celebrate the diversity of culture at Leeds and diversifying the events programme.
We're also creating opportunities for diverse students to get involved in the Union. There's a number of different assemblies looking at issues faced by members of these diverse groups.
You can find out more information by going to www.luuonline.com/assemblies/index.
There's been a new development in the area of diversity - Investors in Diversity (IID). IID is an award given to organisations that have an open and welcoming approach to people from different backgrounds. Organisations reaching the IID standard recognise that diversity, if effectively managed, is a powerful force for positive development. LUU has committed to working towards it. If we are successful it will be a very public sign of our commitment to this issue. LUU is the first students' union to commit to working towards IID.
If you're interested in knowing more about the Union's work on diversity then contact Hind Hassan, Diversity Officer on h.hassan@leeds.ac.uk or 0113 380 1244.
As part of the Union plan 2006 - 2009, Leeds University Union is committed to "ensure that services are relevant to the wider and diverse membership". The first stage in achieving this objective is to consult with our members; this paper writen in January 2007 shows the results of this consultation process.
Download a pdf copy of Leeds University Union's Diversity Research Report.
