Ensuring Equality in REF2014
REF2014 Code of Practice
HEFCE stated that all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) submitting into the REF had to ‘develop, document and apply a Code of Practice on selecting staff to include in their REF submissions. On making submissions, the head of institution will be required to confirm adherence to this Code’.
The College's code was approved by HEFCE on 5 October 2012.
REF2014 Equality Impact Assessment
As referenced in our Code of Practice and in order to ensure that the College’s positive duty to promote equalities was being met and that there had been no negative impact on any particular group, the College undertook a thorough and systematic analysis of all staff members eligible for selection as Category A staff at key stages of the selection process. This analysis, an ‘equality impact assessment’, was in respect of the protected characteristics for which data was available (age, disability, ethnicity and gender) and other characteristics that might have affected work output (grade, being on a fixed-term or open-ended contract, and being on a full-time or part-time contract). It was reviewed regularly and extensively by the College’s REF Equality Committee during the REF decision-making process and was also made available to Faculty Deans and REF Leads to consider as their submissions were being compiled.
The College's final REF Impact Quality Assessment was submitted to HEFCE in February 2014. It will be used by HEFCE’s Equality and Diversity Panel to assist with evaluating the overall effectiveness of the equality and diversity aspects of the REF at sector level and the lessons learned for the future, as part of a wider report reflecting on individual staff circumstances and other equality and diversity issues due to be published in 2015.
