Pictured: (l-r): Rachel Gefferie, Diversity Mark Lead; Dr Nikhaela Wicks (SSPSSR); Dr Kyra De Coninck (SSES); Dr Anna Waldstein (HSS); Dr Triona Fitton (SSPSSR); Vanisha Jassal (SSPSSR); Olisa Ofoma, Diversity Mark Officer; Dibra Thapa Magar, Diversity Mark Officer; Richard Reece, Deputy Vice Chancellor – Education and Student Experience; Dr Diana Cole (CEMS), Dr Sideeq Mohammed (KBS); Dr Helen Bintley (KMMS).
The recent Teaching and Learning Conference (12th September 2024) at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus was the perfect platform to celebrate the latest clutch of Diversity Mark Awards conferred on a variety of modules from across the Divisions.
Presided over by Richard Reece (Deputy Vice Chancellor – Education & Student Experience), the award ceremony provided an opportunity for all the hard work of the module convenors, Diversity Mark Officers, Librarians and the Diversity Mark team to be recognised and applauded amongst the University’s teaching and learning community.
The Diversity Mark programme is an institution-wide programme run by Student Success, that celebrates modules that offer an inclusive learning experience and a diverse range of resources. Supported by a student in their role as Diversity Mark Officer (DMO), the convenor provides evidence to show that the student voice is valued, inclusive resources have been added to their module, and there is a commitment to diversity and inclusion in their ongoing teaching practice and learning resources.
The Diversity Mark Award was presented to:
- Vanisha Jassal and Ola Ozoemena (DMO) for module SOCI9300 Support, Help and Intervention (Division of Law, Society and Social Justice).
- Dr Helen Bintley and Dibra Thapa Magar (DMO) for module PDPCP1 Professional Development and Person-Centred Practice (Kent and Medway Medical School).
- Dr Will Mbioh and Olisa Ofoma (DMO) for module LAWS6600 The Regulation Platform and Surveillance Capitalism (Division of Law, Society and Social Justice).
- Dr Diana Cole and Raahavy Rasaiya( DMO) for modules MAST6012 and MAST7012 Statistical Consultancy and Data Presentation (Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences).
- Dr Sideeq Mohammed and Paige Sharma (DMO) for module BUSN3120 Introduction to Management (Kent Business School).
- Dr Anna Waldstein and Rachel Gefferie (Diversity Mark Lead) for module ANTS3010 Introduction to Social Anthropology (Division of Human and Social Sciences).
The Diversity Mark was also presented to the following convenors, who obtained the award in June 2024 but had been unable to attend the previous ceremony at the EDI Awards:
- Dr Triona Fitton and Ola Ozoemena (DMO) for module SOCI5014 Education in a Global World (Division of Law, Society and Social Justice).
- Dr Nikhaela Wicks and Rachel Gefferie (Diversity Mark Lead) for module SOCI4110 Developing the Criminological Imagination (Division of Law, Society and Social Justice).
It was clear that a great deal of hard-work had gone into the review of each of the modules and every convenor was delighted with the outcome, comments and feedback of the Diversity Mark Awarding panel which took place at the end of August 2024.
Vanisha Jassal commented, “Being awarded the Diversity Mark was the icing on the cake but the process of scrutinising my module, to ensure that it was a good representation of diversity, was what was most enriching. The journey has consolidated my thoughts and reflections about how dominant discourses can marginalise many in society, and how it is our role as educators to ensure that students are accessing course materials which challenge these. Thank you to the Student Success team for its support, and for keeping decolonising, inclusivity, and diversity, firmly on the agenda.”
It was the collaborative aspect of the process that appealed to Dr Anna Waldstein, “Diversity Mark has a lot of benefits for both students and module convenors. For me the best part of the whole experiences was meeting so many like-minded people (Diversity Mark officers, the review panel, other awardees, and people who attended my presentation at the Learning and Teaching conference). “
And the theme of co-creation is echoed in Dr Sideeq Mohammed’s words, “Teaching a curriculum that reflects the diversity of Kent’s staff and student body is a pedagogic challenge but a moral necessity. The Diversity Mark process is useful in helping convenors to rise to these challenges because it offers the support – particularly from the Diversity Mark Officers – to cocreate a curriculum informed by meaningful feedback from diligent observers.”
Dr Helen Bintley explains the benefits of the reflective exercise, “The process of successfully applying for the Diversity Mark Award has further developed my understanding of EDI in teaching and curriculum, and has enabled the module team to include, in particular, global voices more effectively in the reading list and module.
This has meant that not only have we made material changes to the reading list and, importantly, the wider module and beyond but we have also learned from those changes, which has enabled a continual cycle of development that has extended into this year’s module teaching and learning.
I hope to now use this learning and development to support others in my school to undertake their own application processes, learning from the challenges we overcame and the learning we gained.”
The Student Success team would like to extend special thanks for the on-going collaboration with the library team who work tirelessly to make Diversity Mark a success.
Module convenors interested in the Diversity Mark process can find out more here and are warmly encouraged to register their interest by emailing studentsuccessproject@kent.ac.uk .