The Equality Act was introduced to make UK organisations (especially public authorities such as Universities) more transparent as well as try to harmonise the various current equality strands into one single piece of legislation.

The Act proposed a general public equality duty on public authorities. Universities, as well as the funding councils, are subject to this duty. It replaced the three existing duties (relating to race, gender, disability) with a single duty covering the protected characteristics of race, sex, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief.

The duty requires HEIs to have due regard to the need to:

  • Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation. 
  • Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. 
  • Foster good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The College’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee (EDIC) was established over eight years ago and oversees all aspects of equality, diversity & inclusion. The committee provides annual reports for the College Executive Committee and College Council. The Committee is made up of representatives from each department, who are named Equality & Diversity Champions with the remit to drive forward the equality, diversity & inclusion agenda at the College. Each Champion is working with their department to produce a departmental Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan based on the requirements set out in the Athena SWAN Action Plan and the College Equality Objectives and Action Plan. For further information please contact the EDI office on EDIOffice@rvc.ac.uk.

Equality and Diversity Champions

Below is the list of the Departmental Equality and Diversity Champions. The champions are members of the Equity, Diversity and Committee, whose remit is to promote equality and diversity across the College, some of the members have an additional role, which is highlighted within the list. The role of the Equality and Diversity Champions is to support their department to develop and promote an environment in which principles of equality and diversity are embedded as part of the departmental working culture. For further information about what your department is doing towards implementing the equality and diversity agenda you can contact one of your departmental champions.

Name Dept/Role
Christine Thuranira-McKeever  PPS/VP for EDI & EDC Chair
Ana Faro PSD
Lawrence Blackwood PSD
Nina Davies PSD
Rebecca Costello HR
Kurt Arden PPS
Virginia Hernandez PPS
Kim Stevens PPS
Lucy Brunton PPS
Dong Xia PPS
Donald Palmer  CBS
Ali Fouladi CBS
Renato Previdelli CBS
Claire Russell CBS
Michele Milner PSD
Jon Parry  PSD/TU
Steve Short PSD
Revd. Andy Marshall: Chaplain and Interfaith Advisor PSD 
Vicki Baldrey CSS
Hayley Carne CSS
Nichola Coombes CSS
Steven De Decker CSS
Jessica Gilby CSS
Lauren Hemmings CSS
Rosie Hudson CSS
Aarti Kathrani CSS
Melanie Perrier  CSS
Androniki Psifidi CSS
Lucy Garnsworthy BUS
Anna Riddle BUS
Elizabeth Goodwin Research Support Office
Melanie Hay Research Association 
Alexis Cooper SU/E&D Officer
Claudia Murphy SU/Welfare Officer
Vacant AS (SAT co-Chair)

AS: Athena SWAN
TU: Trade Union
SU: Student Union

Equality Policies

The College has developed the following Equality Policies:

Dignity at Work and Study

It is the intention of The Royal Veterinary College to provide a working and learning environment which promotes equality and diversity in all aspects of College life and activity, and to be a community which is safe, supportive and free of intimidation, bullying or harassment.

The Dignity at Work and Study policy applies to all employees and students of the College and they are expected to comply with it. Its purpose is to:

  • Promote an ethos and culture that is inclusive and safeguards the dignity and well-being of everyone
  • Create a climate in which harassment and bullying are unacceptable behaviours which will not be tolerated
  • Give individuals the confidence that any concerns they may have will be considered fairly and appropriately and that complaints can be brought in good faith without fear of detriment

Employees, students, visitors, consultants, clients and contractors to the College should be treated with courtesy, fairness and respect and are expected to treat others in the same way. This policy applies to all College premises, and all College Employees and Students working at other premises. Click this link to read the full Dignity at Work and Study policy.

Dignity at Work Ambassadors

Dignity at Work Ambassadors are members of staff from different parts of RVC. They have been trained to offer informal support and information to anyone at work who feels they have been inappropriately treated, bullied, or harassed, whether this is by a peer, someone junior to them, or someone senior to them.

Refer to the Dignity at Work Policy for further information which is available on the RVC intranet. Alternatively, you can contact the EDI department on EDIOffice@rvc.ac.uk

Name Contact Details Department/Campus
Nicola Read nread@rvc.ac.uk CSS/Hawkshead
Sally Burton sburton@rvc.ac.uk PSD/Hawkshead
Karen Humm khumm@rvc.ac.uk CSS/Hawkshead
Holly Smith hssmith@rvc.ac.uk CSS/Hawkshead
Jackie Cardwell jcardwell@rvc.ac.uk CSS/Hawkshead
Daniel Ngugi dngugi@rvc.ac.uk PPS/Hawkshead
Natalie Hubble nhubble@rvc.ac.uk PSD/Hawkshead
Caroline Pellet-Many cpelletmany@rvc.ac.uk CBS/Camden
Tom Moody tmoody@rvc.ac.uk PSD/Camden
Rebecca Wombwell rwombwell@rvc.ac.uk PSD/Camden
Rebecca Geddes rgeddes@rvc.ac.uk CSS/Hawkshead
Serena Maini smaini@rvc.ac.uk CSS/Hawkshead

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