Supporting equality and diversity in higher education

Posted on 20 April 2015

Head of Policy at Equality Challenge Unit Gary Loke was the main speaker at an Equality and HE: issues, ideas and initiatives seminar hosted by the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice.

Gary focused on the changing higher education landscape and its impact on participation in various areas, such as gender, race and disability. He considered which factors influence choice of different groups to go into higher education.

Gary was joined by two speakers: Joan O’Mahony of the Higher Education Academy, responsible for Retention and Success, the Paul Hamlyn What works? Programme and peer-led academic learning; and Paul Wakeling, a sociologist of education at the University of York’s Department of Education with particular interests in higher education and in social inequalities.

A graduate from the University of York, Gary previously worked for an older persons’ charity on age-related policy issues in health and social care and for a rural race equality organisation. He was formerly an elected sabbatical officer at York University Student’s Unions, chair of the National Union of Students (NUS) Black Students’ campaign steering committee, and a member of the NUS Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual campaign committee.

For further information please see slides from the event Gary Loke: Equality in higher education (MS PowerPoint , 1,142kb)

The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education institutions across the UK and in colleges in Scotland.