Culture, equality and inclusion
Source: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/culture-equality-and-inclusion Parent: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/masters
We are striving to become ‘Inclusive Sussex’. All members of our community will have equal access to opportunities, and we will enable and support them to fully achieve their potential and contribute to the success and advancement of the University. Find out about the work we are doing at Sussex and the ways we involve and support our community.
Our Inclusive Sussex vision
Find out about our vision to become Inclusive Sussex. Reducing inequalities and celebrating diversity allows us all to thrive. We can achieve more together than we can apart.
This equality, diversity and inclusion strategy sets out the steps we will take to become an Inclusive Sussex. This is a collective endeavour across management, staff and students which sets out to create a fully inclusive campus by and for our whole community.
##### Accessibility to University
##### Everyone’s voice matters
Advancing equality and building an Inclusive Sussex
Hello. My name is David Ruebain, and I'm the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion.
I'd like to talk today about the University's more proactive and positive obligations to advance equality, diversity and inclusion, and also related legislation which affects our work in this area.
Many of you will be aware that the Equality Act 2010 is the primary legislation requiring organisations, including universities, to avoid acting unlawfully in the area of various kinds of discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and also proactively to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people don't face substantial disadvantage.
But beyond that, universities as public bodies have particular obligations under what's called the Public Sector Equality Duty.
And the Public Sector Equality Duty is an innovative, proactive obligation requiring universities and other public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other unlawful conduct, but also in particular to advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations between persons who may share a protected characteristic or which is an identity, and those who don't or who have different identities.
And these particular obligations, these proactive obligations, are critical in fostering and creating an environment in which everyone can succeed.
In Sussex, for example, we have initiated a number of programs that seek to help us meet the obligations of the Public Sector Equality Duty. For example, we are now at the beginning of a five-year initiative called Black at Sussex, which is an initiative in partnership with other organisations, including the Black Cultural Archives in London, and seeks to celebrate some of our many extraordinary Black alumni and thereby also help us create an environment within the University which fosters a sense of belonging for everyone.
We set up a Religion and Belief Forum to help us think about diverse groups within our community who hold particular beliefs, whether they're faith beliefs or other beliefs, or who hold no particular beliefs. And what we may need to do to bring the different communities together.
We've commenced a series of exciting events called Inclusive Sussex: In Conversation, where we will be bringing external speakers from a variety of backgrounds to talk about their lives and their work in a way which I hope will be engaging, informative and supportive of our ambitions as a university.
And in that way, we hope to use the legal obligations that we have to enable us to really deliver on our values in our strategy, and to meet our commitment to advance equality, diversity and inclusion.
Related to this work, the University has other legal obligations which frame the work that we do, and these include legal obligations to prevent hatred, incitement of hatred, to protect against harassment and to maintain public order and safety. And there are, of course, other legislative frameworks which may as well impact, such as the University's obligations under the Prevent Duty, to prevent extremism.
And indeed, legal frameworks which cover all organisations, but also universities, such as prohibitions against libel and defamation and indeed protecting employees' rights in a variety of ways as well.
- see Inclusive Sussex updates from David Ruebain
- see more video updates from David Ruebain
- see Inclusive Sussex: In Conversation events.
Our Antiracist Pledge
We pledge that we will seek to be antiracist by making all necessary changes to the education, research and administrative activities of the University. Through diligent, sustained antiracist work we will move towards being an inclusive university that genuinely celebrates and reflects diversity.
Find out more about our Antiracist Pledge
Freedom of speech
We are committed to promoting academic freedom and freedom of speech through providing an environment for the peaceful exchange of diverse viewpoints.
Find out more about our commitment to freedom of speech
Black at Sussex
This is a five-year programme which aims to improve the experience of Black students and staff at Sussex. We want to celebrate our Black alumni and build collaborative relationships with Black-owned businesses.
Find out more about Black at Sussex
Open Listening Programme
This programme helps staff and students navigate difficult conversations and build a culture of active listening.
Find out more about the programme
News
[### Be part of Religion and Belief inclusion work at Sussex by joining the Religion and Belief Forum
9 December 2025
We are looking for interested staff to join the Religion and Belief Forum and help influence the University’s approach to religion and belief.
](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/culture-equality-and-inclusion/news?id=69630)
[### Dan Sumner on the importance of sanctuary and support for students facing adversity
4 December 2025
In this blog, Dan tells us about the power of shared values and the impact the English for Refugees scheme has had on students
](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/culture-equality-and-inclusion/news?id=69603)
[### International Day of Persons with Disabilities
4 December 2025
On 3 December, every year, the United Nations commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/culture-equality-and-inclusion/news?id=69602)
\ See all the latest culture, equality and inclusion news
Events
[### Open Listening Programme Workshop
Thursday 30 April from 9:30 until 13:30\
University of Sussex Campus
Experiential and practical workshops aimed to foster inclusive listening approaches.
](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/global-engagement/news-and-events/events?id=68959)
Our community
Creating a sense of community is vital to us at Sussex and we want to provide opportunities for you to connect, to be supported and feel included.
If you are a member of staff you can:
- join a staff network group
- become a dignity champion
- become an EDI champion within your School or division.
We can also support your wellbeing and offer equality and diversity training.
If you are a student, we can support you through our:
Find out more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Sussex and take a look at our Report + Support tool to report bullying, harassment or violence.
Give us your feedback
We’d love to hear from you so we can constantly monitor and improve our culture, equality and inclusion web pages.