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Equity and Diversity Frequently Asked Questions
What do we mean by 'Equity'?Equity refers to the University's commitment and responsibility to ensure that all staff members and students:
This doesn't mean that everyone is treated in the same way but rather in a fair and flexible way, because:
Employment equity (Equal Employment Opportunity – EEO) means appointing and rewarding the best available applicant on merit, based on their skills, experience and qualification. It also means all staff are able to access work opportunities such as staff development and training; promotion and reclassification; higher duties and a suitable and safe working environment. Education equity means that entry requirements, education practices, academic support and the curricula are such that all students can enter the University of Adelaide on merit and have equal opportunities for success. The University promotes equity through:
What do we mean by 'Diversity'?The University of Adelaide values the many different social, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds of its staff and students by providing:
The University values the contributions of such diversity towards enhancing our international reputation. Who is responsible for equity and diversity issues at the University of Adelaide?The University is committed to integrating the principles of equal opportunity, social justice and cultural diversity into its mainstream activities, and linking its equity goals directly to the faculty and central planning processes. Each Faculty develops relevant initiatives that are consistent with the University's equity goals, with each Executive Dean having a responsibility for developing performance indicators and reporting performance against these indicators. The Gender, Equity and Diversity Committee (GED) has nominated four immediate priorities for action in the University:
What are the University's legal responsibilities?The University has specifically legislated responsibilities of two particular varieties – individual and systemic. Under a number of Commonwealth and State statutes, the University has an obligation not to discriminate against individuals on the basis of sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, race, ethnicity, disability or sexuality, and to maintain an environment free from harassment. Individuals are provided with a legal remedy for discrimination and harassment by a number of Federal and State Acts, including:
The most important systemic legislative responsibility of the University exists under the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999. This act requires private enterprise employers and institutions of higher education to undertake and report on workplace programs to promote equal employment opportunity for women. Legal issues of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare also form part of the University's legal responsibilities in regard to equity and diversity as discrimination, harassment and bullying can have a significant impact on the health, safety and welfare of individuals and workplaces. The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (SafeWork SA) Amendment Act 2005 (SA) places additional responsibilities on the University as an employer in this regard. What is Unlawful Discrimination?The relevant legislation recognises two kinds of discrimination: direct and indirect. Direct discrimination involves treating a person ‘less favourably than another'’ in the same or similar circumstances, on a prohibited ground or for a prohibited reason – for example the denial of a position to a female job applicant on the basis of gender. The legislation also applies to decisions made because of stereotyped beliefs, opinions or attitudes – for example discrimination on the basis of a belief that people of a certain race are lazy, or that women are not ambitious. Indirect discrimination involves a requirement or policy which may appear to be fair, and universal in its application, but which has an unfavourable and disproportionate effect on members of a particular group, and is not a reasonable requirement. Indirect discrimination can occur without any intention on behalf of the discriminator to disadvantage a particular individual or group. What is Harassment?Harassment based on sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, race, ethnicity, disability or sexuality, is a form of unlawful discrimination. The law recognises three specific kinds of harassment – sexual harassment, harassment of a person with a disability seeking employment, and racial vilification. Sexual harassment is defined by law as unwelcome sexual advances, unsolicited acts of physical intimacy, unwelcome requests for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Bullying is now covered by the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (SafeWork SA) Amendment Act 2005 (SA) and is unacceptable at the University of Adelaide. Bullying behaviour includes the use of sarcasm, threats, verbal abuse, punitive behaviour, ‘ganging up’, and isolation, which has the effect of intimidating, humiliation, or psychologically terrorising individual workers or groups of workers. Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying, of any form are not tolerated at the University of Adelaide, and may be dealt with under the Fair Treatment Policy and associated Guidelines for Staff and Guidelines for Students. Staff complaints relating to these issues are handled through the Stafs Complaints Policy and student complaints are handle through Fair Treatment Guidelines for Students.
What are my Responsibilities as a Manager?All managers have the responsibility to maintain and promote a 'fair treatment climate' in which discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimisation and vilficiation are not tolerated, and complaints are deal with fairly, equitably, and in compliance with University policy and the principles of natural justice. A checklist for managers and supervisors on their responsibilities in relation to the Fair Treatment Policy is now available. Where appropriate managers should seek appropriate information and assistance in dealing with issues of equity, diversity, discrimination, or harassment. Information on support services for managers on these issues is available from the 'advice and assistance' section of this website. What do we mean by Pay Equity?Sometimes called 'pay equity', 'equal pay for work of equal value' or 'comparable worth', the idea behind pay equity is that men and women should be paid the same amount for work of equal or comparable value. So women who perform work that has equal levels of skill required or responsibility involved, under the same or comparable conditions, should be paid the same as men. In theory, women in Australia have been paid the same as men since the equal pay decisions of 1969 and 1972 in the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. But even today, statistics show that the average earnings of women are still less than men. The University is committed to the principle of pay equity and recognises the importance of collecting and collating data related to staff employment and salaries to enable effective analysis of gender pay equity. |
