Borders College Confirms its Commitment to Equality

Borders College (@borderscollege) is delighted to launch its new Equality Outcomes which set out practical steps to advance equality for staff and students over the next four years.

In a recently published report, Borders College has illustrated the steps it has taken to embed equality, diversity and inclusion into all aspects of college life.

In recent years the College has established a free sanitary provision delivery scheme, coordinated the allocation of over 600 laptops in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and created a range of free food initiatives to combat food insecurity. The college has also increased the number of pastoral staff to support the wellbeing of students.

Within the curriculum, we have built strong connections with local schools and employers to address the gender gap that exists in many sectors. Staff have also worked to embed equality, diversity and inclusion into everyday teaching practices including the introduction of wellbeing and exercise activities, and supporting students to take part in inclusive discussions about important issues such as homophobia and mental health. Most recently the college has made a public commitment, along with many other college’s and universities, to address racism on its campuses.

Borders College is committed to equality, but we also recognise there is more to do. Since October 2020, Borders College has been consulting with students and staff to find out what steps we need to take to create an even more inclusive College. Taking into account the views of our stakeholders we have developed four equality outcomes that we believe capture the priorities for our college and local community.

Within our equality outcomes are commitments to address hate crime, to continue to play our part in addressing the gender imbalance that exists across many employment sectors, to ensure our most vulnerable students have the very best chance of succeeding, and to explore ways to enhance the diversity of our workforce.

“In delivering our Strategic Ambition, Borders College needs to be a leader in challenging inequality through education and action. We have a responsibility to influence our workforce, students and community to consider their role in creating a more equal and inclusive society where everyone has the same life chances. Our equality outcomes document outlines our areas of priority and I look forward to seeing all areas of the college own and progress these.” – Angela Cox, Principal and CEO, Borders College