Equitas – EDI in Practice in Higher Education Conference
Date: Thursday 23rd – Friday 24th May 2024
Venue: Millenium Theatre, Technological University of the Shannon, Moylish Park, Limerick, V94EC5T
There is a strong commitment across the Higher Education sector in Ireland to support, embed and drive best practice in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Following on from the inaugural Equitas conference which took place last year in SETU, this year’s conference in TUS aims to provide an opportunity to reflect on work to date in the Higher Education sector, share best practice and provide a platform for new and emerging research and action on key aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion.
The conference will be held in TUS Moylish Campus, Limerick on the 23rd and 24th of May 2024. This conference is open to academics across disciplines, researchers, graduate students, managers, EDI practitioners, administrators, and all who are interested in EDI in Higher Education.
Keynote Address: How Wellness Works (with Lisa Cuthbert)
Millennium Theatre
14:50 – 15:40
Parallel Sessions 3
15:40 – 16:00
Comfort break
16:00 – 16:45
EDI Landscape in Higher Education – Panel Discussion
Millennium Theatre
16:45 – 17:00
Summary
Gala Dinner begins with a wine reception at 6.30pm in The Strand Hotel, Top Floor. Followed by a Gala Dinner at 7.00pm with guests and music.
Day 2 – Friday 24th May
Time
Session
Room
9:00 – 9:30
Registration, Networking & Refreshments
Millennium Theatre
9:30 – 10:20
Keynote Addressfrom Advance HE: Nicola Rollock
Millennium Theatre
10:30 – 11:20
Parallel Sessions
11:20 – 11:40
Comfort break
11:40 – 12:45
Certain Individual Women – A Play by Julie Morrissey, concluding with a fireside chat
Millennium Theatre
12:45 – 13:00
Concluding Session
Millennium Theatre
Keynotes
Professor Nicola Rollock
“Toward an intersectional lens: racial justice in higher education“
Professor Rollock is a consultant and author who stands out for her ability to cut through the noise of current debates around racism with academic rigour, forensic analysis and precision. She is Professor of Social Policy & Race at King’s College London and Distinguished Fellow, Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. She works cross-sector with policymakers and organisations as a strategic advisor, cultural consultant and public speaker. Professor Rollock helps people think critically about how they understand racial justice and, as a result, implement better strategies for change.
Nicola Rollock will deliver a keynote address entitled “Toward an intersectional lens: racial justice in higher education” on Friday 24th May at this year’s Equitas EDI in Practice in Higher Education Conference in TUS Moylish.
Roxanne Hobbs
Hobbs Consultancy
“Courageous Leadership“
Roxanne is a certified co-active coach who is also trained in the work of Brené Brown. She is passionate about the diversity and inclusivity agenda believing that we need to remove the barriers to success in the workplace and create cultures where people can show up as themselves and be valued for it. Her background is in the media and creative industries and she strongly believes that the skills needed there – including creativity and innovation – are rooted in diversity, authenticity and vulnerability.
Roxanne was a managing partner at a top media agency and so understands the pressures at a senior level in this industry. She coaches extensively in media agencies, creative agencies, media owners and FMCG marketing departments. She founded The Hobbs Consultancy initially to effect change for women in the advertising industry. Since then, she has come to realise that it isn’t the women that need fixing and that it is not just women who face barriers in the workplace. She is also the founder of the Masculinity in the Workplace conference – designed to bring men along to the gender conversation, and explore how both men and women are held back by gender stereotypes. Roxanne is an experienced coach, facilitator and public speaker.
Roxanne Hobbs will deliver a keynote address on Thursday 23rd May entitled “Courageous Leadership” at this year’s Equitas EDI in Practice in Higher Education Conference in TUS Moylish.
Dr Lisa Cuthbert
Dr Lisa Cuthbert is the new Mental Health Ireland CEO
Lisa comes into the organisation with a wealth of experience as a CEO and leader in the not-for-profit charity sector. She has extensive experience of working with people who have experienced substantial challenges in their lives including homelessness, addiction, offending and mental health challenges.
As an experienced leader, Lisa has developed a range of person-centred, strengths-based services designed to support people in dealing with a wide range of challenging experiences. Lisa has also worked to bring people together in various networks to address sectoral issues and to ensure that people are getting access to the services they need. Lisa is an experienced Board member, policy maker, researcher and public speaker and has guest lectured on a variety of third level courses. In addition to her role as Mental Health Ireland CEO, Lisa is a current member of the Parole Board.
Dr Lisa Cuthbert will deliver a keynote address on Thursday 23rd May at this year’s Equitas EDI in Practice in Higher Education Conference in TUS Moylish.
Certain Individual Women – Julie Morrissy
Julie Morrissy is an Irish poet, academic, critic, and activist. From 2021-2022, she was the first Poet-in-Residence at the National Library of Ireland.
“Certain Individual Women” is an award-winning project that responds to inherent gender inequality in Irish law and society. It began as a book-length poem that features three distinct but overlapping elements: two personae, one based on the poet’s own experiences, and one based on her maternal grandmother, who grew up in the border town of Ravensdale, Co. Louth at the dawn of the Irish Free State. These poems are weaved around a series of docupoems constructed from Irish legislation and the 1937 Constitution, informed by Morrissy’s legal training. Combining lyric sequence with documentary legal poems, Morrissy draws on her backgrounds in law, creative writing, and activism for reproductive justice (as co-founder of X-ile Project). Through an aesthetic of interruption, “Certain Individual Women” is an intergenerational examination of womxn’s access to power and gender-based discrimination with regard to Irish law, currently and historically. Actors from Fishamble Theatre Company will perform excerpts from the play at this year’s Equitas conference, followed by a fireside chat with the artist.
Intersecting Identities
Art Exhibition – The Green Room, Room off Main Canteen, The Street.
As part of our commitment to nurturing emerging talent and promoting inclusive practices, the EDI Office partnered with third year students and lecturers of TUS, Clare Street, to offer work placements to four exceptional students. These students, driven by their passion for art and social change, embarked on a journey to curate and plan an exhibition that transcends boundaries and celebrates the richness of intersecting identities that is showcasing as part of the EQUITAS Conference.
The theme of this exhibition, “Intersecting Identities,” was born out of the students’ desire to provide a platform for diverse voices to be heard. It reflects their dedication to creating a space where artists can authentically communicate what matters to them, exploring the multifaceted dimensions of identity and experience.
Throughout this process, these students have demonstrated creativity, vision, and a deep understanding of the importance of inclusivity in the arts. Their commitment to fostering dialogue, challenging stereotypes, and amplifying marginalized voices has resulted in a truly compelling exhibition that promises to inspire, provoke thought, and spark meaningful conversations.
We invite you to engage with the artworks, and to reflect on the narratives they represent. Join us as we celebrate the power of art to transcend barriers, unite communities, and pave the way towards a more equitable and inclusive society.
The four talented work placement students, and their supervisors, who have curated and planned this remarkable exhibition under the guidance of the EDI Office are:
Sam Comerford, Print Contemporary Practice. Supervisor; Breda Lynch.
Fiona Nolan, Painting. Supervisor; Michael Cannon.
Avi Harding, Photography and Moving Image. Supervisor; Shelagh Honan.
Jeremiah Thomas Segero, Photography and Moving Image. Supervisor; Deborah McDonagh.
Students of LSAD in TUS – Fiona Nolan, Aoibhinn Harding, Sam Comerford and Jeremiah Thomas Segero – are organising an exhibition of works in the Millennium Theatre foyer as part of this year’s Equitas conference. This project is part of a work placement for these four students. The students put out an open call which closed in March and have gathered together works from artists in a variety of mediums on themes of equality, race, class and gender.
Pictured below (from L – R): Fiona Nolan, Aoibhinn Harding, Sam Comerford, Jeremiah Thomas Segero
Parallel Sessions
Thursday – Parallel Session 1 (11:05 – 11:50)
Karina Ryan (MIC)
An intersectional and care-informed approach to supporting mature student belonging in Higher Education.
Susan Meagher & Dr Lorcan Byrne (TUS)
Residualisation, Social Class & Higher Education: Unintended consequences of housing policy on educational progression in Limerick City.
Patrick Nevin (NCI)
The State and the problem of Traveller/Tinkers.
Trish Finegan, Dr PJ White, Dr Jacinta Byrne-Doran & Dr Brian Casey (SETU)
Intersectionality in Research through Design (RtD) – a Case Study
Catherine Tormey (UCD)
Fostering Culture Change: Integrating Dignity and Respect Training into Academic Curriculum at UCD
Diverse Active*Consent (DAC): Adapting Active*Consent for multi-cultural and diverse students in Ireland
Catherine Ann O’Connell (TUS)
Finding ‘pockets of care’ in the university: understanding inclusion through a care lens.
Dermot Barry (MTU) & Dr. Úna Prendergast (DCU)
A Spotlight on the Lab Elves
Siobhan Kangataran (MTU)
Athena Swan Practitioners Network
Thursday – Parallel Session 2 (12:10 – 13:00)
Dr Marie Connolly (UL)
Implementing a Values Led Human Rights Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy.
Tony McMahon (IUA) & Rory Carey (UCD)
Dignity and Respect Assessment Frameworks – a new methodology to ensure respectful organisational culture.
Tonya Watts (UoG) & Sarah Fink (AHE))
Resourcing EDI – a comparative look across higher education institutions in Ireland and beyond.
Dr Geraldine McDermott & Catherine O’Donoghue (TUS)
Friend or foe? Exploring Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education through the lens of EDI: a practice-based approach.
John Balfe (SETU) & Stephanie Hanlon (St Patrick’s Carlow College)
“Rising Above the Tide: Steering the Narrative on Refugees and Asylum Seekers Away from Far-Right Waters through the effective use of social and local media platforms”
Siobhán O’Brien (TCD)
Enhancing Inclusivity: Dynamics and Impact of the Athena Swan Champions Network
Dr Laura McEntee (MIC)
Inclusion and Diversity in Education: using drama to promote inclusion among diverse primary school children in Ireland. An action research study.
Dr. Chris McDermott & Ms. Mona Khan (TUS)
The Unfortunate Conflation of International Students and International Protection Applicants for Fee Purposes.
Roxanne Hobbs (Hobbs Consultancy)
Mental Health – A Diversity and Inclusion Perspective
Niloufar Omidi (UL)
Minority Stress and Intersectional Battle Fatigue in HEIs
Baisat Alawiye (Minority Teachers Ireland)
A Closer look: A relevant perspective for improving mental health and wellbeing for diverse communities in the workplace
Dr Julie Blanchard-Emmerson (University for the Creative Arts)
Living and learning at the race and gender intersection: Developing Inclusive Education with Fashion Business Management students
Emma Balfe, Dr. Claire McGing & Louise Glynn (IADT)
The State of the Arts: Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) principles in to Higher Education for the Creative, Cultural and Technical Industries
Thursday – Parallel Session 3 (14:50 – 15:40)
Santhi Corcoran (MIC)
Enacting a Family Learning project in support of Migrant and Displaced children and families: Applying intersectionality to EDI as a process of community engagement and education support in Higher Education
Mr Seán Adderley & Dr Derina Johnson (TCD)
Intersectionality and Universal Design for Learning: Enhancing Equity in Higher Education
Mary Nestor (ATU)
EDI Discourses and Dialogues: Reflections on Fieldwork
Prof. Marian Brennan (RCSI)
A multi-faceted approach towards a representative and equitable curriculum
Mx Catalina Vieru & Ms Jenny Duffy (RCSI)
PRIDE: A Network in Action
Daire Dempsey (TENI) & Amanda Kracen PhD (NCI)
Affirming Transgender and Gender Expansive Students Who Study Internationally
Kate Kennedy & Brighid Golden (MIC)
Our experience of delivering Trans Inclusion Workshops with staff and students in initial teacher education
Dr. Gerard Farrelly (MIC)
Workshop to promote equality, diversity and inclusion through Restorative Practice and enhance everyone’s wellbeing
Jaap Sanders (NHL Stenden)
What is DEI?” – Workshop for students, faculty and staff to learn more about DEI
Kristina Thornton (NHL Stenden)
Am I Biased?
Friday – Parallel Session (10:30 – 11:20)
Dr Noëlle O’Connor (TUS)
A review of gender related barriers in Irish Higher Education – a female perspective
Dr Ama Lawani (University of Stirling)
Foreign Early Career Women Researchers: Double strangers in a diverse environment
Ciara Rogers & Shannon Heffernan (MTU)
Support of Nursing Students with Disabilities/Learning Difference/Significant Ongoing Health Conditions During Practice Placement
Ms Julia Morrow BSc MSc (RCSI)
The Female Orgasm: A collaboration between the EDI Unit and Student Leadership to drive culture change to end sexual harassment and violence at RCSI
Dr Caroline West (UCC)
A New Era For All: Making Irish Sexual Violence and Harassment Responses Intersectional
Madeline Mc Aleer (TUS / Haven Horizons)
Moving Beyond the Echo Chamber – A Collaborative Partnership which Embeds Intersectionality in the Understanding of and Response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Abuse
Professor Lorraine McIlrath (MIC), Dr. Sharon McGreevy (IADT), Dr. Josephine Browne (IADT), Marcelina Fogarty (UCD), Catriona Campbell (RCSI), Liz Hughes (RCSI), Dr Trish Heavey (TUS), Professor Lorraine Leeson (TCD) & Ann-Marie Dooley (TUS)
From the margins to the mainstream – Normalising the Menopause within higher education in Ireland from multi-institutional perspectives
Dr Emer Nestor (MU)
Measure for Measure: Quantifying EDI at Maynooth University
Tom Costelloe & Marcelina Fogarty (UCD)
Leveraging Data for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Advancements: A Case Study of UCD
Noelle Reilly & Christina Sieber (SETU)
Exploring how the application of the principles of EDI support culture change in social care placements
Themes
We are pleased to reveal the themes for this year’s Equitas conference. The conference will explore 4 overarching themes on equality, diversity and inclusion, as outlined below.
Intersectionality in practice
The term Intersectionality, coined by Kimberle Crenshaw, helps explain how each individual has multiple identities and is subject to various forms of intersecting oppressions. It was initially used to explain the intersecting oppression of race and gender, as experienced by Black women. When we try to address grounds of discrimination in silos, we fail to gain a true understanding of power and oppression, and could further exacerbate existing inequalities.
This theme aims to explore how we can move beyond a theoretical understanding of intersectionality in its broadest sense and share practical examples of how an intersectional approach has been taken in EDI work in Higher Education.
Embedding EDI in Higher Education: Supporting Culture Change by Moving Beyond the Echo Chamber
There is a strong movement to embed EDI principles and practice within Higher Education, however this is not without its challenges. While there may often be strong support for EDI-related work, it may sometimes feel like conversations and initiatives are happening with the same group of engaged people. How do we support broader culture change in EDI within our organisations?
EDI in a Data-driven World
This theme aims to explore the challenges regarding EDI and Data. This thematic area might explore successful strategies for collecting EDI related quantitative data with the following subthemes in mind; Explorations on the tensions between a push for collecting more expansive equality related data within higher education and data privacy issues related to this; Reflections on collating data on sensitive topics under our commitments to Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment Framework; research and practice using qualitative EDI related data and supporting culture change through the power of personal stories; research and practice on navigating EDI conversations through social media; research and practice on navigating Artificial Intelligence through an EDI lens.
Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workforce from an EDI perspective
There are many synergies between workplace health and wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This theme aims to examine aspects of these synergies and look at best practice in this space. This thematic area focuses on well-being in the workforce initiatives that have applied an EDI lens; or EDI related initiatives or research that has directly impacted workplace health and wellbeing.
Book your Place
No VAT applies to conference prices.
2-day rate: 23-24 May w/ refreshments on arrival, lunch & evening dinner on 23rd – €230
2-day rate: 23-24 May w/ refreshments on arrival, lunch – no evening dinner on 23rd – €190
1-day rate: either day w/ refreshments on arrival & lunch – €130
TUS has a special rate for rooms with The Strand Hotel. This is where the Gala Dinner will be with music and guests on the evening of the 23rd of May. To avail of these room rates, please contact reservations@strandlimerick.ie quoting TUS Equitas at time of your booking. You must reserve rooms before March 22nd.
In addition to the foundational support and sponsorship provided by Advance HE, the following companies and businesses have kindly sponsored Equitas 2024 – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education Conference:
The Apple Farm
We value diversity and inclusion at work, because we live in a diverse society, which makes society better, and the workplace can be a space within which people get to interact with other people that they might not naturally meet in the course of daily social interaction, thus increasing understanding of difference among people, as well as showing that we all have much in common with each-other, regardless of background. (Cornelius Traas – The Apple Farm)
