Why I ...believe the drive for equal opportunities needs new impetus

Janet Finch Vice-chancellor of Keele University and chair of the Joint Equality Steering Group

I have agreed to chair the new Joint Equality Steering Group. It is the governing body for an initiative to drive forward equal opportunities for staff in higher education. The task is big and important and success will depend on strong support across the sector.

The purpose of the initiative is even grander than its name - the equality challenge in higher education framework. With the backing of about £2.5 million over five years from all the funding councils, the framework is a step-change in the effort to achieve equality for all higher education staff. Although some progress has been made, there is a need for a new impetus. There is also determination among heads of institutions to support this body and to move further and faster.

More than five years ago, the Commission on University Career Opportunity was established by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. It developed a full range of guides to equal opportunities - on everything from setting out strategies and implementing them, to explaining haras-sment and advice on avoiding age discrimination. It laid the groundwork on which the initiative will build.

I was a member of Cuco for several years. Once perceived widely as a marginal issue of political correctness, equal opportunities has become one of the most critical aspects of university management. The number of equal opportunities professionals within universities has expanded. The HE Equal Opportunities Network, which brings together these professionals, now numbers 100, and initiatives aimed at supporting women's careers in higher education - Athena and the Women's Higher Education Register - were launched, and are going from strength to strength.

Some notable milestones on the rise in the profile of equality include: the 1997 Dearing report, which emphasised universities' role in promoting an inclusive society; the 1999 Bett report, which drew attention to gender inequalities in higher education; the 1999 Ethnicity and Employment report, which found only a third of universities had separate racial equality policies; and a welter of legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and European directives.

While the government articulated the high priority it accorded to equal opportunities in the guidance and funding letters sent to the various funding bodies, we - the university heads - were in discussions with the trade unions. Together, we developed a framework for partnership that encourages local partnerships in universities to work together towards equality.

In this spirit, we recognised that while the task rests primarily with individual institutions, a long-term, sector-wide support structure would be helpful. So the framework was developed through extensive consultation. It will draw lessons from other sectors and other countries, identifying practical approaches that work and make a difference. Improvements will be measured quantitatively through improved data, and qualitatively through commissioned research. The full-time dedicated office will help manage various schemes to support university efforts on the ground.

Success will involve everyone in the sector. I know that vice-chancellors are committed to this work, as are the unions. This bodes well. But I am also aware that, as well as engineering changes to policies and procedures, hearts and minds - cultural change - will also be necessary.

I will announce more about the equality challenge framework at a conference on how management is facing up to equal opportunities in higher education next week. I am optimistic about the future of this initiative, and confident of receiving the widespread support essential for its success.