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Staff inclusivity

BSMS Equality, Diversity and Staff Development (EDSD) Committee

BSMS launched an Equality, Diversity and Staff Development Committee in 2022 which consists of senior management, academic and professional services staff across all departments. The committee meets quarterly and aims to share best practice and promote equality throughout the school, develop and deliver a strategy for equality and diversity for students and staff and monitor the implementation of policies, schemes and practices.

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EDI leads at BSMS

Equality and Diversity Project Officer – Suze Cruttwell

Suze is the EDI Project Officer for Brighton and Sussex Medical School and coordinates the Athena Swan gender equality charter – please contact Suze for any issues around inclusivity at BSMS or the Athena Swan project.

Undergraduate EDI Lead – Dr Muna Al-Jawad

Muna is a senior lecturer in medical education. She is the lead for Curriculum on the Undergraduate Course and lead for the Inclusive Practice partners (IPP) scheme, a collaborative student-staff partnership focused on co-developing an inclusive curriculum. Students work in partnership with faculty to review and amend teaching content and pedagogy with the aim of decolonising and diversifying the curriculum. Muna can advise on inclusivity queries related to student undergraduate teaching.

Postgraduate EDI Lead – Dr Wajeeha Aziz

Wajeeha is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Education and the Inclusivity Lead for the postgraduate taught curriculum and can advise on any inclusivity queries related to student postgraduate teaching.

Academic Lead for Athena Swan – Dr Elaney Youssef

Elaney is a Lecturer in Medical Education and the Academic Lead for the Athena Swan gender equality charter – please contact Elaney or Suze Cruttwell for any issues around inclusivity at BSMS or the Athena Swan charter.

Student and Staff Inclusivity Advisor – Dr Arianne Shahvisi

Arianne’s research and teaching focuses on inequality, with a specific focus on gender, sexuality, race and class. She has delivered training on these issues to various charities, corporations and NHS groups. She is happy to advise on any issue relating to inequality and marginalisation in the staff or student context.

Chair of Equality, Diversity and Staff Development Committee (EDSD) – Dr Gaurish Chawla

Gaurish is a Lecturer in Medical Education and currently chairs the school’s Equality, Diversity and Staff Development (EDSD) Committee.

Useful links

Please visit the BSMS staff SharePoint page links to internal documents and initiatives here >

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BSMS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awards

The creation of the BSMS Staff and Student EDI Awards is a way of recognising and celebrating the passion, dedication and time devoted by staff in their promotion of, and commitment to, equality, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility across all BSMS activities. This may include leading on EDI projects, speaking at events, supporting students and colleagues to reach EDI objectives, supporting student or community led research, supporting the development of community engagement or any other relevant activities across BSMS. The awards take place annually and recognise staff and students who:

Embed equality, diversity and inclusivity into a BSMS course or module curriculum
Manage activities or actions that aim to adapt or change procedures, policies or practices to make them more inclusive
Create a positive shift in culture at BSMS by working to change systems and environments drawing on principles of equality, diversity and inclusivity
are role models that create a sense of inspiration and motivation throughout BSMS (and, where relevant, externally)
Implement or enhance initiatives or actions that help students or staff from underrepresented groups feel welcome and included

2024 winners: Dr Ceri Butler, Director of Postgraduate and Dr Annemarie Frank, BSMS Librarian.

Professional Services spotlights

Read our series of short interviews that celebrate some of our incredible professional services and technical staff.