On the 13th of May 2021, members of the Psychology EDI committee organised a seminar which aimed to improve gender awareness and inclusion among staff. This was led by a third year non-binary student and all-around activist extraordinare, Avar Wilson. Their work includes a position as LGBT officer in the Student’s Union and voluntary work with LGBT Youth Scotland, LGBTQ Clacks, and Reclaim, alongside studying for a Psychology degree. A survey was circulated in advance of the session to gauge the interest of staff members in this topic and to enable participants to highlight any particular aspects they would like to be covered. Some of the key issues staff members expressed interest in included:
- How to ensure gender awareness and trans inclusion in research
- Information on current terminology and pronoun usage
- How to make trans students feel safe and included in teaching
- Key aspects of the trans experience in academia
The early section of Avar’s presentation referenced some seminal work by McKendry and Lawrence (2017), who are based at the University of Strathclyde. This research highlighted that 86% of the 135 survey respondents experienced barriers in work or study which were related to their trans identity. This resulted in a higher rate (35%) of withdrawal from study, compared to the national average. Specific barriers which were referenced for staff included obtaining adequate leave for gender-affirming medical care, difficulty updating publication records in order to reflect name changes, and bullying and harassment, as well as concerns about being outed. Students reported similar concerns, relating to perceived hostility in their university environment and a lack of gender awareness on the part of teaching staff and fellow students.
Some key actions which teaching staff could take to help address these concerns included avoiding assumptions of student’s gender identity based on their appearance, using neutral language in teaching materials where possible and using the correct pronouns. In a lot of scenarios, the data may not exist in relation to how particular research areas impact gender minorities, nevertheless, mentioning this fact is important and may encourage students to pursue the gaps in our knowledge! Avar suggested getting everyone to introduce themselves and their pronouns in small seminar groups, as student registration information may include incorrect names or pronouns. Adding your pronouns to your email signature and slides for teaching staff is also a beneficial way to indicate that you accept and support trans students.
Staff were also eager to learn about how to make participating in research more inclusive and appropriate for trans participants. Asking precise questions, which were underpinned by a clear understanding of the difference between sex and gender, was emphasized as essential, as well as knowing whether your research topic relates to sex, gender, or both. Including open-ended questions which allow participants to indicate their gender and whether this matches their assumed gender at birth ensures that your research is more accurate and captures the nuances of your sample.
Even though the session lasted just over an hour, it could have definitely continued for longer as staff had many insightful questions for Avar, who expanded brilliantly on the nuances of the points presented above. The session was thoroughly educational and enjoyable and left participants with a renewed sense of determination to improve the experiences of trans staff and students – along with a lot of action points for the Psychology EDI committee to pursue! A huge thanks to Avar Wilson who did a wonderful job of presenting and sharing their experience, and to Dr Carol Jasper and Dr Christian Keitel, who helped to plan and organise the session. For further information on how to make the university environment more inclusive for trans and nonbinary staff and students, please visit the links indicated below:
Supporting trans and nonbinary staff, students and applicants:
Making research more inclusive::
https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/guidance-collection-diversity-monitoring-data
Other useful resources: