Court of Governors inclusion statement

Our University is committed to equality, equity, diversity and inclusion. As its governing body, we are proud to make that commitment and to do all we can to achieve our vision that the University is a place where discoveries are made, barriers are broken, diversity is celebrated and where everyone is welcome. 

As a responsible governing body, we strive to ensure and to champion equality and equity. As a progressive governing body, we take pride in our diversity. As a compassionate governing body, we commit to an inclusive culture that allows all our members to contribute and to feel they belong. 

We do this through action¹ including: 

• Approving and monitoring progress against our Being Westminster 2022–2029 Strategy, our EDI Strategy and our People Strategy: Being Me, Being Westminster 

• Positioning inclusion and diversity at the centre of our board recruitment process 

• Providing a professional, open, equitable, respectful and multi-cultural environment for all our governors and for those who engage with us 

• Promoting and encouraging ethical behaviour in the practice of good governance by our governors 

Some of our achievements are: 

• 72% of our governors are female, including our Chair, Deputy Chair and four out of five Committee Chairs 
• We have reduced our majority ethnic group (White) from approximately 90% to 68% of the membership 
• Approximately 25% of our governors are aged below 45 years old 
• Just over 50% of our governors are from one of three different religions
• Seven out of 18 governors are from our key stakeholder groups – colleagues and students

We recognise that inclusivity is strength and seek to involve all our governors as active participants in our discussions and decision-making. We acknowledge that we still have work to do to build a Court that reflects our colleague, student and local communities and are investing our time and energy into ensuring our ways of working and processes are inclusive, and engaging proactively with our communities. We will keep driving forward on this journey to become a diverse governing body in the broadest sense of the word. 

¹ Figures reflect the membership of the Court of Governors on 31 January 2023