Project title: Diversity Confidence in Engineering across the UK (DiCE-UK)
Funding awarded: £99,713.00
Project summary:
The DiCE (Diversity Confidence in Engineering) project aimed to create an inclusive academic environment where diversity is valued, such that students from minoritised groups thrive and continue into engineering careers.
The project built on earlier initiatives like student-voice cafés, student-led research projects, and EDI committees, which identified that a lack of sense of belonging affects multiple groups including:
- Minoritised students felt it took longer to feel accepted.
- Neurodivergent students struggled with transitions into and out of university.
- Black and Minority Ethnic students experienced lower academic outcomes.
Recognising that culture change means involving the majority, the project takes a large-scale approach engaging all students and staff to create an inclusive academic community. It can be replicated by securing academic leadership support and using or adapting engaging resources developed for expanding delivery across multiple cohorts.
The interventions, presented on an interactive website, offer replicable and adaptable materials and facilitation notes that can be used as a whole or embedded in other activities. These include a welcome-week teamwork activity focused on inclusive group work skills and two facilitated tutorial sessions: "Understanding and Valuing Diversity" and "Valuing Diversity and Working Inclusively."
We have demonstrated that the interventions can be scaled and adapted using a train-the-facilitator approach. Beyond the initial time and space needed to up-skill facilitators and embed sessions, there are no additional costs, making large-scale adoption relatively straightforward. These interventions can easily be adapted to different institutional contexts and disciplines.
The key benefits to other HEIs adopting these interventions include fostering a more inclusive academic community, engaging all students and staff in discussions about diversity, raising awareness of structural barriers, and empowering minoritised groups. By normalising conversations about diversity and its importance to engineering, these interventions enable more inclusive working environments, helping students champion diversity and inclusion themselves.
This holistic approach benefits not only minoritised groups but also the entire academic community, making it more adept at supporting inclusive practices.