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Council for Higher Education in Art and Design

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Council for Higher Education in Art and Design

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Women in Leadership: Gender Identity provocation

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Women in Leadership event 2023 working paper

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Women in Leadership event 2023 working paper

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Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership

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Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership

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Aurora: Advance HE's leadership development initiative for women

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Aurora: Advance HE's leadership development initiative for women

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THE podcast: how to navigate HE as a woman of colour

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THE podcast: how to navigate HE as a woman of colour

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The challenges facing female leaders in higher education – and how to address them

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The challenges facing female leaders in higher education – and how to address them

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Women’s leadership is vital in the evolving landscape of higher education

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Women’s leadership is vital in the evolving landscape of higher education

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Following the technology-driven advances that resulted from the pandemic, all industries, including higher education, have evolved at faster rates than before. This trend will only gain momentum, particularly challenging colleges and universities. Their work is increasingly evaluated by industry leaders and learners for its applicability to meet workforce needs.

US institutions continue to face unprecedented challenges when it comes to potential learner perception of the value of higher education, which impacts enrolment and retention. Because of this, it is critical that we ensure that women not only have a seat at the table but are also at the helm, helping lead universities through dynamic times.

Here, we explore the historical experiences, research findings and the broader advantages of placing women in leadership roles, especially during periods of dynamic change, to encourage institutional leaders and board members to give closer consideration to female candidates.

Leading in a turbulent landscape

After the Second World War, US higher education boomed. The GI Bill provided veterans with funds for higher education, and federal and state funding for institutions grew rapidly. Over the next 75 years, however, not much changed in the landscape. More recently, however, the US market and consumer behaviour has shifted the public perception of higher education's value.

As we continue to work to face this new thinking head-on, it is imperative that college and university leaders:

be strategic about the programmes they offer

consider the return-on-investment that their programmes provide, such as the job-ready skills they teach and the professions they prepare learners to enter

develop genuine partner relationships with industry leaders to ensure that what they are providing learners truly matches gaps in company, industry and workforce needs.

Gender diversity and institutional success

To address these changes, different types of higher education leaders may also be necessary. Yet when it comes to senior-level leadership roles, in recent years men have still outnumbered women two to one in the presidency, and women of colour accounted for a little more than one out of every 10 presidents.

Fortunately, to help us navigate these unprecedented times in higher education, there are numerous studies that have found positive correlations between gender diversity in leadership and institutional success, including profitability and value creation. Interestingly, it has also been found that executive teams of outperforming companies have more women in executive line roles versus staff roles. According to the American Psychology Association, psychological research shows that female leaders help to increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire institutional dedication and improve fairness.

According to the National Institutes of Health and Stanford Medicine, researchers have found inherent variances in brain anatomy between genders, which impacts behaviours and cognitive task abilities. Their research uncovered that, adjusted for total brain size, a woman's hippocampus - the part of the brain critical to learning - is comparatively larger than a man's, and women's brains consistently showed more strongly coordinated activity between the right and left hemispheres. Additionally, they found that women excelled in several measures of verbal ability, reading comprehension and writing ability, perceptual speed, and in retrieving information from long-term memory.

In grappling with today's new challenges, leadership teams can benefit from ensuring a diversity of thinking, behaviours and abilities, as such configurations can bring in myriad new perspectives, ideas and solutions. Institutions can create a foundation for success through team composition, providing higher levels of creativity, engagement, collaboration, clarity and productivity. In turn, they can help engage a broader population of potential students and better address their diverse needs, increasing retention and programme completion rates.

A platform to support new thinking

Leaders who bring a variety of skills, experiences and perspectives can also foster improved problem-solving and decision-making. Amid demands for faster change than the higher education sector has previously experienced, diverse leadership teams may also be better positioned to address the multifaceted needs of a diverse student body.

The American Council on Education highlights that female leaders in higher education often prioritise issues related to inclusivity, such as diversity in faculty and student bodies. This commitment to inclusivity can then enhance leadership team composition, leading to better outcomes and improved learner educational experiences. The presence of women at the top levels of leadership, particularly if institutions have not had them prior or recently, provides a platform that can support new ways of thinking and tackling problems. Universities will then be better prepared to face the challenges now and ahead.

The inclusion of women in leadership roles within the higher education industry is not merely a matter of achieving gender parity. It is a strategic decision for the advancement of academia. Historical experiences, coupled with compelling research findings, underscore the importance of diverse leadership in fostering innovation, inclusivity and success. Through a multifaceted approach to diverse leadership, institutions can play a vital role in shaping the future of the sector and its ability to evolve to meet the changing needs of learners in a technology-infused marketplace.
Becky Takeda-Tinker is president and CEO, and Jenna Tarleton is the associate director of communications and external relations, both at CSU Global. If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.

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Women's leadership is vital in the evolving landscape of higher education

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The higher education sector is facing unprecedented changes since the pandemic, with technology evolving at a faster rate than ever. Becky Takeda-Tinker and Jenna Tarleton show that women can play a pivotal role in leading the way through this new normal

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How AURORA inspires women to lead: Personal stories from women in higher education.

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This Prof Life Podcast: Women of Color in Higher Education

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This Prof Life Podcast: Women of Color in Higher Education

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Chrissy Levett - How to be a changemaker and be impactful in your industry

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Chrissy Levett - How to be a changemaker and be impactful in your industry

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Chrissy Levett - How to be a changemaker and be impactful in your industry

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Listen to this episode from Creatives in Focus : The Podcast on Spotify. Welcome to the Creatives in Focus Podcast. The podcast where we discuss the journey to excellence and creating for impact. On this podcast, I will be joined by creatives and entrepreneurs who are excelling in their fields and creating for positive impact.

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Any funds raised through our work go directly back into our work as a charity/not for profit. We focus solely on creative thinking for social and environmental impact. We work with creatives from all over the planet, empowering, rewarding and training creative thinkers to use their talents and skills to build a better, fairer, healthier, sustainable and regenerative world.

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Creativity for a better world. We are a creative community and global not-for-profit organisation who believe that creative thinking and innovation can make positive change.

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Leading with love: authenticity, vulnerability and compassion in contemporary HE

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Leading with love: authenticity, vulnerability and compassion in contemporary HE

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Leading with love: authenticity, vulnerability and compassion in contemporary HE | Advance HE

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Dr Jenny Lawrence, Director of the Oxford Brookes Centre for Academic Enhancement and Development, reflects on the rigours of compassionate leadership in HE and considers how the Global Leadership Framework might be useful to leaders in the Professional Services.

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Resources and information for supporting trans, non-binary & gender diverse applicants, students and staff in FE & HE

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Resources and information for supporting trans, non-binary & gender diverse applicants, students and staff in FE & HE

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Between 2016 and 2018, Dr Stephanie Mckendry and Dr Matson Lawrence at the University of Strathclyde conducted research on the experiences of transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people in colleges and universities. The initial research project - TransEDU Scotland - examined the experiences of, and current provision for, trans and gender diverse applicants, students and staff in colleges and universities across Scotland. The research and initial resource development was funded by the Scottish Funding Council, and supported by the University of Strathclyde.

We have since developed open-access resources, guidance and training materials for the post-secondary education sectors - and have developed this TransEDU website ( www.trans.ac.uk) to provide a central resource for information on supporting trans applicants, students and staff in colleges and universities. The development of further resources and leadership models for the wider TransEDU project was supported by funding from the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

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Between 2016 and 2018, Dr Stephanie Mckendry and Dr Matson Lawrence at the University of Strathclyde conducted research on the experiences of transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people in colleges and universities. The initial research project - TransEDU Scotland - examined the experiences of, and current provision for, trans and gender diverse applicants, students and staff in colleges and universities across Scotland.

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None of the Above: Reflections on life beyond the binary by Travis Alabanza

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None of the Above: Reflections on life beyond the binary by Travis Alabanza

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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This blog has kindly been provided by by Kai Syng Tan Associate Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton

Portrait of author being interviewed by Japan Broadcasting Corporation as juror of Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2023 in Japan, by Kah Wai Lim.

It's Valentine's day, and I'm looking for love.

Don't be silly, you scoff.

Silly, then for one Paulo Freire to link education to love, framing the four-letter word as an act intertwined with solidarity and liberation. One generation on, bell hooks describes love as a 'practice of freedom' to ' move against domination, against oppression'. Critically, diversity is fundamental to this love. The same way opposites can attract, the poet-professor argues that a 'beloved' community is formed 'not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world'.

Well, serious academics today don't talk about love. Nor do they laugh (much), you kindly warn.

Luckily, I'm not just an(y) academic.

I'm an artist. It's my job to be dotty. That's why I've discussed how the queen of dots Yayoi Kusama gives form and direction to unknowns, and called for the governments to collaborate with artists to co-curate new visions. I called this 'artful leadership', where artists catalyse change beyond the remit of art and design.

I'm also unashamedly autistic, dyslexic and hyperactive. I connect dots in atypical ways. That's why I love appropriating EDI as a positive, galvanising force and creative solution - not an appendix or problem. This counters how HE art and design is under-valued, as CHEAD reports. I founded the Neurodiversity In/& Creative Research Network which comprises 410 atypical innovators worldwide, including a theorist of ' neuroqueering'. Such efforts matter. While neurodivergence is over-represented in art and design, barriers faced - as well as advantages neurodivergence afford - remain mysteriously under-discussed in Higher Education (HE).

Education needs love to foster change, argue Freire and hooks. That was why I outlined 'tentacular pedagogy'. Nourished by my working-class migrant background, this centres the art school ethos of creativity, courage, curiosity and change-making, but with its hearts in neurodiversity, decolonisation and intersectionality. This teaching and (un-)learning framework rallies art and design to play a pro-active leadership role to catalyse change in and beyond HE. It seeks to update art and design's mission to serve 'society, the economy and the environment', and fulfil UNESCO's vision for HE to prioritise care, solidarity and social justice too.

But talk is cheap. I'm a maker. That's why, as a trustee board member of an arts and social justice charity, I've helped steer radical transformation in its governance, by embedding co-design and anti-oppression policies and practices, leading to the appointment of its first, Black neurodivergent female Artistic Director.

That's also why, with the distinguished Professor of Architecture Ola Uduku, I co-curated the 75th Anniversary Celebrations of the 5th Pan African Congress in Manchester (PAC75). Black students chaired sessions with elders like Lemn Sissay. Materials produced reached 18.2 million people, and are used in the universities of Manchester, Salford and Ghana.

In a new arts and cultural leadership masters, I'm calling upon hooks and others to decolonise and love-bomb the curriculum. The modules I lead on seek to dismantle the master's story of leadership.

Sure, the academy 'is not paradise', reminds hooks, but education remains 'a place where paradise can be created'. Freire adds that without education, 'society cannot change'. The road ahead isn't paradise, and love - solidarity, justice, freedom, and liberation - aren't exactly low-hanging fruits. Yet, many who teach art and design do what we do, because we believe that HE art and design is a force for good. We know that change, like love, takes time, and that with students we can build a world where it is easier to love. And only serious, artful academics get - and want to beget - love..

I've outlined my seriously silly efforts to beget love. It's only been 25 years since my first full-time HE teaching role - I moisturise, cheers, love - and I'll keep trying. Tell me about your efforts, so that we can join hands.

The full version of this article was published on 2nd February on Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE)

Kai Syng Tan PhD PFHEA is a trans-disciplinary artist-curator, advocate, advisor and Associate Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership, University of Southampton. Her book Re-Imagining Leadership with Neuro-Futurism: An A-Z Towards Collective Liberation (Palgrave Macmillan 2024) will be out in Spring. Rather than something based on individuals, hierarchy, organisations, genes or luck, Kai re-imagines leadership as a love-led, beyond-colonial, neuro-queered and (co-)creative practice, outlining 'neuro-futurism' as a multi-faceted toolkit within this. These are her personal views. @kaisyngtan

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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This blog has kindly been provided by by Kai Syng Tan Associate Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton Portrait of author being interviewed by Japan Broadcasting Corporation as juror of Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2023 in Japan, by Kah Wai Lim.

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is the only Accredited Museum in the UK dedicated to women's lives, histories and achievements, with a lending library, archive collections and innovative programmes of public events & learning opportunities.

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During 16 Days of Action Against Gender Based Violence, Glasgow Women's Library and Amina - The Muslim Women's Resource Centre are taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

Together, we're raising vital funds for our partnership project YOU CAN CHANGE THIS.

Our ethical gift guide is here! Visit our shop online or in person and support a unique charity whilst giving something different, special, ethical & unique this Christmas.

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Glasgow Women's Library | Celebrating Scotland's Women

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Glasgow Women's Library is the only Accredited Museum in the UK dedicated to women's lives, histories and achievements, with a lending library, archive collections and innovative programmes of public events & learning opportunities.

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any cisgender people are surprised that I, a trans person, often have no desire to read the latest trans book or watch the latest TV show with a trans character in it. The fact is that I generally turn on the TV or open a book to relax. It's the opposite of relaxing to see the facts of my life continually presented back to me - at best, it is nothing I didn't know already; at worst, it is harmfully distorted.

The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice, by Shon Faye, is not a relaxing read, and yet I am profoundly grateful that it exists. Nor is there all that much in it I didn't already know, but then that is the nature of being a trans person in the UK. We are forced, in the name of self-defence, to become experts in every subject that might overlap with "the transgender issue", from prisons to sports to public bathrooms. Meanwhile, many cisgender people live in blissful ignorance of the acute crises that face trans people in this country every day.

It is those people who really need to read this book. Faye lays out in unsparing detail the stark realities of trans life today. She makes sure, however, not to represent the trans condition as uniquely tragic or difficult, highlighting parallels between the trans experience and those of other oppressed or minority groups. This position is clear from the first line: "The liberation of trans people would improve the lives of everyone in our society."

Trans people are so often drawn into public "debates" where we have very little say in the terms

Faye, an editor-at-large at Dazedand former lawyer, described her career trajectory thus in an interview with QX magazine: "Had a complete implosion, quit my job, moved back to Bristol and came out as a trans woman. Then became a freelance writer." Known as one of the funniest people on trans Twitter, she recently tweeted in response to a troll "I am a tran for a living", a sentiment I can relate to. Most trans people I know feel to some degree like they are forced to be a tran for a living. With it comes the expectation that you be ready and willing, at any time, to hold your ground on any element of "the transgender issue" anyone might decide to quiz you about.

Faye uses analogy to deftly answer complicated questions - if being trans is not a mental illness, why does the NHS need to provide treatment for it? She draws a parallel with unwanted pregnancy - being pregnant is not an illness and yet abortion is a vital medical intervention, for want of which people are driven to desperate extremes. Similarly, a trans person needs access to medical transition not because they are ill, but because it is necessary for that person.

Such analogies shatter the divide whereby trans people are seen as incomprehensible and separate from all other groups. As Faye points out: "the illusion that trans people's concerns are niche and highly complex is often a way to disempower them".

She is uncompromising and her anger palpable. This, I suspect, may put some readers off. Trans people in the UK are in a hopeless situation; they face overwhelming political and media hostility, while vital healthcare is almost impossible to access. It is infuriating to be asked to speak politely and without emotion about what is, to many of us, life or death. I hope that readers will respond not with defensiveness, but with a commitment to lending their much-needed support.

Trans people are so often drawn into public "debates" where we have very little say in the terms. Faye makes it clear that she is not interested in engaging, writing: "I believe that forcing trans people to involve themselves in these closed-loop debates ad infinitum is itself a tactic of those who wish to oppress us." When we are forced to fruitlessly argue the same points over and over, we are given very little opportunity to talk about what is actually important to us - like the fact that waiting times for a first appointment at NHS gender identity clinics now range between three to five years. A book such as this one, in which a trans person has the opportunity to speak clearly and compellingly on their own terms, is a vitally needed antidote.

Faye lays out the shift in approach of the British press towards trans people in the last decade, taking as her starting point the tragic case of Lucy Meadows, who came out as a trans woman in 2012 while teaching at a primary school. The subsequent campaign of vilification and harassment by the press culminated in her killing herself in March 2013.

Faye writes that "while, since Lucy Meadows's death, there have been some small improvements in press conduct towards trans individuals, such gains have been more than offset by the dramatic rise of another phenomenon: a huge ramping up of press hostility towards trans people as a minority group". The aggressive misgendering and cruel jokes that were directed at Meadows were more openly hostile than media coverage now, which tends to be cloaked in softer language about "concerns" - but negative coverage about trans people is far more ubiquitous today. One book cannot, of course, outweigh such a continual outpouring of animosity. Nevertheless, as drops in the bucket go, this book is an important and weighty one.

The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice by Shon Faye is published by Allen Lane (£20). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

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The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye review - a cry for compassion

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any cisgender people are surprised that I, a trans person, often have no desire to read the latest trans book or watch the latest TV show with a trans character in it. The fact is that I generally turn on the TV or open a book to relax.

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Ajamu X, Bud Kim, 2018, Giclée print, Collection of the artist, Ajamu X

This first-of-its-kind exhibition at the Whitworth delves into the gallery's collection to explore how we can use a queer lens to define what the term 'queer' means. Examining same sex love and desire and gender fluidity across different cultures, the exhibition offers a survey of artworks that seeks to redress historic omissions that have existed because of heteronormative museum practice.

Presenting collection works alongside loans the exhibition includes artists Ajamu X, Niki de Saint Phalle, General Idea, David Hockney, Maggi Hambling, Pearl Alcock, Keith Vaughan, Matthew Bamber, Sarah-Joy Ford, Wolfgang Tilmans, Chester Tenneson and Jez Dolan.

Exhibition producer Dominic Bilton has led the development of this exhibition in partnership with Curator (Historic Fine Art) Imogen Holmes-Roe and with support from the LGBT Foundation. Dominic said: "LGBTQIA+ people representation in the art collection, in the gallery, in history and in culture is so important. It shows how they have informed things like printmaking, textiles, and art practice.

"We have an opportunity, through the exhibition and engagement with our LGBTQIA+ communities to amplify and support an often-marginalised group. Traditionally museums and galleries have not engaged with LGBTQIA+ communities, whether that be due to lack of expertise on queer art history, or a lack of capacity and knowledge around how to engage with our queer communities. (Un)Defining Queer , seeks to redress these historic omissions by presenting works, some that have never been on display before, interpreted through a queer lens."

Dominic added: "We've got over 70 artworks in the exhibition, and I really hope that people feel inspired, and get a sense of history and community from it. I hope people come away from this exhibition proud of who they are regardless of whether or not they are queer."

(Un)Defining Queer is a participatory-led project that has been working with an intersectional group of people, who self-identify as LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex and asexual) to help us develop a glossary of queer terms. As part of the exhibition, visitors will be invited to contribute to the development of our 'Queer Glossary' as we explore how to define LGBTQIA+ representation and visibility within the gallery.

Exhibition curator Imogen Holmes-Roe said: "(Un)Defining Queer is an exciting opportunity for the gallery to continue building on the work that has already begun through our wider Queering the Whitworth programme and to give it greater visibility. Through working alongside the project's participants, we have discovered artworks that either haven't been shown at the Whitworth or interpreted through this lens before."

Centred around key themes that include Queer Gaze, Performativity, Chosen Family, Mythology and Activism, the exhibition seeks to challenge the heteronormative gaze. The space itself will hold moments of activism, from the colour scheme that is used within the exhibition, reclamation of homophobic language to the year-long inclusive engagement programme.

In proud partnership with the LGBT Foundation.

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(Un)Defining Queer at The Whitworth | Manchester Exhibitions

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(Un)Defining Queer delves into the Whitworth's collection to examine how we can use a queer lens to define what the term 'queer' means.

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(Un)Defining Queer. Queering the Constituent Museum

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(Un)Defining Queer. Queering the Constituent Museum

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Produced by the Whitworth, this book is the first publication of its kind, exploring how Constituent Museum Practice and queer theory were used to 'queer' the Whitworth's collection.

This publication is celebrated as a legacy book for (Un)Defining Queer, an exhibition which was on display at the Whitworth from 27th January to 3rd December 2023.

The texts within the book explore what Constituent Museum Practice is and how using this approach to queer museology, in combination with Queer Thoery (Judith Butler, Sara Ahmed et al.), has been instrumental in the development of this participatory exhibition.

The book also contains in conversations with Ajamu X and Sarah-Joy Ford on queering archives, Monica Pearl and Nathaniel Hall on HIV activism, along with in conversations with other curators who have developed queer exhibitions at different museums.

Paperback

151 Pages

Book design by Craig Oldham

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(Un)Defining Queer: Queering the Constituent Museum

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Produced by the Whitworth, this book is the first publication of its kind, exploring how Constituent Museum Practice and queer theory were used to 'queer' the Whitworth's collection.

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Strengthening institution-wide commitment to trans inclusion is more important than ever

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Strengthening institution-wide commitment to trans inclusion is more important than ever

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Between May and September 2023, the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at the University of Leicester drew together a small team to generate Trans-Inclusive Culture: Guidance on Advancing Trans Inclusion for Museums, Galleries, Archives and Heritage Organisations. The initiative emerged in response to a climate of growing hostility towards trans people and requests from heritage, arts and cultural organisations for support of their ambitions to advance trans inclusion.

Over the past two years, a few high-profile employment tribunals have generated case law which has meant that "gender-critical" beliefs - " broadly speaking, the belief that sex is biologically determined, binary and immutable ", write Sharon Cowan, of the University of Edinburgh, and independent researcher Sean Morris in a 2022 paper - alongside other beliefs, are now protected under the Equality Act. For those working in cultural organisations that are committed to creating and maintaining inclusive, safe environments for trans people, a changing legal landscape and a highly charged public discourse surrounding trans rights have contributed to growing wariness in advancing trans inclusion.

The need for clear, practical advice became more apparent last summer, with challenges to trans inclusion playing out publicly at several UK museums. Following its launch on 7 September, the guidance has attracted a level of interest and support that far exceeded our expectations; more than 6,400 people accessed the guidance in its first four months.

Developed with legal scholars and ethics, trans-inclusion and equality experts - and building on a survey of sector needs - the guidance, funded via the Economic and Social Research Council, has multiple aims. It explains key components of the UK law; sets out an ethical framework to support cultural organisations to advance trans inclusion; and uses scenarios to illustrate how cultural organisations can use the guidance. The actions and strategies in the guidance enable staff, volunteers, freelancers, managers and trustees to work together to positively impact the experiences of trans individuals and communities.

How UK universities are navigating the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023

As we write this article, UK universities are exploring strategies and solutions to navigate the additional complexities that the Freedom of Speech Act introduces for them. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 became law in May 2023, placing new duties on higher education institutions (HEIs) and students' unions to protect freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education. Although not yet fully in force, the act has generated considerable debate and anxiety among HEIs, with particular attention given to tensions - real or perceived - between free speech and protection from discrimination.

The law makes clear that free speech in university contexts must include the right to express views that some may find controversial or offensive, so long as the views and opinions are not expressed in a way that "results in harassment or subjects students to discrimination or other detriment" (Equality and Human Rights Commission). The reassertion of the point that we each have a right to hold and express our beliefs and must expect and value a diversity of beliefs among staff and students has generated considerable discussion around non-conflictual debate and tolerance. Universities are working hard to understand where (lawful) freedom of speech and the expression of belief might tip into (unlawful) discrimination or harassment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the issues of free speech around gender-critical views and the protection from harassment of trans staff and students is a topic that has animated debates.

Some see huge incompatibility between free speech and protection from discrimination, and others argue that they can be equally important and reconciled. In his first speech in his role as director of freedom of speech at the Office for Students, Arif Ahmed stated: "We do not think that merely offensive speech, at any rate in an academic context, comes anywhere near contravention of the broader duties and prohibitions under the Equality Act."

Of course, whether the expression of an offensive view amounts to harassment or not is context specific and for the courts to decide on a case-by-case basis. However, s tating that offensive speech in universities is far from unlawful puts the emphasis solely on the question of what is legally permissible, rather than on the equally important question of what kinds of campus communities we want to build.

Our research and experience, exploring these issues in the cultural sector, have shown that community and culture building may be a more productive approach for universities to take. This would involve proactively encouraging people to reflect, with due care and attention, on how they can express their beliefs in ways that do not undermine the dignity and respect of those who have a right to study and work in a safe and respectful environment and on fostering good relations among members of the university community to create an inclusive culture for all.

To enable freedom of speech where a diversity of views can flourish and, at the same time, ensure that all students and staff feel safe and secure, universities will need to work even harder in advancing inclusion for everyone and, in particular, for disadvantaged and oppressed groups. Contrary to some received wisdom, it is not discriminatory to advance trans inclusion alongside and as part of a wider programme of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives. At the present time, this is more important than ever.

This means that, rather than muting themselves on trans inclusion and pulling back on initiatives that support trans equality, universities need to put significant effort into advancing trans inclusion (alongside their other inclusion work), ensuring that they are inclusive spaces where trans staff and students can feel safe and supported. We must defend our commitments to create places where people can not only encounter diverse views, but where freedom of speech is nested within a safe space; where staff and students can thrive without their very existence and rights to dignity and respect being undermined or opened to question.

Suzanne MacLeod and Richard Sandell are professors of museum studies and co-directors of the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, both in the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester. Sharon Cowan is professor of feminist and queer legal studies at the University of Edinburgh School of Law. E-J Scott is senior lecturer at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London and curator and founder of the Museum of Transology.
If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.

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'Strengthening institution-wide commitment to trans inclusion is more important than ever'

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Guidance for museums, galleries and heritage has insight for universities as they prepare to bolster freedom of speech, write four academics

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Need inspiration? Check out last year projects:

What Are The Awards?

The awards are the perfect opportunity to push your curiosity and create the change you want to see in the world. You can enter the awards solo or in a team (up to five), and you can tackle an issue of your own choice or work from one of our game-changing briefs.

By entering you will be directly supporting our work as a charity, helping to build a fairer, healthier, more just, sustainable + regenerative world.

Our Awards scheme searches for exciting projects that focus on social or environmental impact . You can enter anything you like, as long as your project fits into one of our Impact Themes.
We have some exciting briefs that give a starting point if you feel you need it, tackling some of the most relevant issues that our world faces today.

Shortlisted projects are judged on your creative approach and the potential impact of your project, by a panel of industry experts.

You can now download the 2022-23 and our bonus brief below.
2022-23 briefs Bonus brief

If you're a winner you will receive an invite to our awards. Your winning work will be displayed on the winners page, plus you'll be invited to be part of the Creative Conscience Community, offered blog post opportunities, instagram take-overs and to be interviewed.
Beyond the awards, we also help to bring the brightest and most innovative projects to life through our impact scheme. We will do everything in our power to support you and your project if you wish to build on it. We can help find mentors through our own extended community and partner with Creative Mentors Network and Good Nugget for those of you who wish to receive further help + support.

If you're a winner you will receive an invite to our awards ceremony, which will be online. Your winning work will be displayed on the winners page, plus you'll be invited to be part of the Creative Conscience Community, offered blog post opportunities, instagram take-overs and to be interviewed.

Beyond the awards, we also help to bring the brightest and most innovative projects to life through our impact scheme. We will do everything in our power to support you and your project if you wish to build on it. We can help find mentors through our own extended community and partner with Creative Mentors Network and Good Nugget for those of you who wish to receive further help + support.

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Help us to build a fairer, healthier, more sustainable + regenerative world Enter the awards Need inspiration? Check out last year projects: The awards are the perfect opportunity to push your curiosity and create the change you want to see in the world.

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Jimmy Carter TED talk - Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse 

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Jimmy Carter TED talk - Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse 

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Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse

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With his signature resolve, former US President Jimmy Carter dives into three unexpected reasons why the mistreatment of women and girls continues in so many manifestations in so many parts of the world, both developed and developing. The final reason he gives? “In general, men don’t give a damn.”

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The Brethren Church is an Anabaptist Christian denomination with roots in and one of several groups that trace its origins back to the Schwarzenau Brethren of Germany.

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Brené Brown |TEDx / The power of vulnerability

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Brené Brown |TEDx / The power of vulnerability

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Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.

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John Paul Flintoff - TEDx How to Change the World.

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John Paul Flintoff - TEDx How to Change the World.

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How to change the world: John Paul Flintoff  at TEDxAthens 2012

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A platform funding queer creatives and changing the media. Award-winning podcast and top-rated newsletter. We are QueerAF, and so you.

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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This blog has kindly been provided by by Kai Syng Tan Associate Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton

Portrait of author being interviewed by Japan Broadcasting Corporation as juror of Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2023 in Japan, by Kah Wai Lim.

It's Valentine's day, and I'm looking for love.

Don't be silly, you scoff.

Silly, then for one Paulo Freire to link education to love, framing the four-letter word as an act intertwined with solidarity and liberation. One generation on, bell hooks describes love as a 'practice of freedom' to ' move against domination, against oppression'. Critically, diversity is fundamental to this love. The same way opposites can attract, the poet-professor argues that a 'beloved' community is formed 'not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world'.

Well, serious academics today don't talk about love. Nor do they laugh (much), you kindly warn.

Luckily, I'm not just an(y) academic.

I'm an artist. It's my job to be dotty. That's why I've discussed how the queen of dots Yayoi Kusama gives form and direction to unknowns, and called for the governments to collaborate with artists to co-curate new visions. I called this 'artful leadership', where artists catalyse change beyond the remit of art and design.

I'm also unashamedly autistic, dyslexic and hyperactive. I connect dots in atypical ways. That's why I love appropriating EDI as a positive, galvanising force and creative solution - not an appendix or problem. This counters how HE art and design is under-valued, as CHEAD reports. I founded the Neurodiversity In/& Creative Research Network which comprises 410 atypical innovators worldwide, including a theorist of ' neuroqueering'. Such efforts matter. While neurodivergence is over-represented in art and design, barriers faced - as well as advantages neurodivergence afford - remain mysteriously under-discussed in Higher Education (HE).

Education needs love to foster change, argue Freire and hooks. That was why I outlined 'tentacular pedagogy'. Nourished by my working-class migrant background, this centres the art school ethos of creativity, courage, curiosity and change-making, but with its hearts in neurodiversity, decolonisation and intersectionality. This teaching and (un-)learning framework rallies art and design to play a pro-active leadership role to catalyse change in and beyond HE. It seeks to update art and design's mission to serve 'society, the economy and the environment', and fulfil UNESCO's vision for HE to prioritise care, solidarity and social justice too.

But talk is cheap. I'm a maker. That's why, as a trustee board member of an arts and social justice charity, I've helped steer radical transformation in its governance, by embedding co-design and anti-oppression policies and practices, leading to the appointment of its first, Black neurodivergent female Artistic Director.

That's also why, with the distinguished Professor of Architecture Ola Uduku, I co-curated the 75th Anniversary Celebrations of the 5th Pan African Congress in Manchester (PAC75). Black students chaired sessions with elders like Lemn Sissay. Materials produced reached 18.2 million people, and are used in the universities of Manchester, Salford and Ghana.

In a new arts and cultural leadership masters, I'm calling upon hooks and others to decolonise and love-bomb the curriculum. The modules I lead on seek to dismantle the master's story of leadership.

Sure, the academy 'is not paradise', reminds hooks, but education remains 'a place where paradise can be created'. Freire adds that without education, 'society cannot change'. The road ahead isn't paradise, and love - solidarity, justice, freedom, and liberation - aren't exactly low-hanging fruits. Yet, many who teach art and design do what we do, because we believe that HE art and design is a force for good. We know that change, like love, takes time, and that with students we can build a world where it is easier to love. And only serious, artful academics get - and want to beget - love..

I've outlined my seriously silly efforts to beget love. It's only been 25 years since my first full-time HE teaching role - I moisturise, cheers, love - and I'll keep trying. Tell me about your efforts, so that we can join hands.

The full version of this article was published on 2nd February on Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE)

Kai Syng Tan PhD PFHEA is a trans-disciplinary artist-curator, advocate, advisor and Associate Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership, University of Southampton. Her book Re-Imagining Leadership with Neuro-Futurism: An A-Z Towards Collective Liberation (Palgrave Macmillan 2024) will be out in Spring. Rather than something based on individuals, hierarchy, organisations, genes or luck, Kai re-imagines leadership as a love-led, beyond-colonial, neuro-queered and (co-)creative practice, outlining 'neuro-futurism' as a multi-faceted toolkit within this. These are her personal views. @kaisyngtan

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Love-bombing Higher Education and beyond

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This blog has kindly been provided by by Kai Syng Tan Associate Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton Portrait of author being interviewed by Japan Broadcasting Corporation as juror of Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2023 in Japan, by Kah Wai Lim.

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Please leave your contact details here if you'd like to connect with other attendees - please note this padlet isn't private so can be shared so be mindful of this when leaving your details.

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Please leave your contact details here if you'd like to connect with other attendees - please note this padlet isn't private so can be shared so be mindful of this when leaving your details.

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Head of Department Design & Digital Arts

Nottingham Trent University

claire.lockwood@ntu.ac.uk

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gretchen geraets, lecturer in photography, feel free to connect here, linked-in

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gretchen geraets, lecturer in photography, feel free to connect here, linked-in

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Lovely to be part of today's session. Happy to connect with colleagues ....find me on LinkedIn or email me at t.tattersall@rave.ac.uk