Background

Following the format of the highly successful UWS Year of Respect and Inclusion in 2009, Equity and Diversity is hosting another year long project in 2013, celebrating the strength of diversity at UWS and focusing on its importance for the success of UWS in research, teaching and learning.

This Project supports the University’s strategic goal of building organisational strength by recognising the broad range of perspectives and skills that the UWS community contributes to our scholarly and professional undertakings, making us more innovative, more competitive and better able to generate new ideas and new ways of doing things in an increasingly globalised marketplace.

Celebrating success through diversity at UWS will also add value to our widening participation strategy, as it promotes the message that the opportunity to achieve excellence is available to all, no matter one’s background and identity.

Recently, racism has been an issue of concern, particularly for international students. Promotion of success through diversity provides a positive, proactive response to racism and other forms of discrimination.

Part of the year’s activities will involve engagement with the largest culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Greater Western Sydney, particularly the Chinese, Indian, Arabic and Vietnamese communities, some of whom are underrepresented in the UWS student cohort.