Brunel values inclusion and equality of opportunity for all. We aim to provide an environment where you can live, work and study freely, happily, safely and respectfully.

No student should be treated unfairly because of a social or cultural characteristic such as gender or gender reassignment, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, pregnancy or maternity/paternity, disability or age.

UK equality law requires us to:

Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010.
Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it.

We aim to promote equality and inclusive practice throughout the campus environment and in the experiences we offer to our student community. We develop and implement policies and practices that show our commitment to inclusion, and challenge implicit bias and prejudice across all aspects of our work.

If you feel you are being treated unfairly or discriminated against, being bullied or harassed please contact the Student Centre for support. We can provide guidance on any equality or diversity issue.

Report and support

Our bullying and harassment policy aims to ensure students who experience cases of abuse are treated with sensitivity and respect.

Bullying and harassment includes insults, threatening behaviour and physical assault on the basis of your sex / gender, ethnicity / race, religion / belief (or lack of), disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status / civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity/paternity and/or adoption.

If you feel you have experienced bullying or harassment, we encourage you to report it. You can use our report and support tool reportandsupport.brunel.ac.uk. You can choose whether to disclose your personal details or make an anonymous report.

Policies and guides

For help and advice on a specific issue, please check here:
Bullying & harassment policy
Support for students who have experienced bullying and/or harassment
Sexual violence and sexual harassment policy
Support for students who have experienced sexual violence and/or sexual harassment
Online Harassment Policy
Guidance for Students on Online Safety
Policy to support Student Carers
EDI Student Work Placement Policy
Student Religion and Belief Policy
Support for students, Apprentices and Doctoral Researchers with Disabilities, Long-Term Health Conditions, Mental Health Concerns and Neuro Diverse Conditions

Our Vice-Chancellor's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Whilst we are proud of our diverse Brunel community and the steps we have taken to ensure that that we are inclusive in our approach – on campus, online and as part of our global reach and influence – we still have much to do to ensure that our every member of our community feels that they are respected for who they are and what they believe in, that they can express their views without fear of retribution and that they always be treated fairly and kindly. Only when we achieve that ambition will be truly inclusive and ensure that we offer everyone the potential to thrive and realise their true potential.

From the education and broader experience we offer our students, to our research, our management and leadership teams and to our engagement with our various external stakeholders locally, nationally and globally, we need to be bold, innovative and agile to ensure that colleagues, students and partners feel supported and included in all that we do.

Outlined in our Equality Diversity & Inclusion Strategy are the following six themes which will guide our work to achieve these aims going forward:

Well-informed - where everyone is knowledgeable and confident about diversity and difference
Respectful - where everyone has full access to Brunel’s opportunities and is able to realise their potential
Enabling – where everyone has full access to Brunel’s opportunities and is able to realise their potential
Inspirational - where ED&I is trailblazed across the University to ensure that inclusion is developed, embedded and promoted
Integrating - equality issues are integrated into all academic and business matters by all departments and colleges
Self-reflective - where everyone reflects regularly on their EDI attitudes and behaviour to embed EDI into our goals and values.

The strategy is accompanied by an action plan which sets clear targets and priorities with named leads and key performance indicators. Progress will be monitored by the ED&I Working Group and termly updates provided to the Equality and Diversity Management Committee for scrutiny. Formal reports will be submitted to the Student Experience and Welfare Committee, Equal Opportunities &HR, Senate and Council on an annual basis and results published on the University’s website to meet our legal requirements under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

We want to create a culture at Brunel that recognises, respects and values difference so that we all have the same fair opportunities to succeed and reach our full potential.

Student Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2020-2021