Statement on Equality and Diversity
1. Our Charter for Inclusivity
At Silicon Valley Business Institute, we are committed to working together to build a learning community founded on equality of opportunity, a learning community which celebrates the rich diversity of our faculty, staff, and student populations. Discriminatory behavior has no place in our community and will not be tolerated.
Silicon Valley Business Institute equality and diversity policies promise equal treatment and opportunity for all regardless of gender, sexuality, race, color, disability, religion, age, and ethnicity or nationality. We call on all members of our community to make a personal commitment to equality and diversity.
2. General Statement of our Equality and Diversity Policy
The achievement of genuine equality of opportunity is at the heart of our mission as a provider of higher education. We aim to build a learning community which exhibits the diverse range of skills and experience which cannot be found within any single group of faculty, staff or students. In pursuing this goal, we want our community to value and to be at ease with its own diversity and to reflect the needs of the wider community within which we operate.
Silicon Valley Business Institute will adhere to all applicable federal and state laws as they pertain to equality and diversity. However, Silicon Valley Business Institute highly encourages all faculty, staff, and students to embrace equality and diversity and to go beyond the strict confines of these laws to provide genuine opportunities for all.
Every member of our community has a moral and legal responsibility to promote equal treatment within our community and to respect its diversity.
The Silicon Valley Business Institute head of Human Resources is responsible for matters relating to equality of opportunity in employment. This includes developing policies which meet all applicable federal and state legislation and for monitoring and enforcing these policies for all faculty and staff. All faculty, staff, and students are responsible for ensuring that their actions are carried out in accordance with this policy. They may be held personally to account, should their actions fall short of the requirements of this policy in any way.
The Silicon Valley Business Institute Chief Academic Officer is responsible for matters relating to student equality. This includes developing policies which meet all applicable federal and state legislation and for monitoring and enforcing these policies for all students. All students are responsible for ensuring that their actions are carried out in accordance with this policy. They may be held personally to account, should their actions fall short of the requirements of this policy in any way.
This policy covers all aspects of employment and academic life, including advertisements, recruitment, induction, compensation, conditions of service, staff development, change management, promotions, grievance and disciplinary procedures, course development, student admissions, learning and teaching, and assessment. It applies also to relationships with other institutions and with suppliers and contractors. The policy applies to the treatment of potential/future as well as existing faculty, staff, and students.
5. Equality and Diversity: Employment
We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to have faculty and staff from all groups in our society represented at all levels of employment, both to ensure that no available talent is overlooked and to provide role models for our students.
All stages of recruitment and selection will be conducted in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws as well as Silicon Valley Business Institute Recruitment and Selection Policy. All staff who serve on appointments committees will receive mandatory training and support.
All staff will take part in induction programs tailored to their needs.
Silicon Valley Business Institute probation procedures for new staff will reflect the principles contained in this policy.
Opportunities for promotion will be openly advertised. Promotion procedures will be based on an objective assessment of candidates against published criteria.
Faculty and staff at all levels and in all areas of work will have an equal right of access to the training and development they need. Uniform and equitable criteria will be applied in formulating and implementing training and development programs. Silicon Valley Business Institute seeks to avoid perceived imbalances in the allocation of resources for training and development.
Disciplinary and grievance procedures
Faculty and staff members who believe that they have been discriminated against by their membership of an under-represented group in any disciplinary or grievance procedure will be encouraged to pursue the matter in accordance with the spirit and procedures of this policy. Silicon Valley Business Institute will routinely monitor all actions under the grievance and disciplinary procedures by gender, sexuality, race, color, disability, religion, age, and ethnicity or nationality.
Equality and Diversity: learning and teaching
Silicon Valley Business Institute is committed to ensuring that all students, both actual and potential/future, enjoy equality of opportunity and are free from any experiences of any form of discrimination whether direct, indirect or through victimization. We recognize that the content of our academic programs directly and actively informs students of the University’s commitment to diversity. We will seek to ensure that all programs promote equality with respect to gender, sexual orientation, race, color, disability, religion, age, and ethnic or national origin. We will urge our staff to avoid making assumptions and having expectations of our students based on misconceptions or stereotypes of how particular groups are perceived to perform or behave. The religious heritage, scientific, technological and mathematical achievements, visual arts, music and literatures of non-Western societies and other groups will be appropriately represented in our learning materials.
6. Student recruitment
We are committed to promoting access to higher education to under-represented groups and individuals. Recruitment and admissions practices will be free from unlawful discriminatory criteria. Questions relating to the applicant’s race, ethnic origin, age, disability, religion, gender, color, sexuality, marital status or family responsibility, will not be part of the selection process – and will not play any role in the admission of a student to the University.