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What is the School of Psychology Equality Committee?
The School of Psychology Equality Committee is the School’s body for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and provides a forum for discussing, developing and implementing EDI best practice. As a part of this, we are engaged with the Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter, and Race Equality Charter.
The Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to recognise advancement of gender equality, representation, progression and success for all, and to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. In May 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), and in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.
The School of Psychology at Lincoln successfully applied for the Athena SWAN Bronze award in April 2016, and we were awarded Athena SWAN Silver in 2020. This award demonstrates the School commitment to gender equality across all facets of university life.
Meet The Team
Chair
Kirsten McKenzie
Committee Chair
I joined the School of Psychology in 2015 as a Senior Lecturer. Prior to this I was an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham’s Malaysia Campus and a post-doc at the University of Manchester, having completed my PhD at the University of Nottingham.
I have been Chair of the School of Psychology Equality Committee since August 2017, (having been Co-Chair of the Athena Swan Working Group from 2015 until then). I am originally from New Zealand and have worked at various Universities in the UK, New Zealand and Malaysia. With two young children, I often work flexibly to enable shared responsibility for their care, and am very passionate about the right of each individual to be treated equitably and fairly.
Champions
Patrick Hylton
Equality & Diversity Champion
Patrick is a senior lecturer in Psychology, specialising in Social, Conceptual and Organisational Psychology. Patrick joined the University in Sept 1999, having previously lectured at the University of Greenwich, the University of Northampton and Nottingham Trent University.
Patrick’s role is to:
- Help to promote cultural equality and diversity within the School for staff and students, as well as with senior management.
- Be aware of the impact that racist, xenophobic, culturally elitist or oppressive behaviours at both the individual and the institutional level can have on individuals and UK ethnic minority groups as a whole
- Be aware of how this may intersect with other identities that can face issues
- Bring any diversity issues to the School of Psychology Equality Committee
Todd Parsons
LGBTQI+ Champion & Technical Staff Representative
Todd is a Psychology Technician and MSc Psychological Research Methods student at the University, specialising in Matlab and Vision Science. Todd joined the University first as a student in 2012, then again as staff in 2016.
Todd’s role is to:
- Help to promote a culture of equality for LGBTQI+ staff and students in the department – potentially with senior management, as well as people who don’t come under the LGBTQI+ umbrella
- Be aware of the impact of HBT (homophobic, biphobic & transphobic) behaviours can have on individuals
- Be aware of how this may intersect with other identities that can face issues
- Bring any LGBTQI+ issues to the School of Psychology Equality Committee
Rachael Dagnall
Parent & Carer Champion
Rachael is a BPS chartered and HCPC registered Forensic Psychologist. She joined the University in February 2018, after working for the prison service for 17 years.
Rachael’s role is to:
- Understand the challenges faced by parents/carers in the department, both at the student and the staff level
- Represent parent/carer issues to senior management – such as timings of meetings/teaching to tread the line between the demands of core working hours and child care/caring responsibilities
- Be aware of how this may intersect with other identities that can face issues
- Bring any parent/carer issues to the School of Psychology Equality Committee
Roger Bretherton
Mental Health Champion
Dr Roger Bretherton is Principal Lecturer for Enterprise in the School of Psychology. He worked as a clinician, manager and trainer in the NHS, joining the University of Lincoln in 2007 as a specialist in coaching and positive psychology.
Roger’s role is to:
- Understand the challenges faced by people who have been, or are currently, affected by mental health issues, both at the student and the staff level
- Help to promote a culture of understanding and acceptance for staff and students in the department who have been affected by mental health issues
- Be aware of the impact prejudiced behaviours can have on individuals facing mental health issues
- Be aware of how this may intersect with other identities that can face issues
- Bring any mental health-related issues to the School of Psychology Equality Committee
Disseminate information about Mental Health support available at the University
Fenja Ziegler
Disability Champion & Student Advisor
Originally from the far north of Germany, Fenja moved to the UK to study for my BSc in Psychology at City University, London. She completed her PhD in Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, before taking up a post as Lecturer and Research Fellow in the School of Psychology there. In September 2010, she moved to Lincoln University as a senior lecturer in Psychology and was promoted to Principal Lecturer in 2015.
Fenja’s Role is to:
- Act as the first point of contact for staff and students with disabilities, health conditions or impairments when they are facing problems, and work with them to solve these, including coordinating with HR, the Head of School, and other relevant departments.
- Understand the challenges faced by people who are living with various forms of disability, health conditions or impairments.
- Help to promote a culture of understanding and acceptance for staff and students in the department who are living with various forms of disability.
- Be aware of the impact prejudiced behaviours can have on individuals with disabilities, health conditions or impairments.
- Be aware of how this may intersect with other identities that can face issues.
- Bring any disability-related issues to the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee (SPEC).
- Disseminate information about disability support available at the University.
