The Office for Institutional Equity (OIE) at the University of East London was established to move equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging from the margins of institutional life into the centre of how the University thinks, plans, leads and delivers. Its work is rooted in a clear belief: equity cannot be treated as a separate agenda or a seasonal campaign. It must shape the everyday systems, decisions, behaviours and outcomes that determine whether staff and students can genuinely thrive.
OIE’s journey has been one of transformation. The team has worked through the complexity of a large, diverse, ambitious institution, where inclusion must be meaningful across different Schools, Professional Services, student communities, staff groups and external partnerships. Rather than relying only on awareness-raising, OIE has built structures for sustained change: data-informed planning, local accountability, inclusive leadership, policy influence, staff and student engagement, and evidence-led interventions.
One of OIE’s most significant achievements is its leadership in helping UEL become the only university in London to hold both Athena Swan Silver and Race Equality Charter Silver, and one of very few in the UK. These awards were not treated as badges of recognition alone, but as frameworks for structural change. Through implementation planning, governance, engagement and monitoring, OIE has helped translate charter commitments into institutional action on representation, progression, recruitment, culture, leadership and student outcomes.
A defining example of OIE’s impact is Inclusive by Design, UEL’s institutional framework for embedding equity into the fabric of Schools and Professional Services. OIE has supported local teams to interrogate their own data, understand their specific inclusion challenges, and develop action plans that are grounded in evidence and lived experience. This has shifted EDI from being “owned” by one office to being understood as a shared responsibility across the University. It has also enabled UEL to move towards a more mature model of equity: one that combines institutional consistency with local relevance.
OIE’s work has also contributed to measurable progress in student success. UEL’s degree awarding gap has reduced from over 20% in 2019 to 3.5% in 2025. This progress reflects the importance of sustained, joined-up action across data, curriculum, belonging, student support, academic practice and institutional accountability. OIE has helped keep the equity lens visible in this work, ensuring that student success is not reduced to attainment alone, but understood through access, experience, belonging, mattering, progression and outcomes.
The team has also played a key role in strengthening inclusive recruitment and workforce equity. Through guidance, resources, training and collaboration with People and Culture, OIE has supported fairer recruitment practices and more inclusive candidate experiences. This work has helped improve transparency, reduce bias, support compliance with equality legislation, and strengthen UEL’s reputation as a values-led employer. Alongside this, OIE has advanced work on ethnicity and gender pay gaps, staff networks, staff belonging, inclusive leadership and employee engagement, ensuring that workforce equity is treated as central to organisational performance.
OIE has also built powerful platforms for institutional and sector learning. The EDI Annual Conference, Ethnicity Pay Gap Conference, House of Lords convenings, webinars and public engagement activity have positioned UEL as a university willing to lead difficult but necessary conversations. These platforms have addressed issues such as pay equity, psychological safety, social mobility, sustainability, inclusive leadership, student success and the future of equity in higher education. They have also helped UEL move beyond internal improvement to sector influence.
Another important strand of OIE’s work is its commitment to data, insight and accountability. The team has supported the development of EDI dashboards, institutional reports, briefings and evidence bases that help leaders and local teams understand where inequalities exist and what action is needed. This has strengthened the quality of decision-making and moved conversations away from assumption towards evidence, transparency and measurable progress.
What makes OIE’s work distinctive is not only the scale of its achievements, but the way it works. The team models collaboration, integrity, innovation and reflective practice. Its work connects staff experience with student outcomes, recruitment with culture, data with lived experience, and institutional ambition with local delivery. In a challenging higher education environment, OIE has helped UEL demonstrate that equity is not an optional extra. It is a driver of excellence, belonging, performance and institutional credibility.