Jane pointed out that Reading was probably also the only old university not to have an Equal Opportunities committee. The issue of an Equal Opportunities officer is contentious, but the alternative is for the work to be done by an overworked AUT or MSF volunteer. A designated person is needed, and this can be a job share. Equal Opportunites must apply to all, not just to employees. A good model Equal Opportunities policy is that of the Open University.
Age is a vital issue to include in any policy change.
Generally the draft policy was good, but clause 6 on compassionate leave was woolly and needed strengthening. Penny Lloyd agreed that compassionate leave is a vital issue, especially for carers. It was important for Bulmershe students on courses such as social work where award of the course qualification was dependent on attendance record. Here there was a clear need for university policy on compassionate leave to allow such students to be excused from course committments without penalty. Jane promised to find out and let Reading AUT know.