Equality & Diversity course timetable

A Mindfulness session – “May our heart's garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness is recommend by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as it can help improve mental health.

Esther Hunt trained as a Mindfulness Teacher with the British Mindfulness Institute and was taught by Dr Patrizia Collard. She is a Registered and Accredited Psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Affiliated Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic Counselling in the Faculty of Education.

For more information on the benefits of Mindfulness please visit the NHS website

We all need something that can take us away from the stresses of everyday life and to clear our minds. What better than a photo walk.

Lloyd Mann and Nick Saffell from the Office of External Affairs and Communications, are offering wellbeing photography walks for staff across the University.

The sessions aim to teach simple steps that will help you take great photographs using your smartphone or camera, with a no-pressure, hands-on approach. We help you think about what makes good subject matter, and support you with angles and framing, allowing you to get the best shot possible.

The photo exercises give you something to occupy your mind and stimulate your brain, to get creative and hopefully the sessions might encourage you to take photos every day.

To make the session accessible, we’re running them for one hour, during office hours. Don’t let the walking part put you off, the emphasis is on taking some time to ‘look up’, and to connect with our surroundings.

Pilates is suitable for all levels of fitness.

It is aimed at improving and strengthening your posture, as well as developing flexibility to aid relaxation. Location: In person - University Sports Centre (West Cambridge Site)

Booking required

• Please wear comfortable gym clothing.
• Mats are available on site.
• Changing/showers are available on site
• Please let the instructor know of any medical conditions or mobility issues prior to the start of the class.

We all need something that can take us away from the stresses of everyday life and to clear our minds. What better than a photo walk.

Lloyd Mann and Nick Saffell from the Office of External Affairs and Communications, are offering wellbeing photography walks for staff across the University.

The sessions aim to teach simple steps that will help you take great photographs using your smartphone or camera, with a no-pressure, hands-on approach. We help you think about what makes good subject matter, and support you with angles and framing, allowing you to get the best shot possible.

The photo exercises give you something to occupy your mind and stimulate your brain, to get creative and hopefully the sessions might encourage you to take photos every day.

To make the session accessible, we’re running them for one hour, during office hours. Don’t let the walking part put you off, the emphasis is on taking some time to ‘look up’, and to connect with our surroundings.

Pilates is suitable for all levels of fitness.

It is aimed at improving and strengthening your posture, as well as developing flexibility to aid relaxation. Location: In person - University Sports Centre (West Cambridge Site)

Booking required

• Please wear comfortable gym clothing.
• Mats are available on site.
• Changing/showers are available on site
• Please let the instructor know of any medical conditions or mobility issues prior to the start of the class.

This talk is being hosted by the Women in Higher Education Network (WHEN) and delivered by Rob Baker and Chloe Mark from Tailored Thinking.

Rob and Chloe are specialists at helping people to bring their strengths to life in work through concepts such as job crafting and evidence-based ideas from positive psychology. Rob is the author of Personalization at Work by Kogan Page which was a finalist at the 2021 Business Book Awards. He has presented to organisations and conferences about job crafting around the globe. Tailored Thinking, the company Rob founded in 2017, was named HR Consultancy of year by the CIPD in 2020.

This event is only open to members of the Women’s Staff Network – to join the WSN please visit the website or SharePoint site

The University of Cambridge Women’s Staff Network (WSN) are a partner institution for WHEN as both Networks are dedicated to speeding up equity of opportunity for women in higher education. All WSN members can join WHEN for free on their website.

How often do you find yourself on social media during the course of a normal week? More importantly, how does using social media make you feel?

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the ways in which we have used social media has changed, as well as how we feel about social media in general. Social media is a paradox. It connects us in some ways, while pushing us apart in other ways. Social media has become our source of information, and a valuable means of connecting with friends and family, while at the same time making us feel lonelier and disconnected.

In this talk, we will explore some of the research about social media, connection, loneliness – as well as looking at some ways that we might be able to helpful reframe our relationship social media in our everyday lives.

Tyler Shores is delighted to announce that he has secured two external speakers to join him next week.

Luke Fernandez is Assistant Professor in the School of Computing at Weber State University where he teaches classes on the politics of technology and software development and Susan J. Mattwho is Professor of History at Weber State. They have both co-authors of Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology, from the Telegraph to Twitter (Harvard University Press, 2019).

Tyler Shores manages the ThinkLab research program at the University of Cambridge, and is a Senior Research Associate at the Intellectual Forum, Jesus College. His research focuses on digital habits, social media, and how digital environments shape how we work and think. Prior to Cambridge, Tyler worked in online education at Stanford, served as a director at an international education nonprofit organization, and worked at the Google world headquarters in Mountain View, California while running the Authors@Google program. His various work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, WIRED, amongst others. And he was once on an episode of The Simpsons.

Luke Fernandez is Assistant Professor in the School of Computing at Weber State University where he teaches classes on the politics of technology and software development. He is co-author of Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology, from the Telegraph to Twitter (Harvard University Press, 2019). He holds a PhD in Political Theory from Cornell University. He is also a software developer. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Salon, Slate, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, among other places.

Susan J. Matt is Professor of History at Weber State. Her research focuses on the history of emotions and US social history. She is co-author of Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology, from the Telegraph to Twitter (Harvard University Press, 2019). She is author of Homesickness: An American History (Oxford University Press, 2011), and Keeping Up with the Joneses: Envy in American Consumer Society, 1890-1930 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003). Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Journal of American History.

A mentoring relationship could help you to progress in your professional life/career and build your networks. It can also support your mental health by increasing confidence and reducing anxiety.

If you are interested in hearing about mentoring and its effects on mental health, join the ourcambridge Self-Match Mentoring Scheme' team for an informal session and discussion.

“(Mentoring) supported my mental health through a period of work-related anxiety/stress”.

University Sports Centre

Dr Elizabeth English, the University Mindfulness Practitioner, will explore components of mindful communication, and how we can create calm and satisfying connections with other people, even under pressure.

In this session Rachel Bailey, from the University SPACE network, gives personal insights from her experiences of supporting and caring for someone with mental health issues.

This talk is being hosted by the Women in Higher Education Network (WHEN) and delivered by the company Within People.

Leadership always seems to be a hot topic, but even more so in times of change and uncertainty. Now more than ever, leadership is front and centre, as we look to leaders to lead the way whilst we’re coming out of the pandemic.

Looking back over the past 18 months, the stories of great leadership standing out are the ones of leaders being genuinely human. This corroborates the research we’ve done over the past few years.

Through more than a 100 leadership conversations, Within People have discovered that successful 21st century leaders are great at being human. They are showing up to innate human qualities that create valuable benefits in business, such as connection, learning and freedom. This session explores the qualities that matter and gives everyone an opportunity to connect to the qualities on an individual level.

After the session, participants:

• Have clarity on what is different about 21st Century Leadership
• Have made connection to the qualities that matter

This event is only open to members of the Women’s Staff Network – to join the WSN please visit the website or SharePoint site

The University of Cambridge Women’s Staff Network (WSN) are a partner institution for WHEN as both Networks are dedicated to speeding up equity of opportunity for women in higher education. All WSN members can join WHEN for free on their website.

This interactive workshop will benefit Athena Swan applicants and anyone who would like to review department and team culture to improve inclusion and belonging.

Gina Warren and Louise Atkin from the ED&I Team will discuss different ways to analyse workplace culture and identify practical ways to improve staff engagement and inclusion.

The session helps to increase the understanding of systemic racism and race. It encourages participants to reflect on their own identity, building confidence to speak about race and the capacity to challenge racism.

The training will be split into two 1h sessions. This will allow us to make space for discussion while not making the zoom meeting too long.

Everyone is warmly invited to attend.

Please only book if you can attend both sessions.

Have you ever wondered what training GPs receive about the menopause or how to discuss your menopause symptoms with your GP? We are delighted to welcome Dr Madeleine Lameris who will discussing her own medical training, how this has evolved and what current undergraduate medical students are now taught. Madeleine will also provide her top tips as a GP for accessing better menopause care.

Dr Madeleine Lameris is the General Practice Education Group Year 5 and Curriculum lead in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University, and also has a role at Cambridge Clinical School curating Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) content. Madeleine is in the process of completing her Masters in Medical Education, and she is a salaried GP at Buckden and Little Paxton Surgery. Madeleine has an interest in women’s health and menopause, and with her medical education hat on, is currently working with the team at the Newson Health Menopause Society to widen undergraduate access to menopause resources.

The Women’s Staff Network provide a regular, informal group to bring together members who would like to discuss and share their experiences of their menopause journey.

The group’s aim is to provide a supportive environment and relaxed discussion.

This workshop would be of benefit to someone who is going to take a period of maternity, adoption, paternity/maternity support, or shared parental leave.

The workshop covers concerns and fears about the changes ahead, and the impact they may have on your life and career. We will discuss solutions, how to have effective conversations with those around you, and developing a personal plan going forward.

Becoming a parent is a huge life event, it can be difficult and stressful. To support University staff we are offering two new workshops to support staff to navigate through this life change.

Open to those who are about to take, or have already returned from, a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave, the workshops will be held in small groups to encourage personal reflection and discussion with others.

They will be facilitated by a qualified coach and member of the EDI team who will help individuals navigate their personal change journeys during the transition to and from parental leave. Links and information on internal policies and resources will also be made available.

Please note these sessions will be run face to face, however if you would be interested in a virtual session please do indicate your interest and we will look at organising these at a later date.

This session will provide the opportunity to hear from different women about their careers, what has impacted on their choices and any lessons they have learnt along the way. We are delighted to welcome the following speakers for our session –

Liz Simmonds - Assistant Head of the Postdoc Academy, Strategy/Operational Lead for Research Culture, Postdoc Academy Anna Langley - Senior Service Manager, UIS

The talk will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions and for members to discuss topics raised.

Every woman working at Cambridge has their own career journey and story to tell. We aim to hold a number of these sessions during the academic year, so please get in contact if you would be happy to share your story and email jenny.rampling@admin.cam.ac.uk.

This talk is being hosted by the Women in Higher Education Network (WHEN) and delivered by Furkan Karayel. Furkan is author of #1 Amazon best seller book Inclusive Intelligence, multi-award-winning diversity and inclusion speaker and founder of Diversein.com.

She has developed the Inclusive Intelligence concept which provides practical steps to be a diversity and inclusion role model in the workplace. Her passion is leveraging women-in-tech leadership, diversity and empowering female founders globally.

This event is only open to members of the Women’s Staff Network – to join the WSN please visit the website or SharePoint site

The University of Cambridge Women’s Staff Network (WSN) are a partner institution for WHEN as both Networks are dedicated to speeding up equity of opportunity for women in higher education. All WSN members can join WHEN for free on their website.

This workshop would be of benefit to someone who has taken a period of maternity, adoption, paternity/maternity support, or shared parental leave and returned to work. It could also be of interest to anyone who needs to re-evaluate their work/family balance and career direction.

The workshop covers concerns and fears about managing work and family commitments going forward, and how to do so without guilt. We will also cover why “good enough is good enough”, the importance of self-care and finding support from those around you.

Becoming a parent is a huge life event, it can be difficult and stressful. To support University staff we are offering two new workshops to support staff to navigate through this life change.

Open to those who are about to take, or have already returned from, a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave, the workshops will be held in small groups to encourage personal reflection and discussion with others.

They will be facilitated by a qualified coach and member of the EDI team who will help individuals navigate their personal change journeys during the transition to and from parental leave. Links and information on internal policies and resources will also be made available.

Please note these sessions will be run face to face, however if you would be interested in a virtual session please do indicate your interest and we will look at organising these at a later date.

The Women’s Staff Network provide a regular, informal group to bring together members who would like to discuss and share their experiences of their menopause journey.

The group’s aim is to provide a supportive environment and relaxed discussion.

Would you like a better understanding of your current physical health? 

If yes, book in for one of our free ‘Health Checks’ which will take you through some simple, non-invasive tests.

These checks will consist of: -

• Measurement of your height and weight
• Blood pressure test
• Body composition test
• Flexibility test

Please adhere to the following before attending:

• No eating or drinking 4 to 5 hours prior to the test
• No exercise 12 hours prior to the test
• No alcohol or caffeine consumption 24 hours prior to the test
• Wear clothes that allow access to your upper arm (e.g. short sleeved t shirt)

The duration of the health check should be around 20 minutes.

Please note: the results of the health check are not to be taken as firm medical advice. If you have any worries about your health, please consult a medical specialist.

Would you like a better understanding of your current physical health? 

If yes, book in for one of our free ‘Health Checks’ which will take you through some simple, non-invasive tests.

These checks will consist of: -

• Measurement of your height and weight
• Blood pressure test
• Body composition test
• Flexibility test

Please adhere to the following before attending:

• No eating or drinking 4 to 5 hours prior to the test
• No exercise 12 hours prior to the test
• No alcohol or caffeine consumption 24 hours prior to the test
• Wear clothes that allow access to your upper arm (e.g. short sleeved t shirt)

The duration of the health check should be around 20 minutes.

Please note: the results of the health check are not to be taken as firm medical advice. If you have any worries about your health, please consult a medical specialist.

Would you like a better understanding of your current physical health? 

If yes, book in for one of our free ‘Health Checks’ which will take you through some simple, non-invasive tests.

These checks will consist of: -

• Measurement of your height and weight
• Blood pressure test
• Body composition test
• Flexibility test

Please adhere to the following before attending:

• No eating or drinking 4 to 5 hours prior to the test
• No exercise 12 hours prior to the test
• No alcohol or caffeine consumption 24 hours prior to the test
• Wear clothes that allow access to your upper arm (e.g. short sleeved t shirt)

The duration of the health check should be around 20 minutes.

Please note: the results of the health check are not to be taken as firm medical advice. If you have any worries about your health, please consult a medical specialist.

Would you like a better understanding of your current physical health? 

If yes, book in for one of our free ‘Health Checks’ which will take you through some simple, non-invasive tests.

These checks will consist of: -

• Measurement of your height and weight
• Blood pressure test
• Body composition test
• Flexibility test

Please adhere to the following before attending:

• No eating or drinking 4 to 5 hours prior to the test
• No exercise 12 hours prior to the test
• No alcohol or caffeine consumption 24 hours prior to the test
• Wear clothes that allow access to your upper arm (e.g. short sleeved t shirt)

The duration of the health check should be around 20 minutes.

Please note: the results of the health check are not to be taken as firm medical advice. If you have any worries about your health, please consult a medical specialist.

If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. ― Thich Nhat Hanh,

It is easy to rush through the day without noticing our thoughts, feelings and sensations. Mindfulness practice helps us pause and become present, so we get in touch with our authentic experience. We can so easily become entangled in energy draining thoughts that drive our emotions and lead to stress or anxiety. Mindfulness practice helps us notice these thoughts so we can deal with them better. Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). See NHS Mental Health

Esther Hunt is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Registered Psychotherapist. She has been teaching Mindfulness for 5 years and was instructed by bestselling author Dr Patrizia Collard. She provides sessions for HR staff wellbeing services, school leadership teams, University students, and in the charity sector. Esther presented at the Festival of Wellbeing in 2021.

Join Lloyd Mann & Nick Saffell in this Wellbeing Photography Walk around West Cambridge.

The sessions aim to teach simple steps that will help you take great photographs using your smartphone or camera, with a no-pressure, hands-on approach. We help you think about what makes good subject matter, and support you with angles and framing, allowing you to get the best shot possible. The photo exercises give you something to occupy your mind and stimulate your brain, to get creative and hopefully the sessions might encourage you to take photos every day.

Racketball is the UK’s fastest growing sport!

It is played on any regular squash court and is similar to squash. The fact that the ball is bigger, more bouncy, and does not need warming up means that the rallies last longer. The shorter racket also helps with hand eye coordination making the ball easier to strike. If you fancy giving racketball a try, then come and join us for this taster session.

Changing facilities are available on site and the Sports Service can provide a racket and ball if you need one. Please wear indoor trainers.

Academics considering applying for promotion under the ACP (Research and Teaching) scheme are invited to attend an event hosted by Professor Kamal Munir, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for University Community and Engagement. The event will:

• provide an overview of the University's Academic Career Path (ACP) (Research and Teaching) procedure;
• answer some of the common questions about academic promotions; and
• outline the ACP CV Mentoring Scheme.

We particularly encourage women and staff identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic to attend as they are currently under-represented at senior academic levels.