UNSW: Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive
UNSW: Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive 2026-2028 (the EDI Strategy) lays out our commitment to creating a university where everyone is included, respected, and thrives in their work and studies.
Equity, diversity and inclusion is grounded in UNSW’s values, purpose, and responsibility as a public institution. We believe that a truly world-class university must reflect the society it serves – in our community, our culture, and our impact.
UNSW: Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive sets the overarching vision and direction for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion at UNSW in support of the Progress for All Strategy.
As well as the actions outlined in this Strategy, it is supported through a suite of complementary action plans, including the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, Gender Equity Strategy, Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Plan, and other targeted initiatives.
Together, this ensures that at UNSW, EDI is not a 'nice to have' but essential to building resilient communities, advancing knowledge, and solving the complex challenges of our time.
UNSW: Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive is built on four key pillars.
Inclusive culture and community
We’re aiming for a UNSW with an inclusive culture and community, where everybody feels connected, respected, and able to contribute their best. We will do this by:
- Ensuring our leaders have the capability and confidence to create inclusive and accessible work environments.
- Supporting our community to lead on inclusion initiatives across the university
- Building our community’s capacity in inclusive practice
- Redesigning policies, systems, and practices so that inclusion and psychological safety are built into everything we do
Excellence through diversity
We want UNSW to reflect the diversity of the Australian community. We will do this by:
- Increasing representation of underrepresented groups across all levels
- Helping students and colleagues feel confident sharing identity informationHaving recruitment and retention practices that actively support diversity
- Having a better understanding of our community to that we can measure and track diversity and use information to design programs and initiatives that address systemic barriers.
- Making sure prospective students know that our community is diverse
Inclusion by design
UNSW will create environments that are inclusive, accessible, and socially sustainable by design. We will do this by:
- Ensuring UNSW’s precincts, facilities, and digital platforms are designed to be accessible and inclusive from the outset
- Actively welcoming students and colleagues with disability and providing the tools and support they need to succeed
- Using clear, user-friendly language and making sure all policies and procedures embed inclusive practices
- Helping students and colleagues to feel confident and supported when requesting and receiving workplace or learning adjustments
- Integrating inclusive practices into teaching, learning, and leadership systems as standard practice – not as special accommodations.
Being known for inclusion
We want UNSW to be known for leading the sector in equity, diversity and inclusion. We will do this by:
- Creating thought-leading research and events in diversity and inclusion, and being a place where we have important conversations about social justice in a safe, inclusive and respectful way.
- Seeking external recognition for inclusion
- Being known as an inclusive place to work and study, and linking inclusion to our reputation
- Creating graduates with diversity and inclusion skills that make them more employable
- Attracting and retaining students due to our reputation as sector leaders in diversity and inclusion.