The Medicine & Health Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee (MHEDIC) provides strategic direction and leadership aligned with our faculty’s Health 25 Strategy and UNSW’s 2025 Strategy. MHEDIC focuses on supporting key priorities including gender equity, cultural diversity, LGBTIQA+ inclusion, flexible working, supporting staff and students with disability, Indigenous staff and students, and low socioeconomic students.
We work directly with students and staff to develop a culture that embraces equity and respect through accessing relevant policies, and developing strategic initiatives, training and events. We seek to ensure that the principles of integrity, equity, diversity and inclusion are effectively embedded at every level of faculty.
The terms of reference for MHEDIC include overseeing the implementation of UNSW Medicine & Health Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy across the faculty’s schools, centres and institutes. This will ensure the faculty’s EDI Plan and the governance of MHEDIC supports UNSW’s 2025 Strategy and aligns with the objectives of the UNSW EDI Board.
Our aims are to identify actions and initiatives to help achieve the faculty’s EDI targets, including an ongoing evaluation of our progress, providing a forum for discussion of EDI issues within the faculty and contributing to the communication and reinforcement of shared values around EDI which supports our culture of inclusiveness within the faculty.
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MHEDIC is made up of senior staff (academic and professional) and students from across the faculty. It reports to the faculty board. Its purpose is to manage and monitor the EDI Strategy across the faculty. Members are appointed for a two-year initial term and must have an appointment or be enrolled at UNSW for the term of their appointment.
MEDIC meets 6 times a year. Committee members are strongly encouraged to attend these meetings.
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Our MHEDIC Working Groups are a key way of engaging our people with our EDI strategy. The networks are led by the MHEDIC Champions with oversight from the Faculty EDI Manager. The working groups are open to academic and professional staff and students. They are an important way for people across the faculty to feel engaged, included and to drive significant cultural change around equity diversity and inclusion within UNSW Medicine & Health.
Cultural diversity
Our Cultural Diversity Working Group connects and engages staff and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The group’s focus is on UNSW Medicine & Health’s commitment to developing our cultural intelligence, improving our understanding of culturally and linguistically diverse people, as well as ensuring representation of these groups within the faculty’s community.
Other working groups
At UNSW Medicine & Health, we seek to ensure the learning, teaching and working experience is welcoming and inclusive of everyone. The faculty has a built and digital environment which is accessible for staff and students with disability. We have Disability Champions on MHEDIC who drive our disability inclusion strategy. We also have flexible work champions to ensure flexible working is available for all our staff.