Page 78 - Transformation Indaba Report

Annexure A

stAtement of Commitment to An inClusive institutionAl Culture

Nelson Mandela University is committed to inclusive ees, alumni and other relevant stakeholders. We support
excellence and values that celebrate all forms of diversity. educational experiences and conditions that encourage
Diversity includes race, colour, culture, gender, gender social inclusion and cohesion, contributing to a society
identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, based on democratic values, social justice and fundamen-
national origin, ancestry, disability, and/or class. We tal human rights. We denounce all forms of behaviour
recognise that the University is both a contested and that conflict with our values. We are committed to elim-
generative space, supporting the concurrent existence inating all forms of discrimination and exclusion, includ-
of multiple perspectives and experiences. Our mission, ing discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sex,
vision and values require us to engender an inclusive pregnancy, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orient-
culture, free from bias, prejudice, discrimination and ation, age, disability, religion, consciousness, belief and
hurtful/hateful conduct towards our students, employ- culture.

Embedding our values can be realised by:
• Fostering mutual respect, collaborative relationships, unambiguous communication, explicit understandings
about expectations and critical self-reflection.
• Honouring freedom of expression, ideals of citizenry, and civility of discourse, as fundamental to personal,
professional, and organisational growth.
• Challenging and dismantling systemic oppression.
• Freely expressing who we are, our own opinions and points of view.
• Fully participating in teaching, learning, work and social activities.
• Feeling safe from abuse, harassment, bullying and/or unfair criticism.
• Providing effective leadership in the development, coordination, implementation and assessment of a
comprehensive range of programmes and services to promote diversity and understanding of differences.
• Offering educational opportunities toward the development of socially responsible leaders who are willing to
engage in discourse and decision-making that can lead to co-creative, transformational change within the
University and our broader society.
• Intentionally nurturing a culture of open-mindedness, compassion, and inclusiveness among individuals and
groups.
• Purposefully building teams/groups whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds and life experiences.
• Creating and maintaining opportunities for engagement, education, and discourse related to issues of equity,
diversity and inclusion.
• Providing effective reporting mechanisms to address any form of exclusion and discrimination at the University.

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