Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: reimagining change opportunities

Abstract

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: reimagining change opportunities.

Student engagement and retention continue to be a significant focus for the Australian tertiary sector including the University of New England (UNE). At the same time, UNE aims to position itself as a leader in fostering acceptance and inclusion. Indeed, in its most recent document Belonging@UNE Action Plan 2025-2027, UNE embraces the unique opportunity it has “to spearhead our efforts to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into our core business”. As university educators, we have identified a perceived disconnect between legislation, policy, guidelines, procedures and the actualities of practice in our broader Community of Practice (COP). Using this document as a springboard and in the context of our role as educators in Initial Teacher Education (ITE), we will explore the implications of this action plan to enact diversity and inclusion in our classrooms. Hence this presentation is a gentle call to action for our wider COP to critically examine current understandings and practices at UNE in relation to these policies. To this end, we reimagine change opportunities by exploring the fundamentals of innovation in promoting EDI through the lens of self-reflective practice.