EQUAL TREATMENT OF STUDENTS PLAN JANUARY 1, 2016 – DECEMBER 31, 2017 STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS (SSE)
Adopted by the SSE President on January 19, 2016
2 Table of Contents
Foreword ... 3
1. The SSE Equal Treatment Plan Is an Action Plan for 2016-2017 ... 4
2. Division of Responsibility for Equal Treatment Activities ... 4
3. General Guidelines and Instructions ... 4
4. Activities During the Period 2016-2017 ... 5
Systematization of Equal Treatment Work ... 5
Increased Awareness ... 6
Student Recruitment to Increase Diversity ... 7
A Multiethnic and Multireligious Environment ... 8
Discrimination and Harassment ... 9
5. Follow-Up 2015 ... 10
3 FOREWORD
The Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) has a distinguished reputation both in Sweden and abroad and cooperates with leading universities all over the world. Our vision is to safeguard and strengthen our position as one of the leading business schools in Europe. Our ability to recruit and nurture talented students is critical to our continued success.
SSE strives to be a creative and stimulating place for studying where people with different backgrounds and experiences are given the same rights, opportunities and responsibilities. We also have a zero-tolerance attitude regarding discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment. Furthermore, we actively work to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.
Success in education and research can only be achieved in an open and inclusive environment that is characterized by mutual respect. Let us all, students and employees alike, strive to create and preserve such an environment.
Lars Strannegård President
4 1.THE SSEEQUAL TREATMENT PLAN IS AN ACTION PLAN FOR 2016-2017
In accordance with the Swedish Discrimination Act (2008:567), SSE has established two different plans. This Equal Treatment of Students Plan is a rolling two-year plan that is reviewed and revised annually. The Equal Opportunity Plan, which primarily focuses on equality and diversity activities aimed at employees, is a three-year plan that is reviewed annually.
The equal treatment of students work at SSE heavily focuses on creating a student environment that 1) attracts the best students at all levels, 2) is open and inclusive, and 3) is free from
discrimination and harassment. A key factor in achieving this is increasing the equality and diversity knowledge and awareness of both students and employees.
The Equal Treatment of Students Plan has been developed in collaboration with the Student Association at the Stockholm School of Economics (SASSE). The plan was then discussed at the Faculty and Program Board meeting on January 18, 2016 and thereafter adopted by the President.
2.DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EQUAL TREATMENT ACTIVITIES
The overall responsibility for equal treatment work at SSE rests with the President. The President adopts the Equal Treatment of Students Plan on the recommendation of the Faculty and
Program Board. The Equality and Diversity Manager is then responsible for implementing and following up on the plan on a school-wide level. Department heads, program directors and unit managers are responsible for implementing the plan in their respective departments/programs/
units. Collaboration with SASSE will take place as much as possible.
3.GENERAL GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS
This section addresses the continuous equal treatment work that the management team, Faculty and Program Board (FPB), department heads, program directors and unit managers must carry out on a regular basis.
• Equal treatment activities will be carried out in collaboration with SASSE where appropriate.
• All recruitment of students will be free from discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation and age.
• Information about SSE’s equal treatment plan and routines will be included in the introduction of all new students and will be readily available to all students.
• The physical and social environment at SSE will promote inclusion and prevent discrimination/harassment on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation and age.
• Zero tolerance regarding discrimination and harassment will be enacted at all times.
5 4.ACTIVITIES DURING THE PERIOD 2016-2017
Systematization of Equal Treatment Work
Objective: Analyze the needs and develop concrete measures in support of the systematic work to promote equal treatment as well as to combat and prevent discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation and age.
Action A: Review, revise and, where necessary, create relevant guidelines, policies, plans, routines and supporting documents to systematically promote equal treatment and prevent discrimination and harassment.
Indicator: The completed documents
Accountable Person: The Equality and Diversity Manager
Action B: Review and analyze course evaluations, quarterly quality reports by program directors, and activities related to the introduction week in order to determine where further improvement is necessary.
Indicator: The completed reviews and analyses
Accountable Persons: The Program Office Administrative Director, Program Directors, the Vice President of Degree Programs, and the Equality and Diversity Manager
Action C: Activities and events held at the school will be reviewed and analyzed in order to identify possible hotspots where there may be a risk of discrimination or harassment occurring.
An action plan for dealing with these hotspots will then be developed in collaboration with the SSE safety officer and SASSE.
Indicator: The completed review, analysis and action plan
Accountable Persons: The Equality and Diversity Manager and The Director of External Relations
6
Increased Awareness
Objectives: All SSE students and employees will be aware of the contents and implications of the Equal Treatment of Students Plan. SSE students and employees will also receive training in order to ensure that the activities they organize and carry out promote equal treatment and prevent discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation and age.
Action A: The Equal Treatment of Students Plan will be addressed in the introduction of all new students and employees and will be available online.
Indicator: Completed introduction sessions and relevant intranet/internet pages
Accountable Persons: The Equality and Diversity Manager, the Personnel Director and the Program Office Administrative Director
Action B: SASSE board members and project managers, as well as the SASSE Equality Group, will be offered recurrent training in how to integrate an equal treatment perspective into all SASSE activities and the importance of setting a good example for other students.
Indicator: List of completed seminars/lectures
Accountable Person: The Equality and Diversity Manager
Action C: The SASSE Introduction Committee will receive special recurrent training in how to integrate an equal treatment perspective into the introduction week for new students. The
training will also include information on how to prevent harassment and how to address it should it occur, as well the importance of setting a good example for new students.
Indicator: The completed seminar
Accountable Persons: The Program Office Administrative Director and the Equality and Diversity Manager
Action D: At least four seminars/lectures aimed at students and/or employees will be offered per year on the topics of equality, diversity and the prevention of discrimination and harassment.
Indicator: List of completed seminars/lectures
Accountable Persons: The Equality and Diversity Manager and the Head of Pedagogical and Faculty Development
7
Student Recruitment to Increase Diversity
Objective: All student recruitment activities at SSE will be aimed at strengthening the diversity of the student body, with primary focus being on the BSc in Business and Economics. Four areas have been identified that SSE will continue to focus on: 1) gender; 2) social background and students from non-academic backgrounds; 3) ethnicity; 4) geographical spread.
Action A: SSE will continue to have two ambassador programs. One ambassador program is for the bachelor programs in which current BSc students visit local and regional high schools to inform students about higher education and encourage them to apply to SSE. The other ambassador program is for the masters programs and focuses on recruiting international students.
Indicator: Lists of participating ambassadors and completed activities Accountable Person: The Project Manager for the ambassador programs
Action B: To learn more about how high school students think when choosing higher education, interviews will be conducted with female students from schools from which SSE normally
attracts students as well as schools from which SSE does not attract students. Interviews with second-year students will again be conducted to learn more about what it is like to study at SSE.
Indicator: List of conducted interviews
Accountable Person: The Program Director for the BSc program in business and economics Action C: The results of a study conducted in 2015 to examine how female high school students view finance and what they think is important when choosing higher education will be analyzed and lead to further studies and an action plan aimed at revising programs to attract more female students. Students, SASSE representatives and external companies will also be interviewed to obtain input in how to increase the number of women who study and work in finance.
Indicator: The completed analysis, conducted interviews and the action plan Accountable Person: The Head of the Department of Finance
Action D: The school’s communication plan and materials will continue to be designed in a way that makes SSE attractive to all potential student groups.
Indicator: The completed plan and materials
Accountable Person: The Director of External Relations
Action E: The SSE Sisters mentor program will continue with Värmdö Gymnasium and expand to one more high school.
Indicator: Lists of participating mentors and completed activities Accountable Person: The Director of External Relations
8
A Multiethnic and Multireligious Environment
Objective: Continue the inclusion of international students in order to further strengthen SSE as a multiethnic and multireligious environment.
Action A: Courses in Swedish will continue to be offered to international masters students and, as space permits, international doctoral students. These courses will provide the students with basic skills in Swedish, from everyday expressions to writing short texts and delivering a brief presentation on a topic related to professional or academic experience.
Indicator: List of completed courses
Accountable Person: The Director of the Center for Modern Languages
Action B: A seminar on cross-cultural management will be offered to PhD students.
Indicator: The completed seminar
Accountable Person: The Program Coordinator for the PhD programs
Action C: The effects and possibility of not scheduling exams at the same time as major national and/or religious holidays will be investigated.
Indicator: The completed investigation
Accountable Persons: The Administrative Director of Academic Support & Records and the Equality and Diversity Manager
Action D: The quiet rooms that currently are available to employees will be reviewed to determine whether they can be made available to students who wish to meditate or pray during school hours.
Indicators: The review report
Accountable Persons: The Equality and Diversity Manager and the Purchasing and Service Director
9
Discrimination and Harassment
Objectives: All students will be able to easily find information on how SSE works to prevent discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation and age. The SASSE board, council and committee chairs will receive training and support in
preventing and dealing with discrimination and harassment.
Action A: Existing information about and routines for preventing and dealing with
discrimination and harassment will be reviewed and revised. They will thereafter be distributed to all students.
Indicator: The revised routines and intranet pages
Accountable Persons: The Equality and Diversity Manager, the Administrative Director of Academic Support & Records and the Program Office Administrative Director
Action B: SASSE board members, council members and committee chairs will be offered recurrent training in relevant legislation and policies as well as in how they should prevent and address discrimination and harassment in their respective areas of responsibility.
Indicator: List of completed training sessions
Accountable Persons: The Equality and Diversity Manager
Action C: All students’ responsibility for contributing to creating an open and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and SSE’s zero tolerance of discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment will be addressed during the introduction week and at other relevant student events.
Indicator: Follow-up with the Equality and Diversity Manager
Accountable Persons: The Program Office Administrative Director, the Director of External Relations and the Equality and Diversity Manager
10 5.FOLLOW-UP 2015
A new rolling two-year Equal Treatment of Students Plan was adopted in the beginning of 2015.
The following planned activities were completed in 2015:
Objective 1, Action A: A project manager to work with equality and diversity at SSE was recruited.
Objective 4, Action A: Gender awareness seminars were offered for all faculty members.
Objective 4, Action B: Two Faculty Forums with the themes “Gender – Who cares?” and
“Norms in the classroom” were offered.
Objective 5, Action A: This objective has been moved to the Equal Opportunities Plan as it pertains to gender distribution among the teaching staff and is thereby a recruitment and employment issue.
Objective 6, Action A: Swedish courses were continued to be offered to international masters and PhD students.
Objective 6, Action B: Two seminars entitled “Managing Cultural Diversity in the Classroom”
and “The Inclusive Classroom” were offered to faculty and staff.
Objective 6, Action C: The information material for PhD students was improved and a new Guide for International Students was produced.
Objective 6, Action D: Discussions with SSE corporate partners aimed at increasing their knowledge of SSE’s international student body were carried out.
Objective 7, Action A: SSE’s communication plan and materials were designed so that the school would be attractive to all potential groups.
Objective 7, Action B: The ambassador program continued with 21 BSc ambassadors and 24 MSc ambassadors.
Objective 7, Action C: Interviews with second-year students were conducted to learn more about what it is like to study at SSE.
Objective 7, Action D: The SSE Sisters mentor program was launched in collaboration with Värmdö Gymnasium.
Objective 7, Action E: A study was conducted to examine how female high school students view finance and what they think is important when choosing higher education.
Objective 8, Action B: Information about dispensation options for students with small children was included in student handbooks.
Remaining Activities
All other activities stated in the 2015 plan have been incorporated into the 2016–2017 plan.
