EDI Staff Networks are a powerful force for culture change in higher education – but they also sit at the centre of some of the most complex organisational tensions facing institutions today.
At their best, staff networks bring lived experience, insight and community into institutional decision-making and directly enhance belonging and peer support for staff from groups with protected characteristics.
But as the external environment becomes more contested, and as institutions face competing pressures around resource, regulation, freedom of speech, legal duties and organisational priorities, the role of staff networks can become increasingly difficult to navigate. Without clear purpose, appropriate support and effective connection to governance and decision-making, networks risk becoming isolated, overburdened or misaligned with institutional strategy.
This Advance HE roundtable will explore how HEIs can take a more intentional, strategic and sustainable approach to EDI Staff Networks.
We will be joined by two senior leaders with direct experience of managing these tensions in complex environments: Professor Allán Laville, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at The Open University, and Lisa Adams, Vice-President for People and Talent / Chief People Officer at King’s College London.
Together, they will help participants consider what a fit-for-purpose model for staff networks could look like now – one that recognises the value of lived experience, supports network leads responsibly, and connects network support and insight to institutional strategy and meaningful structural change.
EDI Staff Networks are a powerful asset within institutions, bringing lived experience, insight, and community into the heart of organisational culture. When supported thoughtfully, they can help shape more inclusive environments, strengthen engagement, and contribute meaningfully to long-term institutional progress.
Elliot Spaeth – Senior Consultant, Inclusive Education
