We cannot make student life better here at Royal Holloway without having EDI at the heart of everything we do. We have launched the RHSU EDI Framework to do just that.
The RHSU framework sets out our aims and objectives, our action plan, and how we will be accountable. The RHSU framework establishes our commitment to our students, our employees, and our responsibilities, allowing us to hold our employees and university staff accountable for embracing EDI through educating our employees, empowering our student leaders, and influencing positive change.
We want to make it clear that EDI is a priority for us. While developing this framework, we identified areas where we are doing well and areas where we need to improve. This framework will ensure that the whole of RHSU is being proactive in their approach to EDI, to build an inclusive community for employees and students.
Message from Tony Logan (RHSU CEO)
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are not abstract principles for us at RHSU, they are the foundation of who we are, how we work, and the kind of community we strive to build. This framework represents a significant step forward in turning our values into sustained, measurable action. As outlined in the document, our intention is not only to meet our legal responsibilities but to “go above this” and embed EDI into every part of our culture and decision making.
This important work has been shaped by the voices of our employees, our student leaders, and our wider student communities. It reflects months of collaboration, consultation, and honest reflection. The three aims at the heart of this framework, Educate RHSU Employees, Empower our Student Leaders, and Influence the University, capture our commitment to supporting our employees, equipping our student leaders, and driving meaningful change across the
University. Each aim is supported by clear objectives and a detailed action plan, ensuring that our ambitions translate into real progress.
I am particularly proud of the accountability built into this framework. The EDI Task and Finish Group will meet regularly to review our progress with regular scrutiny by our People and Culture Committee. This ensures that our commitments remain visible, continuously improved and measured as we strive for long-term cultural change.
But this framework is more than a plan, it is a promise. A promise that every member of our community deserves to feel safe, respected, and represented. A promise that we will listen to student voice, challenge inequity, and advocate for systems that uplift all. A promise that we will keep learning, keep improving, and keep striving for a Students’ Union and University where everyone can thrive.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to this work. From the employees who shared their insights, to the student leaders whose experiences and perspectives shaped our direction, to the EDI Task and Finish Group for their dedication and to our Students’ Union President, Olivia Davies for her leadership. This framework belongs to us all, with its success dependent on all of us.
As we launch this next chapter, I invite every member of RHSU to engage with this framework, hold us accountable, and join us in building a more inclusive organisation for our members. Together, we can ensure that EDI is not just something we talk about, but something that shapes our work every day.
Message from Olivia Davies (RHSU President)
As VP Wellbeing & Diversity 2024/25 and President 2025/26, I am so proud to be a part of launching RHSU’s first EDI framework. EDI has been at the forefront of my journey at Royal Holloway, from being a student to being a Sabbatical Officer. It has been a privilege to work with both employees and student leaders on this project.
To me, EDI means recognising that our differences are not barriers they are strengths that shape better communities, ensuring everyone feels respected, represented, and safe to be themselves. I hope that in developing this framework, employees and students feel empowered to call out injustices and build a community where everyone feels included.
I want to thank all the incredible employees who are part of the EDI Task and Finish Group, the students who have been part of the process and thank you to the Board of Trustees for their support and insight.
Message from RHSU EDI Task & Finish Group
In June 2025, SU employees formed the EDI Task and Finish Group to develop the EDI Framework and build an Action Plan of specific goals which aims to improved EDI initiatives within the organisation and for our wider student community. Since then, the group has
continued to grow, with colleagues volunteering their time to advance meaningful improvements for both our employees and the student community.
Being part of the development of this framework means a great deal to every employee on the Task and Finish group, and we are so proud to see this project come to fruition. As RHSU employees, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and driving progressive change within the higher education sector, not only at our University and across Students’ Unions more broadly, but also the wider community we are part of.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our student leaders and all those who have supported this work. Your insight and encouragement continue to inspire our efforts at RHSU.