Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the University of Sunderland. BA (Hons) Business Studies (1992)
Having graduated with an honours degree in Business Studies in 1992, Justine started as a student at Sunderland Polytechnic in the late 1980s and graduated the year it gained university status. She met her husband and best friend who both attended the same course while studying at Sunderland.
Justine is a passionate believer in social justice, having worked in Human Resources she now supports the effective implementation of equality, diversity and inclusion for staff within the University. Through her work, she has created a more inclusive culture by initiating social networks for LGBTQI+ staff, fertility support, those living alone or in social isolation, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff, parents and carers, enabled staff and menopause support.
Listen to Justine’s story:
Read the transcript of Justine’s interview
Studying at Sunderland.
“I absolutely love working at the University. It’s been a brilliant ten years. I was attracted initially because yes, it was close to home, but I really identified with the values that the University has. I could also really speak confidently about the life changing agenda because it has been life changing for me. I came in 1988 and then because it was four years, I did an industrial placement. I graduated in ‘92, so I joined it as a polytechnic and then graduated- the first year it was a University. So yeah, it’s thirty years since I graduated. That’s the thing that I remember was the social life was phenomenal and Wearmouth Hall was at the centre of that because obviously that was the bar. The Student Union was there. I was hypnotised in Wearmouth Hall in 1991. I was taken up on stage and doing all sorts of strange things in front of everybody and then going straight out to the Ku Club. So the Ku Club is to be remembered because it was 20 pence a shot on a Tuesday night. I know it’s phenomenal to think about it now”.
On her role at the University.
“Now I love what I do because my whole job is about making people’s lives easier and better and allowing them to be as authentic as possible. And why wouldn’t I love that job? And I said in the interview, I need to be able to laugh. I need to be able to be myself. And I have been allowed to laugh and be myself for the last ten years. And if you can be as natural, you know, be your authentic self at work, then it’s a great place to be. And I am very much from a values perspective, in line with what they want to achieve. And I have always been somebody who believes in social justice. It’s been something that’s been with me all my life. It was fed to me by my dad when I was young, and this role became available for the first time. And I just knew it was the role that I wanted to do. So I applied and was successful and I’ve been doing it for the last two and a half years and it’s the best job I’ve ever done and I feel privileged to be in the job that I enjoy doing every day. And it isn’t a chore. I mean, how could I possibly not like a job that is really about making people’s lives better? So yeah, that’s how I came here.
The feedback I get from staff and I hear it at every induction is how inclusive we are. We really welcome diversity within the University in every way from how people look at how they think to being a member of underrepresented group. The biggest amount of feedback we get, particularly as I said at induction, is how friendly it is. And I think sometimes universities can be quite difficult to sort of engage with as a new member of staff. It’s incredibly friendly and very welcoming. And that’s definitely something that comes through in the feedback that we get. And as I said, our aim is to ensure that people can be as authentic as they possibly can without judgment within the University. And we’re not there yet, of course we’re not. But it’s something that we really strive to do and I think that’s something as an employer we’re particularly proud of”.
Inclusivity at the University.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but we have two rainbow crossings at University, one at here at St Peter’s near the Glass Centre, and another over at City Campus. It’s, you know, a really strong visual statement about how inclusive we are as a university. But, I keep getting sent pictures by people from different community groups walking across saying how grateful they are that those crossings are there. So yeah, that’s something else that I’m really proud of. And that came from our LGBTQI+ network. They asked if this was something that we would consider, and again, the University listened. So I think going back to the question about, you know, what is the University good at, it really does listen to what the staff say”.
Living in Sunderland.
Having lived in different parts of the country, you don’t get the same level of friendliness that you do in the north east. What I love about it is you are never more than half an hour away from a big city, the seaside, the countryside. And we’ve lived here ever since. And I genuinely have the warmest feeling around the University because and you know, it talks about being life changing and it has been for me personally and professionally, I’m very proud to work here. I adore the job that I do. And I met my best friends and my husband. You know, it’s given me everything and, you know, I’ll happily retire, you know, from the University.
