Meet Rhienna
Rhienna Morar, EDI Student Associate
In 2021, the consultation process of the University’s Race Equality Taskforce indicated wide support for students to be rewarded for their involvement in activities which contribute to the Race Equality Strategy. The University committed to develop and implement equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) Studentships that offer awards to students aiming to learn more and implement inclusive practices.
Rhienna Morar is one of the first two Student Associates at the Equality and Diversity Unit hoping to make ‘a meaningful change’.
What does the role of Student Associate entail?
"My role as Student Associate involves working part-time within the Equality and Diversity Unit. The scope is fairly broad, allowing me to work on areas of EDI which most interest me. Practically, this involves research, creation of informative documents and policies, and collaboration with other team members."
What interested you in this role?
Promoting EDI is something I am particularly passionate about; as a brown woman with a visual impairment, I consider my diversity to be a key part of my personality.
I previously held the position of JCR Disabilities and Mental Health Officer at Oriel College for 18 months. During that time I was a point of contact for students needing advice or practical support. I also have experience outside of the university working with disability networks and on my own projects. I applied to be a Student Associate in order to gain an understanding of how to drive change at a systemic level. I am also interested in the process of policy creation and implementation."
What projects do you plan to work on, what are your priorities?
"I am primarily working with Sarah Stephenson-Hunter, Staff Disability Advisor and my mentor. My current focus is creating Workplace Adjustment Plans for staff, to be used by both staff and employers. The hope is to create a more regulated system for implementing reasonable disability adjustments in the workplace, following the example of Student Support Plans. I also plan to help with this year’s Stonewall Equality Index submission. Finally, I hope to work on improving connections between the EDU and student college representatives. Knowledge of the university’s pledges and priorities would be extremely helpful for students trying to change EDI practices within colleges or departments."
What do you hope to achieve during your time as an EDI Student Associate?
"I would hopefully like to make some meaningful change! This the first year of the Student Associate program within the EDU, so I hope to create a precedent for future students to continue collaborating with the team. By the end of my position I hope to have laid the groundwork for Workplace Adjustment Plans to be rolled out. I also hope I leave the team with a clear and robust strategy for reaching out to student representatives and including them in new opportunities."
We’d love to hear your story too
If you would like to share your story and help showcase to work that brings the Race Equality Strategy to life, please contact us at equality@admin.ox.ac.uk
