The Faculty of Business and Law aims to foster a culture of inclusion, ensure continuous improvement and collegiality, and champion equity initiatives across all aspects of the workplace.
UOW recognises that it can only achieve its strategic objectives by attracting and retaining a diverse blend of talent. Our staff and students reflect the diversity of our communities and our commitment to equity, diversity of inclusion recognises our continued excellence in research, education and community engagement. We recognise and celebrate each aspect of diversity individually and recognise their intersectionality. We aim to have an organisational culture where people can be their authentic selves and have policies and practices that ensure fair and equitable campuses. We welcome anyone regardless of age, race, colour, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital or relationship status, or economic background. UOW has policies and practices to ensure that we provide a fair workplace and campuses free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. Through our inclusive values, we aim to empower all staff and students to achieve their full potential and remove actual or perceived barriers to participation.
The Faculty of Business and Law is committed to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all staff and students in the faculty. There are a number of equity, diversity and inclusion strategic objectives described below.
Promote a culture that holds the values of equity, diversity and inclusion as central to who we are and what we do;
Ensure all staff and students understand what the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion mean, and how this translates to their actions and behaviours at work;
Ensure a truly inclusive workplace, diverse and welcoming where all staff and students feel:
Ensure staff and students feel that diversity of opinions and views is valued, and they can bring their whole selves to work;
Ensure the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are considered in all decisions made, and that this is transparent and communicated to all staff; and
Ensure that principles of equity, diversity and inclusion and are embedded in our teaching and research practices.members of the UOW community.
The Business and Law Faculty Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Members include:
The Committee for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CEDI) has been established to provide high-level direction, advocacy and support for all matters relating to equity, diversity and inclusion so that all members of the UOW community.
Policies and tools that guide our Faculty to be an equitable, inclusive, and diverse place for every student and staff member to learn and work.
We acknowledge that Country for Aboriginal peoples is an interconnected set of ancient and sophisticated relationships.
The University of Wollongong spreads across many interrelated Aboriginal Countries that are bound by this sacred landscape, and intimate relationship with that landscape since creation.
From Sydney to the Southern Highlands, to the South Coast.
From fresh water to bitter water to salt.
From City to Urban to Rural.
The University of Wollongong Acknowledges the Custodianship of the Aboriginal peoples of this place and space that has kept alive the relationships between all living things.
The University Acknowledges the devastating impact of colonisation on our campuses' footprint and commit ourselves to truth-telling, healing and education.
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Language and practice to avoid |
Good inclusive language practice |
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Black/Brown/Yellow/ Red/Purple people OR Coloured person |
Person of colour (POC) |
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An African (broad generalisation) |
Person of Kenyan descent (specific) |
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Foreigners |
International people, international students |
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Mixed race |
Biracial, multiracial |
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Third world country |
Developing country |
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God-botherer |
A person of faith |
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Believes in the sky-fairy/imaginary being |
A believer (in God or other deity) |
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Bible-basher |
Christian |
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Towelhead, raghead |
A person wearing a hijab or turban |
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Religious food or God food |
Kosher/Halal (relevant terminology) dietary requirement |
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Conflating a negative action with a faith e.g. Islamic terrorism |
Keeping a faith separate from an action |
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Christian name |
First name, given name, affirmed name |
Source: Words Matter: ECU's Inclusive Language Guide
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Language and practice to avoid |
Good inclusive language practice |
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Abnorpmal, afflicted with or suffers from, birth defect, deformed, invalid |
Person with disability or disabled person (dependant on individual or group) |
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Wheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair |
Person who uses a wheelchair, wheelchair user |
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Vision impaired, visually impaired, the blind. |
Person who is blind or has low vision, blind person (dependant on individual or group) |
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Asperger’s (no longer a diagnosis so only if someone identifies), on the spectrum (used to avoid the word autism), high/low functioning, ASD (diagnosis terminology) |
Person with autism, autistic, neurodivergent (dependant on individual or group), |
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Deaf and dumb (inability to hear and speak does not imply intellectual disability) |
Person who is deaf/hard of hearing, deaf person (dependant on individual or group) |
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Paraplegic |
Person with paraplegia |
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Mentally handicapped, slow |
Person with an intellectual disability |
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Handicapped parking |
Accessible parking |
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Disabled toilet |
Accessible toilet |
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Special requirements |
Individual requirements |
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Mentally ill, crazy, mental, psycho |
Person with mental illness |
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Learning impaired |
Person with a learning disability |
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Suffers from a chronic health condition |
Lives with or has a chronic health condition |
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Able-bodied, abled, normal |
Person without disability, non-disabled person |
Source: Words Matter: ECU's Inclusive Language Guide
SAGE offers webinar recordings on connecting EDI ideas to practice. These are delivered by leading equity, diversity and inclusion researchers and professionals.
Access to the recording is limited to staff and students from SAGE subscriber institutions. To access the video:
Gordon, R. and Zainuddin N. (2020), "Symbolic violence and marketing ECRs in the neoliberal University." Journal of Marketing Management, 36(7-8): 705-726.
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Language and practice to avoid |
Good inclusive language practice |
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She/he is taking maternity leave |
They are taking parental leave |
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She/he must provide copies |
Every candidate must provide copies |
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Mother’s facilities |
Parenting facilities |
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Your husband/wife |
Your partner |
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A father ‘babysitting’ their child |
A parent ‘caring’ for their child |
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Policeman/fireman |
Police officer/firefighter |
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Ladies and Gentlemen |
Esteemed guests |
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Boys and girls |
Students, class, kids, everyone, folks |
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Mum and Dad |
Parents and carers |
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Husband and wife, girlfriend and boyfriend |
Partner |
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Brother and sister |
Siblings |
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She or he |
They |
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Chairman, mankind, Policeman |
Chair/Chairperson, humankind, Police Officer |
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Feminine hygiene products |
Period products, menstruation products |
Source: Words Matter: ECU's Inclusive Language Guide
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Language and practice to avoid |
Good inclusive language practice |
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Gay and lesbian, the gay community |
The LGBTIQA+ community |
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Lez, lesbo, lezzie |
Lesbian |
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Homosexual, homo |
Gay, gay man, gay person |
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Lifestyle choice, sexual preference |
Sexuality |
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Born male, born female |
Assigned male or female at birth |
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He or she |
They (if you don’t know their gender or they use they/them pronouns) |
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Transsexual, transgendered, crossdresser |
Transgender, trans, gender diverse, non-binary |
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Transvestite |
Crossdresser |
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Hermaphrodite |
Intersex person, someone with an intersex variation |
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Ladies and gents, boys and girls |
Everyone, guests, folks |
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Preferred name, preferred pronouns |
Name and pronouns |
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Identifies as transgender, gay, bisexual |
Is transgender, gay, bisexual |
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Husband/wife |
Partner, spouse |
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Gay agenda, homosexual agenda |
Use an accurate description of topic e.g. Discrimination laws |
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Special rights |
Equal rights |
Source: Words Matter: ECU's Inclusive Language Guide
Over the next few years, the Faculty of Business and Law will continue to develop current RAP-related initiatives and endeavour to launch new ones. Among the current ones that will continue and acquire renewed emphasis and focus are: continuing participation in the Jindaola program; identification of current and developing of further Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content in subjects; and, in collaboration with the Woolyungah Centre, developing and providing appropriate support for our Indigenous students. In addition, we will be cultivating cultural safety through ongoing reflection and learning to foster respectful and trust-based reciprocal relationships with Indigenous staff, students, and the community. We will proactively seek and nurture community-based partnerships with Aboriginal Elders, knowledge holders, and organisations to enhance a care-based approach to developing the Indigenous talent pool.
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Language and practice to avoid |
Good inclusive language practice |
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Blacks, Natives, Aborigines |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples |
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Half-caste, part-Aboriginal |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander |
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aboriginal, indigenous |
Aboriginal, Indigenous peoples |
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Aboriginal tribes or clans |
Aboriginal communities or language groups |
Source: Words Matter: ECU's Inclusive Language Guide
UOW's processes and supporting documentation for managing conduct and performance specific to academic staff and professional services employees are set out in the following documents:
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Language and practice to avoid |
Good inclusive language practice |
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Seniors, elderly, old lady/old man, the aged, |
Older people, older Australians, retired people, retirees |
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Emerging adult, kids, youths, juniors, |
Younger people, young people, youth |
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People over x, People younger than x |
Younger people, people aged e.g. 18 to 25 |
Source: Words Matter: ECU's Inclusive Language Guide
The Student Accessibility and Inclusion (SAI) team offers personalised assistance for students living with a disability who are studying at UOW. We use reasonable adjustments, provided through Access Plans, to enable students with disability to participate in education on the same basis as students without disability.
Learn more about SAI
