Elevate 2023
An innovative leadership and development programme for women from minority ethnic groups (January – June 2023)
Applications are now open. Deadline: Sunday 23 October 2022
The University is funding these places through Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People Development funds with no cost to the applicant or their department
Following the success of our previous cohort, we are pleased to announce that the Elevate leadership programme will again be offered for the 2022-23 academic year. Elevate creates a unique opportunity for Professional Services and Academic staff who identify as women from minority ethnic groups, to meet, share, support and learn together. The programme brings together colleagues from across five universities in the Southwest of England and South Wales: (Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Exeter, and UWE Bristol).
Elevate is co-designed and co-facilitated by a team consisting of: Yvonne Field, a serial social entrepreneur and recent lecturer at Goldsmiths; Dr Peggy Warren, Researcher with an interest in gender studies and Leadership and Management Development Consultant; and Jamie Schearer-Udeh Anti-racism Consultant, Political Scientist & Community Organiser (Action Learning Facilitator).
This creative programme acknowledges and celebrates the history, culture and diverse lived experience of participants and will encourage participants to reflect, explore and grow through connecting and building solidarity together.
It will offer an engaging and bespoke combination of interactive online webinars and resources, Action Learning Sets, and cross-institutional Mentoring with a (hoped for) concluding face to face session.
Elevate is both a personal and professional development programme and will be focused on Academic staff (grades D-G) and Professional Service staff (grades C-G).
Elevate will be a safe space where leadership concepts and ideas will be introduced whilst exploring strategies that support the navigation of systemic practices which have tended to historically fix the professional identities of women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Elevate recognises that prospective participants are ready to embrace and take on leadership responsibilities, but face differentiated lived experiences in employment, education and in wider society from their white counterparts. Elevate will be transformational and will centre the lived experiences and development needs of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women. You will be the key focus!
*We recognise the diversity of individual identities and lived experiences, and we recognize that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic is an imperfect term that does not fully capture the racial, cultural, and ethnic identities of women that experience structural and systematic inequality. Whenever possible, we will name programme participants as they themselves prefer to be named.
Elevate will
- Provide a blended learning leadership and professional development programme over 6 months
- Introduce participants to different leadership styles and approaches which support the development of leadership and influencing skills
- Support participants to identify strengths and talents as well as development needs
- Provide on-going support through action learning and cross-institutional mentoring
- Empower women by using creative methodologies such as story-telling and journaling for reflection and sharing
“This programme has been overwhelmingly transformative, giving me a space to reflect deeply on what I have achieved in my professional and personal life, as well as how I would like to go forward with developing these areas.” ELEVATE 2022 PARTICIPANT
“The program opened the door for me to begin a journey of self-reflection and working on aspects that were stopping me from making bold moves in my career. I'm now less scared of change and have a new realization of my skills and experience and that I can flourish wherever I choose to go.” ELEVATE 2022 PARTICIPANT
“This is a fantastic programme which will benefit you not only professionally but personally. It is not like the traditional leadership programmes. If you go in with an open mind, it has the potential to positively change your life.” ELEVATE 2022 PARTICIPANT
- Gain your line manager’s support: their active commitment to the programme (and/or an assigned sponsor) will be fundamental to your development journey. They will need to endorse your application and will be expected to advocate for you and ensure that your development time is protected.
- Check that you can make all of the session dates and provisionally book them in your calendar
- Complete the Elevate Application Form 2023 by 23:59 on Sunday 23 October 2022
- Ask your line manager to complete an Elevate Endorsement Form 2023 to support your application by 23:59 on Sunday 23 October 2022
Successful applicants will be notified by the end of November 2022. The lead facilitators will meet with all participants before January, to ensure that the programme meets your development aspirations and needs.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the EDI Team at edi@exeter.ac.uk
The programme will run between January and June 2023.
Applicants must be able to commit to and attend ALL programme elements and dates. We strive to make sure that our development programmes are accessible for all staff and meet your learning needs. If there are any factors which you feel would be a barrier to you accessing or participating in any of the online or offline elements of this programme, please get in touch so that we can discuss this in more detail.
Activity | Date | Time |
Introduction | TBC | TBC |
Session 1 | 23/01/2023 | All day (in Bristol) |
Introduction to Action Learning | 01/02/2023 | TBC |
Action Learning Set 1 | w/c 06/02/2023 | TBC |
Session 2 | 21/02/2023 | 09:30 - 13:00 |
Action Learning Set 2 | w/c 27/02/2023 | TBC |
Session 3 | 22/03/2023 | 09:30 - 13:00 |
Action Learning Set 3 | w/c 27/03/2023 | TBC |
Session 4 | 25/04/2023 | 09:30 - 13:00 |
Action Learning Set 4 | w/c 01/05/2023 | TBC |
Session 5 | 24/05/2023 | 09:30 - 13:00 |
Action Learning Set 5 | w/c 29/05/2023 | TBC |
Session 6 | 13/06/2023 | All day (in Bristol) |
Action Learning Set 6 | w/c 19/06/2023 | TBC |
- Download the Elevate Application Form 2023
- Download the Elevate Endorsement Form 2023
- Gain your line manager’s support: their active commitment to the programme will be fundamental to your leadership and development journey. They will be expected to advocate for you and ensure that your development time is protected.
- Check that you can make all the session dates and provisionally book them in your calendar.
- Download and fill out the Elevate Application Form 2023.
- Download and ask your line manager to fill out the Elevate Endorsement Form 2023.
- Apply by Friday 23 October 2022 and return to edi@exeter.ac.uk.
- Successful applicants will be notified by the end of November and will then have a short briefing session with the lead facilitator to ensure the programme meets the development aspirations and needs of participants.
If you'd like support with any of these elements please free to contact the EDI Team.
You will be matched with a mentor from one of the other Elevate universities ready for the beginning of the programme. Mentors and mentees will meet at least four times between January and July 2023.