Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Contact Us Room 2054 Arts Building
Trinity College
Dublin 2.

View the contact page for more contact and location information

equality@tcd.ie Gaeilge

Ethnicity/Nationality

Trinity welcomes the increasing cultural diversity of our community and is committed to equal treatment of all regardless of race, ethnicity, or nationality.

Chinese new year celebration

The University of Sanctuary is an initiative to encourage and celebrate the good practice of universities, colleges, and other education institutes welcoming refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants into their university communities and fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion for all those seeking sanctuaries. Trinity was awarded University of Sanctuary status in 2021. For more information see here.

The Racial and Ethnic Equality Working Group, co-chaired by Dr. Phil Mullen (Co-ordinator of Trinity’s first Black Studies Elective) and Professor Lorraine Leeson (Associate Vice Provost for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) was set up in 2021. The working group includes staff and students with lived experience as well as representatives from across the University.

Its objectives are to:

  1. Identify issues, including structural issues, that need to be explored and addressed, as well as themes needing action.
  2. Prepare a data and research-informed Action Plan to tackle race and ethnicity equity in the University.
  3. Feed into the next Trinity EDI Strategy and Action Plan (overseen by the Equality Committee and AVPEDI).
  4. Advise the EDI unit on questions of race and ethnicity as and when required.

The Racial and Ethnic Equality Working Group Report 2021 / 2022

This report represents a significant firststep in a process of mindful, ongoing dialogue around racial and ethnic equality here in College, serving as a snapshot of the experiences reported by members of the College community, and the recommendations that emerge from same. The recommendations map to the HEA’s 2021 recommendations, and together offer us a robust launching point for the development of a local race equality action plan and helps us in our work in relation to fulfilment of our Public Sector Duty. Further, this work will inform the EDI strategy and action plan (in preparation), and our institutional Athena SWAN action plan 2023-2026.

Racial and Ethnic Equality Working Group Report 2021/22

For further information, please contact equality@tcd.ie.

International Admissions and Study Abroad advise international students on study opportunities here in Trinity and inform current Trinity students of opportunities to study abroad. Global Relations run the Global Room and other initiatives for international students.

The International Student Society brings students of all different nations together for social and cultural activities, and the SU International Students' Officer is there to support and represent international students (contact: international@tcdsu.org).

English for Academic Purposes is taught here and the Student Learning Development service offers great advice for international students on assessment and study norms in Ireland.

International Chats

International Chats is a support group designed for facilitating TCD International Students’ adjustment, academic success, and personal growth. Members have opportunities to explore and share experiences, discuss different topics, engage in various group activities, and learn useful strategies. Additional topics may also include exploring identity, family relationships, dating, faiths, academic/work/financial stress, immigration, stigma, discrimination/exclusion, and the impact of these issues on their TCD experience by increasing connection, self-empowerment, and advocacy as students academically advance in a multicultural world.

This group is co-facilitated by Lynne Chen (Student Counsellor) and & Louise Staunton (International Student Experience Manager) or Abigail Odekeye (Global Room Assistant Manager) (rotating Global Facilitation)

Learning Outcomes

  • To explore experiences in college and living in Ireland as an International/Multicultural student
  • Receive mutual support while fostering resilience and self-care
  • To learn from others about how to manage distress and the chance to be creative about resolving these issues

Start Date & Time – starting 20 Nov 2020, Fridays 2:00-3:15 pm, 6 weeks (last meeting on Thursday 23rd December)
Pre-registration is essential: Register here

Trinity boasts a very wide range of societies celebrating particular ethnicities, nationalities and cultural identities, including:

Intercultural Awareness Training has been offered to select offices on a pilot basis - please contact Global Relations if you are interested in availing of the training.

Trinity Students

Contact your Tutor. (Senior Tutors Office 01-8962551; Log on to your portal to obtain your Tutor’s email address.)
Student Counselling: https://www.tcd.ie/Student_Counselling/
Peer Support S2S: https://student2student.tcd.ie/
SU Welfare Officer: welfare@tcdsu.org
Trinity Postgraduate Student Support Officer: pgsupp@tcd.ie 
GSU President: president@tcdgsu.ie 
GSU Welfare Officer: vicepresident@tcdgsu.ie 
TCD Afro-Caribbean Society: http://trinitysocieties.ie/society/?socid=131

Trinity Staff

Human Resources – hr@tcd.ie
Employee Relations – employee.relations@tcd.ie
Employee Assistance Programme - https://www.tcd.ie/hr/staff-wellbeing/employee-assistance.php

Trinity Staff and Students

Dignity & Respect  Contact Persons
Trinity Equality Office: equality@tcd.ie
University Health Service: (01) 896 1556
Chaplaincy: https://tcd.ie/Chaplaincy/

General

iReport: Online platform for anonymous reporting of racism in Ireland - https://www.ireport.ie/
Immigrant Council: Anti-Racism Hotline – (01) 674 0200

The School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultural Studies conducts teaching and research on various elements of linguistic and cultural diversity.

The Trinity Centre for Asian Studies brings together teaching and research in Chinese, Korean and Japanese Studies as well as other regionally-based scholarship and pan-Asian research.

The Equality Policy and the Dignity and Respect Policy protect all members of the University community from discrimination, bullying, and harassment; this includes discrimination, bullying, and/or harassment relating to race (including ethnicity, nationality, and skin colour). Don't hesitate to contact the Equality Officer or the Dignity and Respect Contact Persons (listed in the policy) for advice on these matters.

The Strategic Plan 2020-2025 lays out Trinity's goals for internationalisation, stating that geographical diversity in our student community is critical in developing an educational milieu that fosters cross-cultural understanding and prepares all students for a life of global citizenship. It allows for a coming together of different educational, cultural, and personal perspectives.

Trinity recognises that having a diverse mix of students learning together speaks strongly to our deeply-held value of being an inclusive community.

Goal 1 (1.6) commits to “Ensure our diverse student community has access to state-of-the-art support with broader and more diverse catering offerings, including venues for preparing their own food."

The ethnicity/nationality of staff and students is recorded in the Annual Equality Monitoring Reports.

The Employment Equality Act 1998 (as amended) outlaws discrimination within employment related to nine grounds including race (which also refers to ethnicity, nationality and skin colour); the Equal Status Act 2000 (as amended) also outlaws discrimination on the basis of race, covering access to goods and services (including education).

The Traveller community are protected by the "race" ground as well as the "membership of the Traveller community" ground, following the formal recognition of Traveller ethnicity by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny in 2017.

Please see our legislation webpages for further information.