SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Unconscious Bias

Target Group:

Managers and those involved in recruitment.

Aim of the workshop:

We aim to answer the following questions:

• What is unconscious bias (UB) and why does it matter?
• What is the effect on recruitment/admissions, people management/student experience good employee relations/effective teaching and promoting equality
• How can I make a difference?

Course Content:

Section 1
Theory of schemas, UB and stereotype threat including input and group participation to cover:

• An understanding of when we have to discriminate and why
• Consideration of whether each of us is biased
• Information about the three phenomena
• How they inter-relate and affect people’s work in HE

Section 2
SOAS data about staff and students and under-representation/imbalances.

Input, exercises and group participation to cover:

• Exploring potential prejudice
• Understanding that discovering one’s own biases is non-judgmental
• Recognising unconscious bias as a universal human characteristic/behaviour
• Understanding that it is something that can be addressed so as to mitigate its effect
• Useful sources for furthering understanding, including the Harvard Implicit Association Test

Section 3
Good practice:

• Tools
• Good practice in recruitment, admissions, management
• Rigorous attention to standard, high quality procedures, including keeping appropriate records
• Mindfulness
• Implementation intention
• Feedback
• Exercise

To book you can apply for this course in one of three ways:

1. Online using the Staff Development Online Booking Form
2. By downloading a request form from the link on the right
3. By email to staffdevelopment@soas.ac.uk