How much inclusive is your University? First results from the XENIA Index Pilot Study

During March and April 2022, the XENIA Consortium carried out the pilot study of the XENIA Index in Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain. The pilot study aimed to identify and correct potential defects and drawbacks of the XENIA tools and Index before replicating the test on a larger size.

Staff responsible for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 44 students, and 13 faculty and administrative/technical workers from 4 Higher Education Institutions contributed to the project's pilot phase. Participants tested the XENIA tools (matrix or survey, depending on their academic profile), reporting on their institutions' inclusiveness across five categories: Institution, Policy & Programmes, Pedagogy and Academic Programming, Support Services, and Academic Life. Then, they were asked to evaluate the user-friendliness of the XENIA tools and the overall ability of the XENIA Index to capture the dynamics of inclusiveness within the Institutions.

In general, in all participating countries, the pilot attracted considerable interest from the target audiences. The tools were mostly considered very good and useful to assess how the Institution is doing in relation to equality based on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. As a result of the pilot phase, a small number of minor amendments have been made. The more extensive test of the Index is now ongoing. All the results will be released in November 2022.

To stay up-to-date on the progress of the project, please visit our website:

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