With the aim of making our Department a more comfortable and supportive environment for all, the EDI committee recommends the organisers of catered events in the Department ensure there is a variety of food and drink options available to allow for diverse cultures, lifestyles and circumstances to be accommodated. The committee also encourages event organisers to circulate food options provided ahead of time and make every effort to cater to dietary requirements.
Moreover, alcohol culture is particularly pervasive in geoscience (e.g Dowey et al., 2020) and this can pose a significant barrier to socialising for students and staff who do not drink, and who are also more likely to be from BAME backgrounds. Therefore, when holding an event during work hours, the EDI committee encourages the organisers to consider serving alcohol in moderate/reasonable amounts and to make sure they provide a large selection of soft drinks alternatives (cordials, botanical sodas, non-alcoholic beers, etc.)
Reference: Dowey, N.J., Barclay, J., Fernando, B., Giles, S., Houghton, J., Jackson, C.A.L., Mills, K., Newton, A., Rogers, S.L. and Williams, R., 2020. Diversity Crisis in UK Geoscience Research Training.