The Athena SWAN Charter and Recent Developments Sarah Dickinson and Peter Mason Athena SWAN Equality Challenge Unit

The Athena SWAN Charter and Recent Developments What is the Athena SWAN Charter? What are the Athena SWAN awards? Applying at faculty/school level Recent developments Recent developments and medical schools What the Athena SWAN team can do What the Athena SWAN team can’t do “What is the Athena SWAN Charter?” Some information about the Charter and the recognition awards. Evidence of the impact of Athena SWAN

What is the Athena SWAN Charter? Recognition scheme of excellence in STEMM in women’s employment in higher education 2005 = 10 founder members 2012 = 76 members 134 eligible UK HEIs = 56.7% 2 rounds per year – November and April Founded in 2005, the Athena SWAN Charter is a recognition scheme of excellence in science, engineering and technology in women’s employment in higher education.

What is the Athena SWAN Charter? Jointly owned by ECU and UKRC (Now) funded by: ECU Royal Society The Biochemical Society Department of Health Annual membership fee of £1000 per institution from April 2012

What is the Athena SWAN Charter Charter signatories are committed to 6 principles: Commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation Change cultures and attitudes across the organisation Examine the absence of diversity at management and policy-making levels Address the high loss rate of women in science Recognise the consequences of short-term contracts for retention and progression of women Active consideration of personal and structural obstacles to making the transition from PhD to a sustainable academic career So then...where does the member bit come in? There are 6 principles of the Charter that members are asked to accept and incorporate into their Athena SWAN work, through their action plans, through embedding Athena SWAN across their institutions and through their championing of the Charter. To address gender inequalities requires commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation To tackle the unequal representation of women in science requires changing cultures and attitudes across the organisation The absence of diversity at management and policy-making levels has broad implications which the organisation will examine The high loss rate of women in science is an urgent concern which the organisation will address The system of short term contracts has particularly negative consequences for the retention and progression of women in science, which the university recognises There are both personal and structural obstacles to women making the transition from PhD into a sustainable academic career in science, which require the active consideration of the organisation.

What are the Athena SWAN Awards Bronze university solid foundation for eliminating gender bias and developing inclusive culture Bronze department identified particular challenges planned activities for the future Silver department significant record of activity and achievement demonstrating impact of implemented activities Gold department significant sustained progression and achievement beacons of achievement in gender equality champions of Athena SWAN and good practice Once a Charter signatory, universities are encouraged to apply for awards. The first award you would submit for is a Bronze university award. Bronze university: recognises that the university overall has a solid foundation for eliminating gender bias and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff. Once the university has a Bronze award its individual departments/schools can apply for Bronze, Silver or Gold department awards. Bronze department: recognises that in addition to university-wide policies, the department has identified particular challenges and is planning activities for the future. Silver department: recognise that in addition to university wide policies, the department has a significant record of activity and achievement and has identified particular challenges, has implemented activities and can demonstrate the impact of these so far. Gold department: recognises a significant sustained progression and achievement by the department in promoting gender equality and to address challenges particular to the discipline. Gold departments should be beacons of achievement in gender equality and should champion Athena SWAN and promote good practice to the wider community. Once a university or department achieves an award, the award is valid for 3 years, after which you will need to renew your award.

What are Athena SWAN awards? Awards ask for data and evidence around the following areas: Key career transition points Appointment and promotion processes Career development Provisions for career development and career development activities Organisation and culture Management structures and organisational values and ethos Flexibility and managing career breaks Flexibility and sustainable careers and managing career breaks The main bulk of the awards asks for data and evidence of good practice in the following areas: (give some examples of good practice...) Key career transition points Appointment and promotion systems and practices, and decisions taken are open, transparent, and fair Approaches and systems are used to make sure that men and women are equally likely to apply for appointment and promotion and equally likely to be successful (e.g. appointment and promotion processes, including: panel membership; appointment and promotion information and its communication; monitoring stages and outcomes; identifying and encouraging candidates; support for candidates going through the processes; and providing feedback) Career development Arrangements exist to monitor and ensure the quality and effectiveness of career development provided Arrangements ensure staff engage in activities, internal and external, that contribute to career progression Specific reference is made to the needs of early career staff (e.g. provisions for career development and career development activities, including: career development arrangements and opportunities; early career staff development; appraisal; mentoring; networks and role models; and activities to raise professional profiles) Organisation and culture Administrative and academic contributions made by staff are effectively and fairly managed and resourced A working environment that recognises the ambitions and expectations of staff, recognises their contribution and enables a rewarding career (e.g. management structures and organisational values and ethos, including: communications; resource and workload allocation; the rotation of management roles and responsibilities; collegiality; support and inclusivity) Flexibility and managing career breaks A department managing the flexibility that underpins sustainable careers Arrangements for managing career breaks, maternity leave, and other career interruptions that support individuals to maintain a career trajectory that meets their abilities and ambitions. (e.g. flexibility and sustainable careers and managing career breaks, including: approaches to flexible working; take up of flexible working; how flexible operational management arrangements are; approaches to career interruptions, support before and during the career break; support on returning from a career break and work-life balance)

Applying at faculty level Faculty submissions are accepted but please consider: We require data from all the units in the faculty You will need to clearly demonstrate good practice (and impact) across all units Communication of the Charter principles needs to be apparent across the faculty Faculties need to find suitable comparators for benchmarking Faculties are subject to the same word limits as departments. and that issues specific to different subject areas have been identified ; it should not driven by one single unit within

Recent Developments NIHR BRU/BRC funding now linked to Athena SWAN silver awards DoH £200k funding for Athena SWAN Extra resource (2.0 FTE staff) to facilitate development and increased demand “Tapping all our talents” report from the RSE Expansion to non HEI-affiliated research institutes QUB - first university Silver award New website to be launched in summer 2012 Benchmarking data to be available in summer 2012

Recent Developments with Medical Schools Warwick Medical School gained Bronze award in November 2011 Other related units/departments hold awards Setting up medical schools working group to help develop charter and application process Medical school representation on steering committee Workshops to be held for medical schools preparing submissions

What the Athena SWAN team can do to help Attend regional workshops and meetings (e.g. Involving several institutions) Field queries and advise where you can get information from Provide written submission feedback Provide materials – e.g. case studies, good practice examples Clarify processes and guidance Send out information on Jiscmail

What the Athena SWAN team can’t do Read draft submissions Comment on draft action plans Attend individual institutional meetings/working groups Grant appeals to the submission decisions

Questions?