Athena SWAN Departmental Submission Guidelines

Transcription

1 Athena SWAN Departmental Submission Guidelines

2 Contents Page Index Page 1. Athena SWAN Purpose Introduction to Athena SWAN Athena SWAN Charter Benefits of Athena SWAN 2 2. Athena SWAN Process Overview Athena SWAN Timeline Getting Started Data Collection Data Protection Word Count Checklist 7 3. Athena SWAN Application Guidance Notes Difference between Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards Specific guidance 9 1. Letter of Endorsement from Head of Department The Self-Assessment process A Picture of the Department 13 Student Data 15 Staff Data Supporting and Advancing Women s Careers 18 Key Career Transition Points 18 Career Development 20 Organisation and Culture 22 Flexibility and Managing Career Breaks Any Other Comments Action Plan Case Studies 30

3 1. Athena SWAN The Athena SWAN charter mark encourages higher education institutes to transform their cultures to address the underrepresentation of women at senior levels. Recognising commitment to advancing women's careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide support and guidance to departments in preparing an Athena SWAN departmental submission. This document provides a brief insight into the principles of Athena SWAN followed by detailed guidance on key issues that need to be considered within the application. 1.2 Introduction to Athena SWAN The Athena SWAN scheme is managed by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) and recognises and celebrates good practices in recruiting, retaining and promoting women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) within Higher Education. There are three Athena SWAN Departmental level awards available (Gold, Silver and Bronze) each award demonstrating different levels of commitment to the Athena SWAN principles. Each award is valid for three years when they can be renewed. 1.3 Athena SWAN Charter The Athena SWAN Charter was developed to encourage and recognise commitment by Institutions to combating the underrepresentation and advancing the careers of women in STEMM research and academia. The Charter evolved from work between the Athena Project and the Scientific Women s Academic Network (SWAN), to advance the representation of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). 1

4 With the support of the ECU and the UK Research Councils (UKRC), the Charter was officially launched at the Institute of Physics on 22 June 2005, with the first awards conferred in The Charter has grown consistently from its inception. The Charter has six principles: 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 organization, 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 organisation recognizes, 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. All Athena SWAN members sign up to the principles of the charter 1.4 Benefits of Athena SWAN To evaluate the impact of Athena SWAN the ECU undertook a benefit realisation review in 2011 that found clear evidence of the impact that Athena SWAN has had at institutional level and for individuals. The research identified impact on organisational structure and culture change, with increases in the proportion of women, better representation of women on committees, improvements in the transition from postdoctoral researcher to first academic post, improved working practices to support career progression and growth in women s networking across institutions. As Athena SWAN continues to grow, and is referenced by others as a requirement or expectation, the ECU wanted to further evaluate the effectiveness of the charter in advancing women s careers, the impact on culture and attitudes and the sustainability of those changes. With this in mind, in 2013 the ECU commissioned a team from Loughborough University to undertake a comprehensive, independent assessment of the impact and benefit of the Athena SWAN charter on participating higher education institutions and on the wider sector. The key findings of the report are: 2

5 The report found that in many areas institutions and departments that hold an Athena SWAN award were more advanced than those that did not, There was evidence that some changes in culture and attitude had been achieved, and considerable evidence that the changes that were implemented as a result of the Athena SWAN process were sustainable, There are positive differences between departments achieving different award levels, It isn t just academic staff who benefit. Administrative and technical staff in silver departments felt they had more support for their career development and progression than in departments without awards, The research also identified a number of issues that continue to prevent women from reaching their full potential in the STEMM field. It found that there is yet to be a significant impact on postgraduate student experience, and very little on the undergraduate population, Although most respondents value the awards process and found the workload involved to be appropriate, some departmental champions feel that it creates an excessive burden. Respondents raised specific issues with some aspects of the Athena SWAN process. 3

6 2. Athena SWAN Process Overview The following section provides brief details on the Athena SWAN process. 2.1 Athena SWAN Timeline Research has indicated that it takes on average nine months to complete an Athena SWAN submission from scratch. Detailed below is flow diagram showing the various stages and timeline for an Athena SWAN departmental submission at the University of Surrey. Athena SWAN Department University Timescale Notice of Intention to Submit SAT Created 6 months Data Gathered Submission Drafted Beginning Feb/Sept Changes Made Beginning Mar/Oct Changes Made Beginning Apr/Nov Initial Review Executive Review 2 months Sign off by SAT First week Apr/Nov 2 weeks Submit Application End Apr/Nov Sign off by DEAN Mid Apr/Nov Submit Colour Copies Obtain Colour Copies 1 week Figure 1 Athena SWAN Timeline 4

7 2.2 Getting Started There are three key stages in drafting an Athena SWAN Departmental application. Firstly an individual (male or female) needs to be identified to lead on the departmental submission and be the Chair of the Self-Assessment Team (SAT). Once this has been established the application process can be started. Further details of specific issues relating to the application process can be found in Section 3. Stage 1 SAT Creation and Data Gathering 6 months Compile your Self-Assessment Team, Start the data gathering process, Develop and undertake a staff culture survey although not essential such a survey is seen as good practice and helps provide evidence in support of the application Identify leads (maximum two people per section) within your SAT to be responsible for managing the various sections within the application a breakdown of the various sections can be found in Section 3. Section leads to be responsible for gathering the information (data analysis, focus groups, staff culture survey, internal and external consultation), identifying areas of good practice and areas requiring further development, Section leads responsible for populating their section of the application. Stage 2 - Developing a draft submission 2 months SAT lead responsible for managing the collation of the various sections into a draft submission, Circulate draft submission to all members and seek their views, Discuss findings with SAT members and Identify potential action points to address areas requiring further development, i.e. signposting of the promotion criteria, Compile an action plan with SMART objectives. Once the SAT have signed off their application submit to the Head of Equality and Diversity for an Initial Review, Discuss feedback and incorporate any relevant changes, Resubmit draft submission to Head of Equality and Diversity who wil arrange the Executive Review, Discuss feedback and incorporate any relevant changes 5

8 Stage 3 Final Sign off and Submission SAT to agree final submission, Submit final version to Dean of Faculty for final sign off, Submit application to Athena SWAN 2.3 Data Collection The data gathering process is an essential part of the Athena SWAN submission. Once gathered, the data needs to be analysed and reflected upon within your submission. For example, stating that exit interviews are offered to all leavers is not sufficient. Athena SWAN would like to see, Exit interviews are offered to all leavers with a return rate of 86% (If this can be broken down into female:male even better). The main reasons given for leaving the department/university are career progression (61%), promotion (28%), family issues (3%) and others (8%). Three years of data are required for both a Bronze and Silver Athena SWAN submission with five years being required for a Gold. 2.4 Data Protection The data provided to Departments may only be used for the purposes for which they were intended, namely Athena SWAN applications. This includes staff culture survey data. In order to be compliant with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, data included within departmental applications must be presented in such a way as to avoid the disclosure of personal information about any individual. 2.5 Word Count Words limits help ensure that submissions are of a manageable length for panellists, taking into account that each panel assesses around seven submissions. The word limits are final, and may not be aggregated between sections. The number of words used in each section should be indicated. Equally, appendices are not permitted. Any appendices will be removed from submissions and will not be considered by the assessment panels. Although word limits have been set for each section there is an agreed leeway of 10% for each section. Please ensure that your submission remains strictly within these word limits or your submission will be rejected. 6

9 Record the details of the SAT information in a table and bullet point their experiences as this will then not count towards the word count proper sentences are included in word count whether in a table or not. Headings do not count towards the word count. In exceptional circumstances, such as large faculties, colleges or other organisational units consisting of numerous departments, an extra 1000 word allowance may be available. In such cases a request to extend the word count must be made by in advance for approval before the submission deadline. These extra words can be used across the submission document, and it should be noted in the word counts at the end of each section where they have been used. 2.6 Checklist The checklist detailed below covers the basic key things you need to discuss when finalising your application. Please go through this check list below before you submit your final application. General Formatting HoD Letter The Self-Assessment Process Number Pages. Cross reference actions in the application with the action plan. Ensure all comments, track changes etc are removed from final submission. Save Endorsement Letter, application and action plan as a single pdf. Letter should be on letter headed paper. Letter addressed to Ms Sarah Dickinson, Athena SWAN Manager and signed by HoD. Describe when the SAT was established. State how often the SAT met. Is it a diverse SAT? (mixed gender, different grades including post graduate representation, different stages of career ladder, part-time/fulltime, experience of flexible working, parent/caring responsibilities, maternity/paternity). List of consultation that occurred internal and external, other Athena SWAN submissions, etc. Is current reporting mechanism of SAT discussed? Is there a clear and realistic plan for future SAT or equivalent group frequency of meetings, how outcomes will be communicated and reporting mechanism of future SAT (Departmental, Faculty and University level). 7

10 Data Analysis Qualitative data and surveys Case Studies (If appropriate) Action Plan Make graphs clear and simple with labelled axes and titles. Is the relevant number of years of data displayed? Quote both percentages and numbers. Outline response rates to surveys gender split. Include qualitative/survey data throughout the application to support findings. Outline plans for future surveys. Use University survey results where appropriate One case study from member of SAT, the other from another member of the department. Do case studies illustrate support from the department to women at different stages of their career? Ensure case studies show that successful scientists have progressed with the help of the department and not in spite of the department. Are actions SMART? Are timeframes specific? Avoid using on-going. Does the action plan cover a three year period (not clustered into six months of activities)? Are actions spread amongst all staff and not just one or two individuals? Are success measures measureable? Do not use people s names in action plan use roles. 8

11 3. Athena SWAN Application Guidance Notes Athena SWAN Departmental The information collected should be considered section by section with actions identified along the way which clearly link to the conclusions. The only difference in the application form between a departmental Athena SWAN Bronze Award and a departmental Athena SWAN Silver Award is the inclusion of two case studies for the Silver Award. However, as previously stated the different levels of commitment to the Athena SWAN principles need to be demonstrated for each of the awards. 3.1 Difference between Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards The key difference between Bronze, Silver and Gold Athena SWAN Award is detailed below. Bronze department Demonstrate awareness, identify particular challenges and have planned activities for the future. Silver department Demonstrate a significant record of activity and achievement, detail the impact these implemented activities have made and have more planned activities to further demonstrate impact and achievement. Gold department Demonstrate sustained progression and achievement of activity leading to beacons of achievement in gender equality resulting in champions of Athena SWAN and good practice 3.2 Specific guidance The Athena SWAN application is broken down into seven sections. Specific guidance has been provided for each section and is detailed below. If any further information is required then please contact the Equality and Diversity Department equality-diversity@surrey.ac.uk. 9

12 1. Letter of Endorsement from the Head of department - maximum 500 words An accompanying letter of endorsement from the head of department should explain how the Athena SWAN action plan and activities in the department contribute to the overall department strategy and academic mission. The letter of endorsement from the head of department sets the tone for the submission and can highlight senior management buy-in. The letter provides the Head of Department with the opportunity to demonstrate their own personal commitment to and engagement with the Athena SWAN principles by expressing their support to the process and by endorsing and commending any gender focused activities that are currently making a significant contribution to the achievement of the departmental mission. The letter should, Be written by the head of department, not just signed off, Outline the Head of Department s engagement with the Athena SWAN process and demonstrate real personal commitment, Include one or two examples of good practice within the department, Include a couple of examples of good intended/future practice from the action plan that will further demonstrate the department s commitment to Athena SWAN, Demonstrate future support by ensuring relevant resources, including administrative support, will be available to deliver the action plan over the three year period, Explain how the Athena SWAN action plan and activities in the department contribute to the overall departmental strategy and academic mission. If it is a renewal, reference should be made to the impact of the previous award, For higher levels of recognition, the panel will expect to hear how the department has championed gender equality in STEMM, be addressed to Athena SWAN Manager Equality Challenge Unit, 7th floor, Queens House, 55/56 Lincoln s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LJ, Assessment panels are keen to get a sense of individual commitment to gender equality at the top of the organisation, so it is welcomed if the letter draws on personal experience. 10

13 Finally, if there is a change of Head of Department during the application process then Athena SWAN would expect to see two letters one from both the outgoing and incoming Head of Department. (maximum word count of 750 for the two letters combined). 2. The Self-Assessment Process maximum 1000 words Describe the self-assessment process. This should include: a) A description of the self-assessment team: members roles (both within the department and as part of the team) and their experiences of work-life balance. b) An account of the self-assessment process: details of the selfassessment team meetings, including any consultation with staff or individuals outside of the university, and how these have fed into the submission. c) Plans for the future of the self-assessment team, such as how often the team will continue to meet, any reporting mechanisms and in particular how the self-assessment team intends to monitor implementation of the action plan. Describe the Self-Assessment Process established. This should include: a) Self-Assessment Team (SAT) The narrative should describe how people were selected to join the SAT including the gender breakdown, i.e. 56% female, 44% male. Athena SWAN particularly likes to see members being invited or volunteering to join the SAT. The panel expects to see evidence of a rigorous and thorough process, including, regular meetings (at least three times a year) and varied methods of data collection and staff consultation (both qualitative and quantitative). The team should comprise, a diverse group of staff (Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer, Lecturer, Senior Teaching Fellow, Teaching Fellow, Research Fellows, postdoctoral researchers) representative of the department, both male and female members members from different areas of responsibility and different stages of the career ladder members with experience of balancing home responsibilities and work, i.e. dual career families, flexible working, part-time working, 11

14 career breaks, caring responsibilities, childcare responsibilities, maternity / paternity / adoption leave dual career families the Head of Department assessors like to see this as it shows commitment to the scheme, a postgraduate (PhD student) on the SAT - assessors like to see this, You will need to describe your SAT members briefly describing their experiences of work-life balance. Record the details of the SAT information in a table and bullet point their experiences as this will then not count towards the word count proper sentences are included in word count whether in a table or not. For example, Maiya Meerkat Professor in Foraging SAT Team Lead. married two children. experience of the challenges of studying in a gender imbalanced environment experience of flexible working and maternity leave Director of MSc programme Also, record the members alphabetically - not hierarchically. b) The Self-Assessment Process This section should detail exactly what the SAT team have done and include the following details: When the SAT formed, How many times the SAT have met, What interaction has occurred between formal meetings, i.e. informal meetings, correspondence, how regular, What internal and external consultation has occurred, Review other Athena SWAN submissions both internal and external, to establish any good practices that may be worth adopting, Review University s Athena SWAN submission including the action plan to ensure joined up governance between departmental submission and the University one, Liaise with contacts/networks, e.g. Mathematical Society, How did the SAT consult with staff i.e. focus groups and/or surveys been held include response rates and gender breakdown, How Athena SWAN was communicated to staff/students within the department and whether they have seen the proposed submission including the action plan. 12

15 c) The Future of the Self-Assessment Team This section should outline how the team will take forward and monitor the action plan. It therefore needs to include: How often the team plans to meet at least quarterly, How the team are selected if different to SAT good to have SAT lead as initial Chair for continuity purposes, but identify a Vice-Chair who can take over the role during the second year, How will actions be implemented and monitored, Reporting mechanism of how updates will be communicated to the department, Faculty and University, for example, progress made will reported at staff meetings (standing agenda item), to the Senior Management Team and to the Faculty Athena SWAN Representative who reports into the University Athena SWAN SAT, How issues can be escalated to influence policy changes i.e. the departmental SAT escalates any issues to the University SAT via the Faculty representative. 3. A picture of the department: maximum 2000 words a) Provide a pen-picture of the department to set the context for the application, outlining in particular any significant and relevant features. This section is intended to provide the context for the Panel Members to understand how your department is set up and works. This section is used explain any aspects of your organisation that may be different from others e.g. how supervision is provided, how departments are organised into schools, how or why, if you are submitting as a larger unit comprised of smaller units, the culture across your unit may vary or how management and processes are kept common. This section should include, Brief details of staff and student number not too much detail just enough to give an indication of the size of the department, Whether the department is on a campus or split between sites/buildings, Describe any research groups and how they are organised, How does the management structure work within the department and how are managers chosen? Any significant aspects such as level of teaching and/or research focus, 13

16 Recent events or restructuring and other relevant features, for example, two intakes of students per year, An organogram demonstrating the structure especially if multiple departments or centres within your submission this clearly demonstrates to the assessor how the department fits within the Faculty and other departments see below. 14

17 b) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning. This section includes the collation of both staff and student data. For the purposes of Athena SWAN researchers are considered academic staff. Describing data is not sufficient; you need to reflect on the data stating the reasons why you think it is, and what actions you plan to undertake to address the issues the data identifies. For example, stating that there are very few females in senior position is not good enough. You need to follow this up with a statement saying we plan to address this by doing.. (an action(s)). Similarly, with turnover figures, saying that exit interviews are offered to all staff who has left needs to be followed up with and the exit feedback received indicated that the main reason for leaving was the end of their fixed term contract. Student Data (i) Numbers of males and females on access or foundation courses comment on the data and describe any initiatives taken to attract women to the courses. (ii) Undergraduate male and female numbers full and part-time comment on the female:male ratio compared with the national picture for the discipline. Describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and the impact to date. Comment upon any plans for the future. (iii) Postgraduate male and female numbers full and part-time comment on the female:male ratio compared with the national picture for the discipline. Describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and the effect to date. Comment upon any plans for the future. (iv) Postgraduate male and female numbers on research degrees full and part-time comment on the female:male ratio compared with the national picture for the discipline. Describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and the effect to date. Comment upon any plans for the future. 15

18 Data should cover three years preceding the submission (August 1 to July 31) - five years for renewals and Gold submissions, Data graphs should be embedded in the body of the document together with narrative responses as appendices are not allowed. Reasons should be explained where data is unavailable, and, in most cases, a relevant action included. Any key differences between part-time and full-time student numbers? Display the data with clearly labelled graphical illustrations. There are no strict formats however, make them clear and simple. Various examples can be found in other University submissions, Reflect on the data and develop any appropriate actions, Describe and explain any changes or trends identified over the three year period, Compare/benchmark your data, with other similar organisations/institutes (HESA) throughout the whole of this section. (v) Ratio of course applications to offers and acceptances by gender for undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research degrees - comment upon on the differences between male and female application and success rates and describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and their effect to date. Comment upon any plans for the future. What is the process and who oversees this process? How are places advertised? How are students admitted / offered places? What are the applications to offers to acceptance ratios? Are there any key reasons why numbers of applications are either high or low? (vi) Degree Classification by gender - comment on any differences in degree attainment between males and females and describe what actions are being taken to address any imbalance. Collate UG, PGT and PGR data (BSc, BEng, MSc, PG Diploma and PG Certificates, etc.) Analyse attainment data and compare against gender, i.e. the number of women gaining Firsts as a proportion of the total number of women and also compare against men, Comparisons with national benchmarks (HESA) 16

19 Staff Data (vii) Female:Male ratio of academic staff and research staff researcher lecturer, senior lecturer, reader, professor (or equivalent). Comment on any differences in numbers between males and females and say what action is being taken to address any underrepresentation at particular grades/levels. Comment on any trends in numbers between males and females at each level, If a gender imbalance is identified at any levels (normally senior) then explain the reasons why and what the department is planning to do to address this imbalance. (viii) Turnover by grade and gender - comment on any differences between mem and women in turnover and say what is being done to address this. Where the number of staff leaving is small, comment on the reasons why particular individual s left. Is there any difference between the turnover of male versus female academic and research staff? What are the reasons given for leaving? (exit interviews are offered to all leavers and feedback is collated centrally by Human Resources request Faculty Human Resources for feedback summary), Are any consistent reasons or trends developing for reasons why staff are leaving? 17

20 4. Supporting and advancing women s careers - maximum 5000 words Key Career Transition Points a) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning. (i) Job application and success rates by gender and grade comment on any differences in recruitment between men and women at any level and say what action is being taken to address this. This section covers the process followed in recruiting staff to a specific post. What proportion of appointment panels have at least one female representative? What proportion of staff sitting on decision making panels (interview/promotion panels) have undertaken the latest Equality in the Workplace? What proportion of staff sitting on decision making panels have undertaken the University s unconscious bias Training? Are there any differences in recruiting men compared to women? Comment on the percentage of female applications and successes compared to overall. (ii) Applications for promotion and success rates by gender and grade comment on whether these differ for men and women and if they do explain what action may be taken. Where the number of women is small applicants may comment on specific examples of where women have been through the promotion process. Explain how potential candidates are identified. This section covers the promotion process What is the promotion process? Are staff encouraged to go for promotion or is it self-nominate? Are staff members able to apply for promotion directly or is there a requirement that all cases for promotion are put forward through or supported by the department/faculty? Are men more likely to succeed at promotion at the first attempt? What proportion of promotion panels have at least one female representative? 18

21 b) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed. (i) Recruitment of staff comment on how the department s recruitment processes ensure that female candidates are attracted to apply, and how the department ensures its short listing, selection processes and criteria comply with the university s equal opportunities policies This section is about, how your department attracts and encourages women to apply for jobs. How are jobs advertised? Is the process consistent, fair and transparent, i.e. compliant with the University s equal opportunities policies? Does the wording used in adverts encourage female applications? Are benefits clearly highlighted on recruitment website? Are family friendly policies highlighted in job adverts? Are all jobs offered as potential job shares? Are all jobs advertised as available for flexible/part time working? Is the Athena SWAN logo clearly displayed in the recruitment webpage? What is the short listing and selection process process? Is there a requirement that short lists must include both male and female candidates? Are recommendations sought from colleagues of successful women who may be invited to apply for jobs? (ii) Support for staff at key career transition points having identified key areas of attrition of female staff in the department, comment on any interventions, programmes and activities that support women at the crucial stages, such as personal development training, opportunities for networking, mentoring programmes and leadership training. Identify which have been found to work best at the different career stages. This section covers the support available to women at key career transition points. 19

22 What support is in place to specifically support women at all levels? What are the key attrition points? Do all staff including researchers have mentors? What networking opportunities are available? What training are available, in particular personal development and leadership courses (Springboard, Aurora and Academic Leadership course) and how many and at what grade have attended each? Any specific support for ECRs, probationers etc. Is there a buddy scheme, a staff handbook? Any other activities to support women lunchtime sessions (RDP run some), events etc. Career Development a) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed. (i) Promotion and career development comment on the appraisal and career development process, and promotion criteria and whether these take into consideration responsibilities for teaching, research, administration, pastoral work and outreach work; is quality of work emphasised over quantity of work? This section should cover the support available to women in progressing their careers. Do all staff have appraisals quote percentage completion rate? Are appraisals mandatory, how often are they conducted? What is covered in the appraisal, is promotion routinely discussed? Are the outcomes of past appraisals used when considering cases for promotion? Is there a separate scheme for post docs? Are there clear promotion guidelines and how are these communicated? Are the promotion criteria transparent and well understood by staff? How are training and development needs identified? Is the full range of contributions to the department recognised and rewarded through the promotion criteria, including teaching, outreach, pastoral work, administration? Are any career pathways (such as teaching focused) that limit an employee s potential for promotion to the highest level? 20

23 Is there evidence that part time working limits an employee s promotion prospects possible due to lack of visibility or perceived lack of availability? Is there evidence from pay gap data that certain career directions are less well remunerated than others? Are women disproportionately disadvantaged as a result? How are periods of absence such as maternity leave accounted for in considering the promotion case? Are promotion workshops available for those contemplating promotion to enable them to be clear how best to prepare? Are there any mentoring schemes or life coaching/personal development training schemes available at university or department level? How are mentoring and/or training schemes communicated or recommended to individuals? Are leadership training schemes available? Are there any networking options available at university or departmental level? (ii) Induction and Training describe the support provided to new staff at all levels, as well as details of any gender equality training. To what extent are good employment practices in the institution, such as opportunities for networking, the flexible working policy, and professional and personal development opportunities promoted to staff from the outset? How are staff inducted into the department? Who is responsible for inducting new staff? Comment on the University Induction process together with Faculty and departmental induction processes, Are new employees made fully aware of the family friendly initiatives available? Is there a school/department induction pack and/or handbook? IS Athena SWAN mentioned within the induction process? Is there a buddy scheme? Are they allocated mentors/senior colleagues? (iii) Support for female students describe the support provided to new staff at all levels, as well as details of any gender equality training. To what extent are good employment practices in the institution, such as opportunities for networking, the flexible working policy, and professional and personal development opportunities promoted to staff from the outset? 21

24 What support is available to UG and PG students? Any events or workshops or conferences run to promote students work and encourage students to further their studies? Are UG students encouraged to do PG studies? Are there mechanisms for moving from UG to PhD, PhD to Postdoc and postdoc to academic? Can students request a male/female tutor? Are there organised lunch time sessions/seminars to allow part-time students to attend, for example Researcher development programmes? Organisation and Culture a) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning. (i) Male and female representation on committees provide a breakdown by committee and explain any differences between male and female representation. Explain how potential members are identified. Tables work well Require gender breakdown of major committees in department, Who chairs the committees (male/female)? What does the gender balance on committees look like? If committees are male or female dominated what is the department going to do to address this imbalance? If very few or no departmental committees, quote gender breakdown of key Faculty committees and the contribution by gender that the department provides to these committees. (ii) Female:male ratio of academic and research staff on fixed-term contracts and open-ended (permanent) contracts comment on any differences between male and female staff representation on fixed-term contracts and say what is being done to address them. Is there a gender balance of staff on fixed term contracts? How do the levels of staff on fixed term contracts compare with that on permanent contracts? What are the policies for transferring staff on fixed term contracts to permanent contracts? 22

25 What support is available to staff on fixed term contracts, for example. Are they encouraged to apply for permanent posts, are meetings held to discuss their future when approaching the end of their contract, is bridge funding available, etc? b) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed. (i) Representation on decision-making committees comment on evidence of gender equality in the mechanism for selecting representatives. What evidence is there that women are encouraged to sit on a range of influential committees inside and outside the department? How the issue of committee overload is addressed where there are small numbers of female staff? How are people selected to become committee members, for example invited, nominated etc? How often are members of key committees rotated to provide opportunities for others to build up experience? How are opportunities to become members promoted? When female numbers are low, how can a female perspective be fed into the committee to avoid committee overload? Can senior female researchers gain committee experiences to assist career development and reduce committee overload? Do female staff sit on key committees outside the department, for example, Equality and Diversity Committee, UREC, ULTC etc? Do female staff sit on key external committees? (ii) Workload model describe the systems in place to ensure that workload allocations, including pastoral and administrative responsibilities (including the responsibility for work on women and science) are taken into account at appraisal and in promotion criteria. Comment on the rotation of responsibilities e.g. responsibilities with a heavy workload and those that are seen as good for an individual s career. 23

26 A university workload model is currently being developed but does the department have its own formal workload model until the new one is launched? What is the gender balance between Research/Teaching/Admin responsibilities? Does the model take into account all activities including outreach, Athena SWAN, pastoral care, etc? Does the model ensure women are not overburdened with teaching and administrative duties? Are workloads discussed and considered during appraisals? If no workload model then how will this be addressed in the future? (iii) Timing of departmental meetings and social gatherings provide evidence of consideration for those with family responsibilities, for example what the department considers to be core hours and whether there is a more flexible system in place. Are meetings held between core hours ( )? What time are main staff meetings held? What are the times of seminar meetings and social gatherings? How do you ensure maximum attendance at meetings, i.e. are meetings held at lunchtime to accommodate part time staff working either morning or afternoons, are they held on the same day each week/month or rotated to ensure that staff not working on a particular day do not miss all meetings? How do you ensure meetings are held to take into account women with caring responsibilities? (iv) Culture demonstrate how the department is female-friendly and inclusive. Culture refers to the language, behaviours and other informal interactions that characterise the atmosphere of the department, and includes all staff and students. Is it a friendly family department? Do staff feel valued and supported by the department? Do staff have confidence that inappropriate behaviour would be dealt with? Do staff feel bullied? Is there an open atmosphere/inclusive culture/supportive staff within the department? Are there visible female role models? 24

27 Does the department celebrate successes/good work/ awards/achievements? Is there a departmental newsletter? How successful is communication within the department? Do staff socialise with one another, for example, are weekly departmental gatherings such as coffee, tea and cakes held for all staff to meet and raise any issues, work or non-work? Are there rooms/social spaces for staff to meet? Require evidence from focus group/staff surveys etc. to support all claims, for example, the survey indicated that 78% of females felt the department was a good place to work. (v) Outreach activities comment on the level of participation by female and male staff in outreach activities with schools and colleges and other centres. Describe who the programmes are aimed at, and how this activity is formally recognised as part of the workload model and in appraisal and promotion processes. Give examples of some of the outreach activities carried out by the department, for example, Sciences Festivals, work experience, school visits, etc. What is the gender breakdown of staff carrying out outreach activity within the department? If there is a gender imbalance of such activity how will the department address this? How does the department engage/work with both Faculty and University Outreach teams? Are women role models promoted at outreach events? Is outreach activity included and recognised in appraisals? Does the workload model include outreach activity? Flexibility and managing career breaks a) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning. (i) Maternity return rate comment on whether maternity return rate in the department has improved or deteriorated and any plans for further improvement. If the department is unable to provide a maternity return rate, please explain why. 25

28 How many staff have taken maternity leave, how many have returned to work after maternity leave, how many returned full-time or part-time, how many are still in work both 6 months later and 12 months later? What support is in place for staff before, during and after maternity leave? How does the process work? Is the same support available to all staff (fixed term contract and permanent)? What support is in place for students before, during and after maternity leave? (ii) Paternity, adoption and parental leave uptake comment on the uptake of paternity leave by grade and parental and adoption leave by gender and grade. Has this improved or deteriorated and what plans are there to improve further. Gather data (numbers likely to be low), How do you encourage staff to take paternity, adoption and parental leave? How do you communicate what support is available for staff wishing to take paternity, adoption and parental leave? How does the process work? (iii) Numbers of applications and success rates for flexible working by gender and grade comment on any disparities. Where the number of women in the department is small applicants may wish to comment on specific examples. Any gender disparities for the number of flexible working requests, both formal and informal? Any gender disparities between for flexible working rejections, both formal and informal? Are requests recorded centrally or locally? 26

29 b) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed. (i) Flexible working comment on the numbers of staff working flexibly and their grades and gender, whether there is a formal or informal system, the support and training provided for managers in promoting and managing flexible working arrangements, and how the department raises awareness of the options available. How is the University s flexible working policy implemented? How does the department raise awareness of the full range of flexible working options available? What support and training is provided for managers in promoting and managing flexible/ part time working and working from home arrangements? How is it made clear that Heads of Department and others in positions of authority support flexible/part time working/working from home? Are there informal flexible working agreements? What are the processes for agreeing these informal practices? Can staff specify when they are not available for teaching, i.e. after 4pm, before 10am? Is flexible working considered as a positive thing within the department? Is flexible working available to all staff? (iv) Cover for maternity and adoption leave and support on return explain what the department does, beyond the university maternity policy package, to support female staff before they go on maternity leave, arrangements for covering work during absence, and to help them achieve a suitable work-life balance on their return. Describe the processes in place for staff taking maternity leave. Consider the following when compiling the narrative. General Is training and information provided to managers in supporting staff preparing for leave? 27

30 Are fixed term contracts routinely paused while the maternity or adoption leave is undertaken in order that staff may return to their post to complete the full number of months of the contract? Is it made clear to PIs how the cost of maternity pay is covered so that there is no detriment to research contracts and and externally funded research? Before What support is put in place for staff before they go on maternity leave? Is clear information available on the options available to staff contemplating taking maternity and adoption leave? How are preparations made to cover teaching, administration and research, During How is cover for teaching, supervision and administrative work provided during maternity or other leave? How is this financed? Are meetings held to discuss return arrangements? How are KIT days communicated? Are staff encouraged to take KIT days? What is the uptake of Keeping in Touch (KIT) days? After How are staff supported on their return, for example, is there an agreed reduction in teaching and administration to help support the research going again? Are staff monitored to see how well they settle back into work? Are there maternity buddies? Do policies make use of new laws in relation to shared leave? 28

31 5. Any other comments maximum 500 words Please comment here on any other elements which are relevant to the application, e.g. other SET-specific initiatives of special interest that have not been covered in the previous sections. Include any other relevant data (e.g. results from staff surveys), provide a commentary on it and indicate how it is planned to address any gender disparities identified. DO NOT LEAVE THIS SECTION BLANK Use this section to cover anything that you feel is relevant that has not been covered in the main submission, for example, Survey responses and actions, Additional evidence of progress/impact, Additional University actions/initiatives Inspiring Women at Surrey (IWAS) etc, Any STEMM specific initiatives of special interest, Evidence of sharing good practice internally and externally, Communications webpages, newsletters. 6. Action Plan Provide an action plan as an appendix. The Action Plan should be a table or a spreadsheet comprising actions to address the priorities identified by the analysis of relevant data presented in this application, success/outcome measures, the post holder responsible for each action and a timeline for completion. The plan should cover current initiatives and your aspirations for the next three years. The action plan does not need to cover all areas at Bronze; however the expectation is that the department will have the organisational structure to move forward, including collecting the necessary data. The number of actions in a University Action Plan varies considerable across Universities ranging between 15 and 40 with the average number being 25. You must ensure they are all actions are measureable so that when the annual data is collated evidence can be gathered to measure progress made which will support a renewal or a higher award application. 29