UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
Notes from the Athena Network Group
Held on
Friday 5th December 2014
Present: Sandra Beaufoy, Elizabeth Blagrove, Katherine Branch, Anna Burchfiel, Sue Burrows, Amy Hamson, Sara Kalvala, Wilfrid Kendall, Christine Leigh, James Smith
Apologies: Claire Algar, Joanna Collingwood, Mia Khan, Naila Rabanni, Sandy Sparks, Sam Cole, Rachel Corke, Ann Dixon, Vanessa Goodship, Judith Klein, Richard Moffatt, Anne O’Rourke, Sunita Palmer, Nav Patel, Alison Rodger, Orkun Soyer, Leonie Walls, Peter Winstanley, Annie Young
1. Matters arising
No Matters arising. Minutes approved for 6th October 2014
2. Update from ECU on Athena and GEM
REPORTED: (by S Beaufoy)
(i) That ECU were consulting with the sector and a number of key stakeholders with regard to the proposed amalgamation of the Athena SWAN Charter Mark and the Gender Equality Charter Mark with effect from April 2015.
(ii) Whilst still working primarily to Athena principles a number of changes to the Charter Mark are proposed as follows:
(a) Inclusion of professional and support staff, honorary staff and some atypical staff such as visiting lecturers, noting that these staff will be covered separately in submissions to ensure that data on recruitment, retention and progression remain clear.
(b) Trans Staff – Institutional submissions will not be expected to include data on trans staff, but will need to demonstrate how the unfair treatment often experienced by trans people is tackled by the institution.
(c) Zero contract hours – it is intended to extend beyond the current Athena SWAN focus of fixed-term and open-ended contracts to include zero-hours contract staff.
(d) Data Requirements – the data template used in the GEM trial will no longer be mandatory. Detailed guidance will give comprehensive information on minimum data requirements and expectations on how to use, interpret and present data.
(e) There will also be an increased focus on the use of qualitative data, which will be especially useful for smaller departments, where there are dangers in interpreting the small numbers involved in quantitative data.
(f) Proposed Timetable – ECU are proposing a change to submission dates from April and November to March and September.
(g) The name of the Charter Mark is also being discussed.
RESOLVED:
Warwick has responded to the consultation as part of a joint response from other Russell Group members. In principle we agree to many of the changes suggested except for the proposed changed to submission deadlines. We have requested that these remain April and November each year.
3. Progress on Departmental Action Plans
(i) Computer Science
REPORTED: (by C Leigh and S Karvala)
(a) Christine Leigh, the departmental administrator attended the meeting for the first time to understand the data requirements.
(b) Feedback from the ECU had been received on the Bronze submission.
(ii) Statistics
REPORTED: (by W Kendall)
(a) That from January 2015, Wilfrid will be replaced by Dr Larbi Alili on the Welfare and Communication Committee in Statistics and who will also therefore attend the Athena Network meetings.
(b) That Statistics intend to display factual information on the diversity of the department on their webpages by using google drop box.
(iii) Chemistry
REPORTED: (by K Branch)
(a) Katherine announced that she will be taking up a new post (Senior Administrator) in the Physics Department in the New Year.
(b) That Chemistry will be working towards a gold application (or Silver renewal) in November 2015.
(iv) Physics
REPORTED: (by S Burrows)
(a) That Physics intend to submit for IoP Juno Champion Award renewal in November 2015.
(b) That Physics are planning to host an event for International Womens’ Day.
(c) That a new Director of Student Experience has been recruited – Michael Pound.
(d) A Physics café for undergraduates and academics to attend has been created.
(e) All new PhD students will be assigned mentors.
(f) All Physics staff are being encouraged to take the on-line module ‘Diversity in the Workplace’.
(g) Emeritus staff will be included in more communications, so that the department becomes more inclusive.
(v) Engineering
REPORTED: (by A Hamson)
That due to staff changes, Engineering have only recently started to address their Athena action plan. Meetings have been scheduled monthly and members of staff assigned particular tasks.
(vi) Psychology
REPORTED: (by L Blagrove)
(a) That a new Head of Department will be starting in January 2015 who is very supportive towards the Athena agenda. A meeting will be arranged with him in the near future to discuss progress and future plans.
4. Any Other Business
(a) Alison Rodger was invited to speak at a meeting of HoDs of Psychology hosted at Warwick, on the career trajectories for women in science. The session developed into a more general debate about what Athena means for psychology departments across the UK. This subsequent discussion has resulted in the British Psychological Society and HoDs agreeing to develop a UK wide network to examine the issues around Athena and more generally around gender and work practices in psychology departments.
(b) To discuss with Pam Thomas the possibility of having a Faculty Athena Group, similar to those recently set up for the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences.
5. Date for the next meeting
The date of the next meeting is Thursday 5th February 2015 at 12:00 hrs in the MOAC meeting room.