Factsheet 4
Best Practice
Promotion
Only 25.6 per cent of academic staff in
science, engineering and technology (SET)
departments are women, compared with
almost equal proportions of men and women
working in non-SET departments. At Head of
Department/Professor level, there is a much
higher proportion of women, around 25 per
cent, in non-SET subjects, compared with
only 7.9 per cent in SET departments.1 So it is
vitally important that SET departments have
promotion processes that ensure women with
the aspiration, knowledge, skills and experience
are able to apply for senior posts with a chance
of success that is equal to their male peers.
Athena SWAN members are committed to
improving the situation for women in their
departments, not just by developing the
pipeline for promotion at every level, but
also by providing advice and support, such
as mentoring. They also ensure promotion
procedures are transparent, and recognise
achievement and excellence rather than
relying on the ‘tap on the shoulder’. Women
are often less likely to put themselves forward
for new opportunities, and many universities
now have proactive programmes to address
this by encouraging able women to apply for
promotion.
This factsheet includes examples of good
practice on promotion, which are drawn from
Athena SWAN award-winners. To find out
more about these initiatives and programmes,
contact the university direct using the contact
details at www.athenaswan.org.uk/html/
athena-swan/membership/members-list/.
Data and monitoring
•
Analyse statistics combining grade and
age, making it easier to see whether any
disproportionate representation of women in
the lower grades is solely a function of age.
(Manchester University)
•
Undertake a review to identify whether women
are, typically, longer in post before being
promoted. (Reading University)
•
Monitor the promotion rates of those being
mentored against those not in a mentoring
scheme. (Queens University Belfast)
•
Carry out a programme of research to explore
career progression barriers experienced by
women academics and evaluate a range of
interventions in response to these. (King’s
College London)
ve
ha
epartments
ha
SET d
ve
that
t
s
h
t
n
a
e
v
e
m
t
o
n
t
e
l
a
p
r
p
b
a
a
romot
ply for
e
am
e
d
r
ep
p
T
a
m
t
r
a
t
d
E
a
e
S
p
e
r
T
r
n
e
c
t
t
E
d
n
a
t
i
S
s
on p
o
sh
T
enio
h
ie
t
at
r
E
p
e
h
e
t
S
t
p
n
t
t
nt
av rta
m
roc
r po
an
tha
d ex
epartments
s
ly i
oe
ess
deppoarrttments have p
e promhoat SETim
sts
ha
ant
SET d
mp
are able to apply foresxeperiencekiallrseaanble to apply
it a l
es
rom
y
t
ve
or t
wi
for s
that
lly i
rience
is v
tha
nior e, s
otaiortments have pro
p
d
rtant is vittiaolnl pro
e
t
a
n
t
p
t
a
t
o
i
n
e
l
a
m
x
p
b
i
t
a
p
i
s
ly for s
.
gpo
a
eanri e
e
ep n p
motio
l
h
v
t
d
l
s
t
ces
i
e
d
y
T
d
r
c
it
r
s
E
l
k
n
n
i
S
l
e
o
s
e
e
a c ita
enio
l
o
i
n pr ills a ens
r
,
roc
t
s
p
e
ses nt that
i
e
r
e
t
w
p
.
p
sw
m
po
r po is v
osck
ex
dg
rs
ess
ur
no
ly i
otrta
ale
sts
ith ls and
ew
wle
es
pee
.sit
ge, esses
imp hat e
n, k
ital
rm
wi
om n, kno
ers ts wi e
th
le d
ale
skila c
tio
hei
is v
tha
tally
e
ns
t
,
i
a
w
t
m
v
e
p
r
i
a
o
t
i
o
t
o
t
s
r
g
ha fs
ur
t e kn
p
t e ratioen wit
it i
rs.
ale
ual
hei
le d
ew
,n
h the as
ni
c alutcoctess that is eq
pee
ir m
ow
on sure
om
eo
aspsure
thhae
ale
u
kn
ati
e
r
q
,
o
i
w
m
t
e
en w
h
n
n
l
p
wo
omen with t
f su
ir
a
ce o
o
t is
ith the as
eo
the
ccess that is equ
me
ati
f success tha
pir
n wit
f su
al to
h the as
ccess that is equ
nc
ha
Review the process by which staff are identified
for promotion to ensure it is clear and unbiased,
and monitor progression rates. (Reading
University)
•
Ensure there is a critical mass of women in
senior jobs as role models for more junior
women. (Biochemistry Department, Bristol
University)
•
Include staff on maternity leave in
consideration for promotion. (School of
Psychology, Nottingham University)
•
Encourage women to apply for senior
management posts by reviewing criteria and
support, ensuring core committee experience
and addressing the possibility of job-sharing.
(Queen’s University Belfast)
•
Encourage individual departments to review
their own promotion system. (Reading
University)
•
Consider alternatives to research as a path to
promotion, for example, setting up Teaching
Fellowships which would allow Fellows to apply
for promotion to Professor level should they
acquire an international reputation in their area.
(King’s College London)
Promotion panels
•
Require all promotion panels to have a gender
balance. (Keele University)
•
Always have mixed-gender panels, and make
every effort to provide external panellists.
(Biology Department, York University)
•
Ensure all panel members receive equality and
diversity training, including gender awareness.
(Reading University)
•
•
Promotion procedures
•
Base promotion on excellence rather than
length of time in post. (School of Physical and
Geographical Sciences, Keele University)
•
Ensure personnel specifications and job
descriptions are not in any way discriminatory.
(Queen Mary University of London)
•
As well as taking into account the quality of
candidates, also consider any differing career
paths. (Biochemistry Department, Bristol
University)
www.athenaswan.org.uk
nc
ha
•
ac
Consider carrying out an online survey to
identify any perceived barriers to progression
among female staff. (Biochemistry Department,
Bristol University)
h
nc
ha
•
Consider how men and women might be
encouraged to apply for posts in areas where
they are under-represented. (Leicester University)
Operate an accelerated promotion track for
‘rising star’ new appointments and ensure
women are encouraged to participate. (School
of Psychology, Nottingham University)
•
Provide feedback for unsuccessful internal
candidates. (Leicester University)
•
Hold an open promotions seminar near the
beginning of the academic year to provide
a forum for general discussion and queries.
Follow this up with individual meetings
to assess current readiness for promotion
and discuss areas that may need further
development to meet the university’s criteria
for promotion. (Psychology Department, York
University)
•
•
Ask a member of academic staff to speak to
each case at the Departmental Promotions
Committee, highlighting the strengths and
weaknesses of the submission and initiating
discussion of the candidate. Provide feedback
and one-to-one guidance to the candidate on
how to improve their case before submission to
the faculty panel. (Bristol University)
•
Establish a specific team to support professional
and leadership development. (Lancaster
University)
•
Advise staff to keep a personal development
portfolio and to consider strategies for
career progression. (School of Physical and
Geographical Sciences, Keele University)
Designate champions on the departmental
personnel group to provide promotion support
for individuals via constructive criticism of draft
CVs. (Chemistry Department, York University)
•
Support junior female academic staff through
collaboration on joint research grants and
studentships with more senior colleagues.
(Chemistry Department, York University)
Encouraging and supporting women • Hold meetings between each academic
member of the department and the Head and
through promotion procedures
•
Ensure all job adverts are worded in a way
that maximises the possibility that women
will apply. (Biochemistry Department, Bristol
University)
•
Encourage female applicants by incorporating
the Athena SWAN logo into advertisements.
(School of Physical and Geographical Sciences,
Keele University)
•
Operate an annual appraisal system that
provides staff with dedicated time for
discussion of their development needs and
career aspirations. (School of Physical and
Geographical Sciences, Keele University)
•
Use the staff review and development process
to identify career aspirations of staff and how
these might best be met; identify any barriers
to career progression and how these might be
overcome or worked around. (Biochemistry
Department, Bristol University)
•
Introduce coaching sessions to support each
promotions round. (Manchester University)
Director of Research to identify barriers/gaps
in CVs that could potentially hold up career
progression. (Physiology and Pharmacology
Department, Bristol University)
•
Hold regular careers workshops where more
senior members of the faculty talk about
career pathways and making the transition to
academia. (Biochemistry Department, Bristol
University)
•
Encourage female staff to attend universitywide programmes for advancement,
networking and development. (Nottingham
University)
•
Offer training to aid career development of
potential principal investigators, heads of
department and senior managers. (Lancaster
University)
•
Provide peer support for women professors,
and create opportunities for them to bring
along junior colleagues to network. (Queen’s
University Belfast)
www.athenaswan.org.uk
ac
ET departments have prom
nce are able to apply
t SET departmen
t that S
for s
xperie
otio
t tha
nd e
o r ta n
eni
ts
a
p
n
s
m
l
i
l
p
rtan
m
e
t
n
ible to ap
ts have p
py ar
o
a
e
e
r
o
a
k
d
l
r
a
b
l
e
e
r
e
l
T
a
t
po
c
o
s
o
E
e
r
n
p
c
a
a
S
e
n
,
p
i
p
t
r
e
ces
i
pelyxpfoer
po
omo
ly fo
oim
s voiti
y im
ly im
dge
exper
r se e are able to
tTiodnepartments have
l
l
s
d
r
s
l
e
d
n
l
a
s
t
e
on
n
a
a
t
e
c
a
a
t
s
i
nn
w
pply
s
s s
prom
pro
pro
w is vi
that SE
no nior p
for s
xperie ior p
is v
skill
otio e, skitllha
ces
ce portant
nd e
. it
eni rs.itiht
ge,
te
os
n, k
ng
os
ir m
ses
ills a
ers
led
oere
ts
tio
ns
led proc
k
t
e
lly ismses
s
a
w
a
s
t he
,
w
p
t
r
i
i
ure kno
wi
v
th
ess
th
le p p o s t
l to
dgewit
sp
al e
kno
a
at
a
,
it is
a
e
t
at
a
,
l
u
e
w
m
h
n
n
m
h
q
n
s
e
w
s t tio ome
entio
en
ir
wi ce o their
is e
no
haira
n with th
su
t he
th l to f success that
ira sure
n, k
re
aal nto
asp t ens
an
ua
asp
tio
wo
u
wo
q
e
a
q
e
t he
e
r
h
c
e
i
men with t
ce
ure
is
men with th
e of
of success that is
al to
an
success that
asp
wo
equ
ce
men with the
s
i
t
of success tha
h
ac
h
h
ac
ac
h
•
•
•
Offer regular ‘Making Professor’ workshops to
female academics, using female role models
and mentors. (Lancaster University)
Develop a series of career development
workshops specifically for female academics.
(Manchester University)
Target second-tier managers as well as women
professors, and offer them a series of seminars
with successful heads of school who maintain
high research profiles; career development
training; and specialist mentoring by current
senior managers at the university or elsewhere.
(Queen’s University Belfast)
•
Encourage internal candidates to apply for
vacancies by mentoring them through the
process. (Leicester University)
•
Assign each new academic appointee a mentor
from within the academic staff, who can help
with initial settling in and provide a longerterm contact for informal advice and support.
(Psychology Department, York University)
•
Run a coaching and mentoring register to
embed coaching and mentoring into the
university’s performance management system.
(Lancaster University)
•
Institute cross-School mentoring. (Queens
University Belfast)
•
Introduce mentoring circles where groups
of four or five staff with a mix of gender and
experience regularly meet to discuss aspects of
an academic’s tasks and career. (Physiology and
Pharmacology Department, Bristol University)
www.athenaswan.org.uk
Sources of further information
•
Athena SWAN Charter – a scheme to
recognise and share good practice on
gender equality in SET in higher education
employment (www.athenaswan.org.uk).
•
Equality Challenge Unit – promotes equality
and diversity in higher education, sponsoring
research and advice into key issues, including
those affecting women (www.ecu.ac.uk).
•
UK Resource Centre for Women in Science,
Engineering and Technology – provides
advice, statistics and information about women
in SET (www.ukrc4setwomen.org).
•
Centre for Women Business Leaders at
Cranfield University – undertakes research
and development programmes to increase the
number of women at the top of organisations
(www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/p1087/
Research/Research-Centres/Centre-forWomen-Business-Leaders).
•
Opportunity Now – a membership
organisation undertaking research and
providing support to help employers with
gender equality in the workplace
(www.opportunitynow.org.uk).
1. Statistics from Equality in Higher Education: Statistical
Report 2008. Equality Challenge Unit, London.
www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/equality-in-he-stats-08