London’s Global University
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
THE ATHENA ASSET SURVEY, SWAN
CHARTER AND GENDER EQUALITY SCHEME
WHERE NEXT FOR WOMEN IN SET AT UCL ?
Professor Jan Atkinson F. Med. Sci.
UCL Athena SWAN Coordinator
Pro-Provost (North America)
Visual Development Unit: UCL and OXFORD
j.atkinson@ucl.ac.uk
www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/vdu
www.ucl.ac.uk/global/n-america
Prof Janette Atkinson - Director VDU
visual brain development
Visual
Development
Unit
UCL & Oxford
adult vision
adult
brain imaging
(fMRI)
behaviour & EEG/ VEP
(electrophysiology) normal development
paediatric
developmental
disorders
Translational research taking new methods and tests from lab to clinic
High density steady-state VERP recording-brain waves
• EGI Geodesic
sensor net
• 128 channels
• phase & amplitude
of frequency
components at F1
(2 Hz) and F2 (4 Hz)
extracted from
averaged signal in
each channel
Williams Syndrome
• 1 in 20,000 to 50,000 births
• abnormal morphology- ‘elfin’ like
faces
• deletion on chromosome 7 (20 genes
approximately including elastin –
cardiovascular defects)
• cognitive deficits, most marked for
visuo-spatial tasks with relatively
fluent use of language (although
initially delays across all domains)
• happy friendly disposition
• 200 WS children assessed in VDU
• model of WS different brain
development
• new user-friendly tests (computer
games)
DEVELOPMENT in PREMATURE INFANTS
<32 weeks gestation
Followed up to 7 years- VISUAL,
VISUOMOTOR, VISUO- COGNITIVE,
ATTENTION, SPATIAL, LANGUAGE
Classification on term MRI (N=43)
MRI normal/mild
N=17
mild DEHSI
MRI moderate
N=12
moderate DEHSI, mild VD,
small infarct
MRI severe
severe DEHSI, cystic lesions,
significant VD (including after IVH)
includes cystic PVL
N=12
Diffuse Excessive High Signal Intensity
(DEHSI) present in white matter
Transverse T2-weighted fast-spin echo
images
Collaboration with Imperial College (Hammersmith Hospital)
David Edwards, Mary Rutherford, Frances Cowan, Leigh Dyet
• The human visual brain is very adaptable and very
interested in whether we ‘look’ like a male or
female
• How does the brain’s perceptual systems
recognize gender ?
(Dr Chris Benton, University of Bristol)
Adapt
Test
Adapt
Test
FEMALE ADAPT
TEST FACE
MALE ADAPT
Times Higher Education (THE) 13-19 March 2008
At the top, women still can’t get a break from
stereotypes and ….
Press still puts their looks before
achievements
Compare
Female : ‘the 55 –year old academic’s mane of blonde hair, her short,
navy voluminous shirt ..teamed with a Vivienne Westwood jacket and
knee-length boots, sets a high benchmark’
Female: ‘She is impressive, an immaculately groomed woman of 70
who could easily pass for 15 years younger’
with
Male: ‘His full white beard is worn more in homage to Charles Darwin
than the Almighty’
PROFESSOR UTA FRITH
UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
UCL neuroscientist named as ‘Woman of Outstanding
Achievement’, March 2008 (UKRC photographic portrait)
London’s Global University
• Participant in ATHENA ASSET survey (2004,2006)
• A Founder Signatory of the SWAN Charter
• awarded Bronze SWAN Charter (2005)
Brief History of Athena SWAN in UCL:
• 2003-4 JA suggests to Provost that Gender Equality Issues are
incorporated into White Paper
• 2004 JA sets up AAG (Athena Advisory Group) and joins UCL into
ASSET survey
• 2005-6 Provost ‘Champion’- SWAN Charter as Founder Signatory.
JA leads AAG/ SWAN SAT (Self Assessment Team) for SWAN Charter
submission
Charter (Bronze) Award in 2006
The Athena Advisory group :
• group of UCL academics in SET, combined with UCL HR Equality
team to discuss gender equality in SET and act as champions for
disseminating equality initiatives within UCL
• devise ways to put into practice evidence-based initiatives arising
from ASSET survey
• Work with SWAN SAT (self assessment team) to prepare for
SWAN charter recognition
• liaise with colleagues in national and international HEI’s e.g
Cambridge day, Athena lectures
ASSET survey 2004 –
career development of women and men in SET
disciplines ~ 2500 in UCL
UCL with ~500 responses - highest number in UK
respondents
women
men
200
150
100
50
professor
senior
lec/
reader
lecturer
contract
research/
postdoc
0
F>M, good responses across levels
ASSET survey 2004 (also UCL Staff Survey)
1. GETTING IN Transition from short term contract research
to lecturer is a critical hurdle for both men and womenMORE GUIDANCE/ MENTORING REQUIRED
2. GETTING BACK women more likely than men to have
taken career break- Maternity /carers
NEED IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS TO MAINTAIN CONTACT
WHILE AWAY, INCREASED FLEXIBILITY- RETURNERS
3. GETTING ON –many women perceive less encouragement
to apply for promotions and less good prospects, they are
not put forward for executive senior committees
BREAKING THE GLASS/CONCRETE/ CEILING -CULTURE
CHANGE NEEDED
Example . from ASSET (2004) survey
responses:
• Professors are 4:1 men: women but Heads
of Departments are 7:1
• 33% of male professors serve on high level
executive committees –<1% of female
professors
SWAN SUBMISSION : UCL INITIATIVES related to
SWAN Charter principles
• Use of data from UCL ASSET and UCL Staff Survey (UCL HR
Equality Team) to consider new initiatives
Plan and expand :
• senior committees gender- balance improvements
• mentoring/management schemes
• new Departmental Equality Action Plans related to gender (EO –HR)
• detailed annual workforce monitoring
• ‘Celebration of Champions in SET’ events in UCL
Using stats from workforce monitoring
age at appointment of current
lecturers
50
women
appointed older
than men – and
average is after
age that families
are completed
45
40
age appt F
35
age appt M
30
25
20
1
2
increase in % female students (F>M) and now steady
UCL total student numbers
% female
25000
% female students (all
subjects)
Graduate
55%
Undergraduate
20000
15000
50%
10000
45%
5000
undergraduate
graduate
2007-08
2005-06
2003-04
2001-02
1999-00
1997-98
40%
1995-96
2007-08
2005-06
2003-04
2001-02
1999-00
1997-98
1995-96
0
Rise in female students in SET faculties
1995
2007
students by gender in UCL SET faculties,
2007-8
4000
3500
3000
female
male
2500
2000
1500
1000
Life Sciences
Engineering
Sciences
Biomedical
Sciences
Built
Environment
0
Mathematical
and Physical
Sciences
500
% female 36 44 16 60 33 RISING TO 47 56 25
66 39
BuEn BioMed Eng LS MAPS
BuEn BioMed Eng LS MAPS
% women in academic grades
2005 - 2007
Lecturers
250
Professors
Readers
Senior Lecturers
180
120
300
100
250
80
200
60
150
40
100
20
50
0
0
female
male
160
200
140
120
150
100
80
100
60
40
50
20
0
0
2005
2006
2007
2005
2006
2007
% female profs increasing ?
2005
2006
2007
2005
2006
15
17
% female
2007
19
% women in research grades
2005 - 2007
Research Fellows
Principal Research Fellows
Senior Research Fellows
600
40
200
female
male
180
35
500
160
30
140
400
25
120
300
100
20
80
15
200
60
10
40
100
5
20
0
0
0
2005
2006
2007
2005
2006
2007
2005
2006
32
38
2007
34
% female
No change
number of maternity leaves
maternity leave
35
30
25
academic
research
20
15
10
5
0
2005
2006
2007*
*pro rata from 1st 4 months
rise in maternity leave – more taking it or
more pregnancies ?
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
• Culture and tradition in labs for males/females
•
School – only in school half the day and half the year – need
better holiday/after school schemes and/or more flexible
working hours for parents
• Career breaks: Loss to research groups of highly specialized
team members for maternity leave or carers’ responsibility
Specialized SET cannot easily be ‘substituted’ for periods
under 1 year and grants cannot necessarily be extended
Government Gender Equality Scheme
• 2007 Two senior academics (Prof Jan Atkinson – UCL
Athena Coordinator / Pro- Provost for North America and
Prof Christine Hawley – Dean, Built Environment)
appointed by Provost to take strategic responsibility for
Gender Equality Scheme, working with :
Fiona McLean (Coordinator for Equal Opportunities) and
HR team and UCL GES Working Group on:
• submission of UCL’s Gender Equality Scheme (2007)
• mainstreaming its initiatives
• overseeing Impact Assessment.
PRESENT AND FUTURE
• Life: work balance schemes including male:female work balance
(Norway example of paternity: maternity leave)
• Further mainstreaming and impact assessment of new schemes
• Training scheme in equality issues for managers / research advisors
/supervisors
•
• Widening participation schemes in Primary as well as Secondary
Schools to encourage girls in SET
•
• Celebration of Champions Events
• Submission of UCL and individual departments for Silver
SWAN AWARDS in 2009
But things have improved a little :
• Just over 30 years ago I was pregnant with my first child in
Cambridge. I was a postdoc working in a small group with
a very traditional older male supervisor
• I asked about ‘maternity leave’ from the ‘ Old Schools’ (HRCambridge University)
•
• I was told that ‘academic ladies arrange their births to fall
in the ‘Long Vacation’ ’ ( Summer- out of Term time)
• My 4 children were born in the Long Vacation , but it was
not planned !
End
Thank you!
Visual
Development
Unit logo
Speakers in 1st Session:
• Professor Peter Main, Director of Education and
Science, Institute of Physics
• Dr Caroline Fox, Programme Manager of former
Athena Project at The Royal Society and ..
• Sarah Dickinson, Science Policy and Diversity
Specialist, Royal Society of Chemistry
• Professor Debbie Sharp, Professor of Primary
Health Care, University of Bristol Chair of Women
in Clinical Academia
further analysis from ASSET e.g.
• age/seniority profile for men & women (UCL annual
workforce monitorin for SET disciplines)
• career development of those who have children
(scrutinize current policy documents/ advice given /mentoring/peer
assistance)
• relation of perceived promotion opportunities to reality
(compare years to promotion in different grades by sex/children)
• gender composition of appointments panels/ senior
committees ( UCL CEO study 2003- top 16 UCL committees- e.g.
ethnicity and gender balance on Academic Board- senior committee)
POSSIBLE NAMES FOR ATHENA ADVISORY GROUP- AAG
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
CAWSET (said 'corset‘) Committee for Academic Women in
Science, Engineering and Technology
WETS- Women in Engineering, Technology and Science
TWINSET- Team Working IN Science, Engineering and
Technology
STEW- Science, Technology and Engineering Women
WISTERIA- Women In Science, Technology and Engineering
Review in Academia
WASTED - Women Academics - Science, Technology and
Engineering Debates
FAIRER SET- Female Academics' Internal Review of Equality
Recommendations in Science Engineering and Technology
SETTEE- Science, Engineering and Technology- Thinking about
Engaging in Equality