UCL-Institute of Child Health
Athena SWAN
8th Self-Assessment Team Committee Meeting
Tuesday 15th October 2013, 3:30pm, Levinsky Room, ICH
Present:
Dr Shamima Rahman (Chair)
Miss Heather Bailey (PhD representative)
Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz
Dr Elisa Fassone (Postdoctoral Representative)
Dr Steve Howe
Professor Jenny Morgan
Professor Pete Scambler
Professor Ros Smyth
Dr Andy Stoker (PG Representative)
Dr Sara Mole (LMCB Representative)
Mr Mark Tiwarri
Apologies: Professor Andy Copp, Professor Jane Sowden, Chris Thalasselis
Minutes
Academic Careers Day
As previously agreed, this will be organised on an annual basis. Action: Chris will create a Doodle poll
with possible dates for next year. For the next day, we will have representatives from non-academic
(e.g. former students working in industry and other positions) as well as academic roles.
Application - progress
Shamima reported that Harriet Jones has now registered ICH for submission of a silver application in
November. The committee went through the latest draft of the application in detail, identifying
areas for editing.
Page
9
12
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15
Comment
Picture of the department to be cut slightly after feedback from P&E
The apparently low completion rates of MSc courses are because of their modularisation
(i.e. students completing them over more than one year) – also some discussion around
the fact that progression from MSc to PhD is not part of career pipeline.
Action: Pete to check availability of more recent data from HESA (currently 2010 cited)
Fig 3.4 – This and similar graphs to be switched around so that Female is at the bottom.
Ros told the committee that there were plans to provide new lecturer posts within the
new ICH structure. These would be for non-clinical research staff and distributed
equitably across the five programmes. Also plans for strategic investment in academic
posts at senior lecturer and chair level. Recruitment for these posts will take into
16-21
20
22
23
24
25
26
27
30
40
account the inadequate representation of women at this level within UCL, and will be
conducted in accordance with Athena SWAN principles. This is to be added to the action
plan, with gender balance of posts at lecturer and above monitored for improvements.
Fig 3.7 – Legend to be added, and heavier lines demarcating the 6 research grades.
Within each category of post, add an average over the four years. Fig 4.1 – add legend
and take home message. Fig 4.1c-4.1e – very small numbers, add n to %.Fig 4.2 – take %
y axis away. Change so that female and male are two separate bars. Add data
aggregated over the four years.
Action re. unconscious bias training – to be changed to read “ensure that all staff on
interview panels have undergone unconscious bias interview training”. This training will
be available online.
Last action point – change to ‘year on year improvement in gender balance at all
academic grades’.
First action point re. gender balance of interview panels – this can be moved to
something already done, as HR already ensure that at least one male and female on
each panel.
Last action point – requirement for senior female postdocs to undergo fair recruitment
training – to be removed.
Ros has sat on the development group for a scheme at UCL to promote leadership
among women. Action: Ask Nicole about this. An item on ensuring appraisee’s
awareness of leadership schemes could be added to appraisal checklist, Action 2.6B.
To add to visible ‘great female successes’ – Annual Peckham lecture, celebrating
achievements of Professor Catherine Peckham.
Add a section to website on prominent women in history of ICH.
Remove 4th action (monitor career stage of postdocs) and 8th action (monitor gender
and length of time in post before promotion). 9th point: change wording to: ‘increase
success of applications for major grants by providing guidance’ – can then measure the
success of the action via grant application success rates. Steve commented that BBSRC
applications already a successful support scheme.
Mark is working on induction and training section.
Action – establishment of post-doc committee – to be removed. Heather to send Jenny
text on CPEB Early Career Researcher group – potential to have one of these per
programme in the new structure?
Section 5: Sara advised that this section could be used to draw attention to things not
appropriate for inclusion elsewhere. For example, to state that this is an ambitious
action plan designed to address key attrition points for women at ICH, as identified via
the data analysis. Idea – to mention staff surveys here, briefly describe and say why
helpful to the development of the application.
Application next steps
Currently awaiting feedback from P&E, most members will look at the application by the end of this
week, Prof David Goldblatt next week and Prof Ros Smyth in week beginning 4th November. Awaiting
feedback before making the next round of changes to the master version.
Questionnaire
It was agreed that a brief survey of staff and students at ICH, eliciting opinions on the profile and
impact of Athena SWAN to date, would be circulated. The committee approved the draft questions
shared by Shamima, with a couple of questions about the respondent to be added.
Committee Membership
It was agreed that the current committee membership would remain unchanged until mid 2014,
when a staged rotation of members would begin. SAT meetings will be reduced to quarterly after
Christmas.
Public engagement funding
Steve gave some further information about the purpose of this funding, and the types of projects
that are likely to be successful. It was agreed that this was not needed for the current application,
but is for future consideration.
Breastfeeding room
The committee discussed the current lack of a room for expressing within ICH (which should have a
lock and fridge), and agreed that identification of a suitable room should be added to the application
action plan.
Next meeting
12th November 2013, 3:30pm, LGSR, ICH