Females Academics’ Progression Action Plan: 2009 – 2012
This action plan is a result of the identification of key issues and priorities highlighted by our data analysis, and the consultations we have
held with female staff, during the Athena SWAN process. The actions detailed in the plan will be led and co-ordinated by the Business
Development team within HR. Female professors and Senior lecturers from across Faculties have agreed to form a steering group to
oversee the plan’s implementation and work with HR to deliver the actions.
Theme
The University will:
Recruitment

Encourage recruiting managers to consider part-time
Feedback
 Part-time roles may be attractive to females
applicants for all jobs, and include a statement to that
returning to academia, perhaps after having
effect in advertisements if females are under-represented
children.
in particular areas.
Role definition



Review how the University communicates the range of

Females can be discouraged from applying for
roles available to staff, and what these roles entail.
more senior or additional roles because they are
Managers to encourage females to take up developmental
not presented as conducive to work/life balance, or
roles and discuss their workload.
they feel they will not be able to maintain their
Ask Committee chairs to review terms of reference and
research profile as well.
actively reach out to females and other equality groups
when seeking new members.
1
Theme
The University will:

Feedback
Ask faculties and departments to consider participation by
senior women in management.
Development

Target communications to females, particularly at Lecturer

Female-only training would be beneficial.

Females recognise the value of a culture of support
level, on the availability of female-only training.

Consider adding female-only training sessions to the
University’s portfolio of “bite-sized” training sessions
for females on single issues.
Work-life

balance and
flexible

working
Facilitate discussion amongst senior managers about how
they can create and manage a flexible culture.
in which teaching and administration are valued as
Publicise good management practices and create and
well as research, and where managers openly and
manage stories of successful males and females who work
actively support flexibility.
flexibly.



The career focussed support provided by the
Raise awareness amongst managers of the University
Women Academic Returners’ Programme (WARP)
work-life balance/flexible working policies.
is excellent and is both tangible and measurable.
Continue to fund the Women Academic Returners’
Programme until 2012, and evaluate the scheme.

Consider mentoring/coaching for women returners from
maternity leave, including recipients of WARP funding.

Raise awareness within departments of the positive impact
of scheduling meetings within core business hours.
Role Models


Consider how we can best communicate the success of

It is felt that having visible role models would be
female academics across the UoS.
beneficial for females at the beginning of their
Consider with faculty PVCs how they can create
academic career and at future stages.
opportunities for women to network within their own
departments and faculties and share experience and tips
2
Theme
The University will:
Feedback
for success.
Mentoring

Roll-out a University-wide mentoring scheme for females

from 2009.
Mentoring would be welcomed by all staff, and the
opportunity for a mentor would be particularly
useful at transition points in a female’s career, for
example, from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer.
Networking
 Facilitate role-based networking events for females and

Networks are valuable for staff at all stages of their
males, focussing in the first instance on Lecturers
careers, but particularly useful for female and male
embarking on their academic career.
staff at the beginning of their career and for
 Host a lunch with the Vice-Chancellor for female professors
females at the same point in their careers.
to share their experiences, and to discuss and review
support for the progression of females to senior positions.
 Hold a second ‘SETM Symposium’ for women
SRDS

Review SRDS guidance and briefing sessions to ensure an

emphasis on discussion about career development.
Females noted that some may wait for ‘a tap on
the shoulder’ before putting themselves forward
for promotions or positions on senior University
committees, etc.
Promotion/

Progression
Continue to monitor promotions centrally, by gender and
should be more transparent, and provided at
practice, and ensure that the information is provided by
faculty level.

Work with the faculties to provide workforce information
which will inform business planning, and encourage FPVCs

Data, particularly that relating to Promotions,
other equality strands, to ensure non-discriminatory
faculty.


The promotions criteria are not felt to be gender
neutral, and male only panels are unhelpful.

Females, particularly those at Lecturer level, may
to share data.
spend a high proportion of their time teaching and
Review/clarify promotions criteria to ensure gender
consequently do not have the necessary research
neutrality.
output to gain promotion.
3
Theme
The University will:

Feedback
Develop guidelines regarding gender balance on
promotion panels.

Develop typical profiles outlining what promotion panels
will consider (Engineering)

Work with FPVCs, promotion panel chairs, promotions
officers and secretaries to ensure that unsuccessful
applicants receive appropriate feedback.
Increasing the
profile of

Host a programme of events in July 2009, to mark 50 years
of female professors at the UoS.
 Females felt that having the opportunity to discuss
issues affecting them in their careers was positive,
issues affecting
and they would welcome further opportunities to
females
do so.
academics’
progression
4