College Of Engineering At Swansea University Wins Bronze Athena SWAN Award

The College of Engineering at Swansea University has won a Bronze Athena SWAN award. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Winning the award means that the College of Engineering ‘recognises a solid foundation for eliminating gender bias and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff’ according to Athena SWAN guidelines. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This includes: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• an assessment of gender equality in the institution, including quantitative (staff data) and qualitative (policies, practices, systems and arrangements) evidence and identifying both challenges and opportunities
• a four-year plan that builds on this assessment, information on activities that are already in place and what has been learned from these
• the development of an organisational structure, including a self-assessment team, to carry proposed actions forward.

Professor Stephen Brown, Head of the College of Engineering at Swansea University said: “I am immensely proud that the College of Engineering has been awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze Award. We are deeply committed to gender equality and continually work to embed the principles of Athena SWAN into the culture and day to day running of the college. I am hugely grateful for the commitment and dedication of the Athena SWAN team within the College and offer my sincerest thanks to all in recognition of their hard work towards making this achievement happen, in particular to Dr Camilla Knight who is a driving force behind Athena SWAN in the College and was the co-lead on our submission for the award.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The award will be presented to staff representatives from the College of Engineering at an awards ceremony to be held at the University of Liverpool on Monday 12 December 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Membership of the Charter has bronze, silver and gold awards that help universities work towards sustaining equitable working environments. Once a university has its own award, departments are eligible to apply for their own individual awards. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In May 2015 the Charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), and in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Swansea University is committed to promoting gender equality, and has been a proud member of the Athena SWAN Charter since 2008. The University was first awarded a Bronze Athena SWAN award in 2009. The University renewed its submission and was awarded the Bronze award again in April 2013. All of the University’s STEMM Colleges have their own individual awards and the University’s College of Arts and Humanities is in the process of preparing a submission. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​