The Department of Chemistry has achieved the Athena SWAN Silver Award, which recognises commitment to tackling gender inequality in higher education.
Athena SWAN committee chair Dr Nick Bampos thanked everybody in the department for their considerable effort and commitment to this process.
Head of Department Professor John Pyle said: “This is quite wonderful news and recognition of the superb efforts that have been invested by so many people to make the department a more inclusive, supportive and rewarding environment in which to work.”
John thanked Nick and the Athena SWAN working party, who met on a monthly basis to gather the evidence and develop the actions which led to the submission in December. Some of the initiatives developed as a result of Athena SWAN include pro-active recruitment and promotion, the introduction of a mentoring programme, and the adoption of family friendly working hours and practices.
Both John and Nick acknowledged the hard work of Professor Jane Clarke and Support Services Manager Marita Walsh, who started the endeavour and worked tirelessly to support the department throughout its Bronze and Silver submissions.
The Athena SWAN charter was established in 2005 to address gender related issues in the STEMM subjects (science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine) from undergraduate through to professorial level. In 2015 it was extended to arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law for the first time.
The Charter is owned and managed by Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), which promotes equality and diversity in universities and colleges. Ruth Gilligan, ECU’s Athena SWAN manager said, “Our Athena SWAN Charter is a catalyst for real change within individual departments and whole institutions.”
The award will be presented at a ceremony at the University of Sheffield on 30 June.