Athena Swan Guidance

The guidance for faculty managers will cover the following topics:

• Benefits of engaging with AS
• High level process and timeframes
• Resources and time required
• Tips and lessons learned from Schools already on journey

Benefits

The benefits in working to secure and maintain an Athena Swan award include

Coordinated & Consistent focus on identifying and removing barriers to progression for all.

• Benefits & opportunities apply to all & impact across whole university.
• Provides opportunity to heighten transparency, understanding and action around current position within a School or department.
• *Enables open conversations that inform senior leadership and other stakeholders to share perspectives and focus on actions.

The benefits for working to secure and maintain an Athena Swan award include…

• Allows for an honest insight and perspective, “benchmarked” against the sector, enabling targeted and appropriate actions to drive change for all.
• Completing action plans by evidencing impact enables progression through award levels to the benefit of everyone.
• An externally recognised “Award” demonstrating commitment to, and achievement in, gender equality, an area of focus within “E.D.I”.
• Contribute to academic excellence and our ability to secure prestigious REF status (Research Environment) and Funding Opportunities.
• Composition of teams (SAT) drives a collaborative approach and evidences the overall “Ethos” of A.S principles

Process Overview

The key elements of the process are as follows…

Application preparation

• The process of undertaking a review of the current status provides a clear understanding of current working practices and the culture within Schools or departments.
• This facilitates the SAT to design a unique action plan for future activity and initiatives that strengthen the gender equality within that School/dept.

Success brings

• An opportunity to celebrate the commitment and efforts of Schools/dept. and their Athena SWAN teams
• Recognition of the dedication of all involved in promoting inclusive, positive working environments enabling male and female staff and students to thrive.

Process Timeframe (12 Months)

Self Assessment Team (SAT) Process

• Data Analysis: Quantitative & Qualitative
• Staff Survey & Focus Groups
• Smart Action Plan
• Submission

1. Initial commitment from HoS
2. Appointment of School Athena SWAN Campion/ SAT Chair
3. Formation of departmental self-assessment team (SAT)
4. SAT meets monthly at first
5. Analyse staff and student data and conduct staff survey
6. Identify key gender equality challenges
7. SAT continues to meet at least termly, preferably more often
8. Complete and submit Athena SWAN application
9. Adopt a series of actions to address these issues

Application opportunities twice per year (the last working day of April and the last working day of November).

The Self Assessment Team (SAT)

Composition

• Representative of the School/dept.
• Includes HoS/HoD
• Chair/Champion to lead
• Balanced membership & covers work-life balance scenarios
• Academic, Research, PSS, Technical, Post Doc, UG/PhD students

Responsibilities

• Undertake a School/dept. survey
• Follow-up with focus groups & workshops
• Contact AS Officer regarding all data
• Collate & analyse staff & student data
• Agree & implement  actions & initiatives in response to the analysis
• Write AS application & Action Plan

Governance

• Must have clear reporting structure through School/dept. into Faculty & ultimately Senior Management

SAT Operational Years

Application Year

• Read application guidance handbook before first meeting
• Contact AS Officer regarding data & SAT meetings
• Meet once per month initially
• Have clear understanding of time commitment involved
• Take responsibility for a section(s) of application & action plan
• Regularly review sections
• Engage & consult critical reader –internal & external
• Conduct & analyse staff survey & additional focus groups or workshops if necessary
• Approve final document

Post Award Years

• Meet three times per year
• Implement action plan
• Monitor action plan
• Report progress through School/dept. & Faculty committees
• Report progress to Faculty Leader
• Identify, measure and capture impact for re-application

Roles within the School

The Chair

• Chair of SAT/School or dept. Champion (usually same person)
• Must have place on School/dept. Ex Board to report
• Sets calendar of meetings in advance with School/dept. manager to organise
• Contacts AS Officer regarding data & SAT meetings
• Allocates sections of application to SAT members
• Sets and maintains deadlines
• Sets expectations regarding style and content – standardised graphs and commentary
• Must report regularly to AS Faculty Leader on progress
• Completes “Intention to Submit” form to Advance HE
• Facilitates the SAT endorsement of final document following external critical reader review
• Approves final draft following external critique in consultation with HoS/HoD

The Head of School/ Department

• Appoints Champion/SAT Chair in conjunction with Faculty Leader
• Must be SAT member
• Ensure School Executive Meetings cover AS
• Support and deliver actions
• Publicity Champion

The Senior Exec Team

• Champions
• Critiques
• Challenges
• upports

SAT Members

• Individual members assigned components of application submission (based on skill sets/background)
• Must play full role in SAT meetings
• Critiques, challenges and champions

Overall AS Reporting Structure

Tips/ Lessons Learned

• Takes a year to prepare application
• Need commitment from senior team
• All SAT members need to contribute effectively
• Use focus groups
• SMART actions
• Actions can be simple/quick wins/not requiring ££££
• BE HONEST, and reflect on data
• Don’t lose focus once award given –the work on driving actions begins
• Not enough to pick up actions the year before renewal

Features of Good Athena SWAN Applications

• Actions and initiatives specific to professional and support staff
• Evidence of staff and students consultations, including focus groups and surveys
• Impact clearly linked to previous issues and actions
• Honest self-assessment
• Considered male-underrepresentation, where appropriate
• Consulted with critical friends
• Focus on gender throughout
• SMART action plan with measurable targets and baselines