The UoB’s Athena SWAN Bronze Level Action Plan states that ” A need has been identified to ensure that Athena SWAN activity is explicitly considered within the future workload model“, and there will shortly be news about the resourcing this project.

Many of my colleagues, both female and male, have indicated a commitment to the process because they believe in what it represents and what it could achieve. The Athena SWAN guidance is very clear about it being a group of people who takes the self-assessment forward, so if there are colleagues out there who still want to get involved in our submission please contact myself or Andy Davies.

Not achieving the Bronze level award may have a direct impact on the SoE’s access to funding in the future, as funders are increasingly looking for organisational commitment to equality processes. So, as university lecturers, researchers and professional support staff,  we all have a vested interest in making this work.

Bronze Level requires the creation of an action plan based on the responses to the consultation process that’s yet to come. This will require us to look closely at the personal, cultural and structural  (thanks Mark!) make-up of the SoE, in order to determine the actions needed to comply with the Athena SWAN mission.

 

University of Brighton Institution Bronze Award Submission (2016).  Available at: https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/hr/equality/pubdocs/UoB_Institution_Bronze_April_2016_publication.pdf