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The University of Nottingham has been recognised in a national award for the career support it offers female staff and students.
The Athena SWAN awards celebrate good practice in employing women in science, engineering and technology (SET) departments. Silver awards have been won by the University’s School of Psychology and the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering.
Silver awards are given to departments that demonstrate substantial progress to attract women and improve their career prospects.
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The Athena SWAN Charter is funded by Equality Challenge Unit and the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (UKRC). The scheme is open to universities and research institutions, giving them the opportunity to apply for awards at bronze, silver and gold levels.
The University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology has for example introduced a novel support system to allow female scientists’ research grants to continue during maternity leave without affecting the grant duration.
Professor Peter Mitchell, Head of the School of Psychology, said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award in recognition of the work we have been doing to assist the careers of women at the School of Psychology. We firmly believe that the changes we are making are of benefit to all.”
The Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering has introduced a range of part-time working strategies to support staff, including extended lunch breaks to enable care of elderly relatives, variable hours to enable staff to complete school pick up and gradual changes in hours to facilitate a return to full-time working for new parents.
Professor Paul Shayler, Head of the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering said: “We are delighted to receive the Athena Silver SWAN award and the recognition it bestows on the developments set out in our submission. We are working to extend the membership and activities of the working group and ensure effective dissemination of our policies and practices to as many department members as possible. ”
The awards will be presented at a celebratory lunch at the Zoological Society of London on 18 September 2008. The other university’s recognised in this year’s awards at the University of Bristol, the University of Bedfordshire, King’s College London, Lancaster University, the University of Leicester, the University of Manchester and the University of Reading.
Professor Karen Cox, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Access and Community said: “The University is committed to increasing the participation of women in SET disciplines and seeks to work collaboratively with colleagues to develop working environments and practices which attract and retain staff.
“We are particularly pleased to have been awarded silver awards in Psychology and Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering in recognition of the real progress being made to support and promote women in these disciplines.”
Julie Ashdown, Manager of the Athena SWAN programme said: “Increasing the participation of women in SET is vital for innovation and, in a traditionally male dominated discipline, these awards show which universities care about making their SET departments an attractive place for women to work in order to attract and retain them. The award winners have clearly shown their commitment to making positive changes in their working practices.”
Now in its third year only one gold award has been presented in the five rounds of awards which have taken place.
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Notes to Editors:
The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 70 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THES) World University Rankings.
It provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's "only truly global university", it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia.
Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation - School of Pharmacy).
Its students are much in demand from 'blue-chip' employers. Winners of Students in Free Enterprise for four years in succession, and current holder of UK Graduate of the Year, they are accomplished artists, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, innovators and fundraisers. Nottingham graduates consistently excel in business, the media, the arts and sport. Undergraduate and postgraduate degree completion rates are amongst the highest in the United Kingdom.