athena swan bronze department award application name of ... · the sat chair attended the athena...
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Athena SWAN Bronze department award application
Name of university: The University of Sheffield
Department: School of Nursing and Midwifery
Date of application: April 2014
Date of university Bronze SWAN award: April 2013
Contact for application:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0114 222 2059
Departmental website address: www.sheffield.ac.uk/snm
Athena SWAN Bronze Department awards recognise that in addition to university-wide policies the department is working to promote gender equality and to address challenges particular to the discipline.
Not all institutions use the term ‘department’ and there are many equivalent academic groupings with different names, sizes and compositions. The definition of a ‘department’ for SWAN purposes can be found on the Athena SWAN website. If in doubt, contact the Athena SWAN Officer well in advance to check eligibility.
It is essential that the contact person for the application is based in the department.
Sections to be included
At the end of each section state the number of words used. Click here for additional guidance on completing the template.
1. Letter of endorsement from the head of department: maximum 500 words
An accompanying letter of endorsement from the head of department should explain how the SWAN action plan and activities in the department contribute to the overall department strategy and academic mission.
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The letter is an opportunity for the head of department to confirm their support for the application and to endorse and commend any women and STEMM activities that have made a significant contribution to the achievement of the departmental mission.
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Sarah Dickinson Athena SWAN Manager Athena SWAN Charter, Equality Challenge Unit 7th Floor Queen’s House 55/56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3LJ
Dean of School Professor Anne M Peat School of Nursing and Midwifery Barber House Annexe 3a Clarkehouse Road Sheffield S10 2HQ
25 April 2014
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 2222059 Email: [email protected]
Dear Sarah
As Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, a School of 35 academic and professional services staff, I am committed to promoting gender equality and supporting opportunities for all School staff. My commitment goes beyond the normal day-to-day running of the School. I chair the Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team, am School representative on the Faculty Excellence Through Inclusion committee and am a member of the University Female Academics Progression Steering committee. I, and other senior female academics, see ourselves as role models.
We pride ourselves on being an equal opportunities employer. Members of the Self-Assessment Team and chairs of interview panels have all attended equal opportunity training. We are committed to developing career trajectories of women academics through formal and informal mentoring, internally and externally. All academics are eligible to engage in School governance and expressions of interest are invited from all.
I actively encourage academics to participate in the Futures and Impact Mentoring schemes and CV+, all facilitated by the University. We have Mentors and Mentees involved in all schemes. Professional Service Staff participate in the GROW mentoring scheme. Our staff are encouraged to develop leadership skills and during the last three years 7 staff (5 females and 2 males) have undertaken Leadership programmes.
Professional development is available to all academic and professional service staff and the Learned Society Fund is accessible to all. We make no distinction between groups of staff accessing training and development opportunities. Male and female academics have been granted sabbaticals to help develop their academic careers.
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We work very flexibly to accommodate staff with caring responsibilities. Where necessary, short-term changes are made to contract and working hours to support individuals. I acknowledge that some short-term arrangements are not always formalised and documentation is needed for greater transparency.
We intend to continue the excellent work that has already been done prior to this application. Inclusion is already embedded within the School’s culture. However, we realise that we need to make it more transparent. We will continue to work towards further inclusion through the action plan in accordance with the principles of the Athena SWAN Charter.
Yours sincerely
ANNE M PEAT Dean Professor of Nursing and Midwifery Education
Word count 351 (500)
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Glossary of terms
ADOPT Access to Dental Occupations – Practice and Tutoring
APEL Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning
CoD Council of Deans of Health
DH Department of Health
DRP Departmental Review Panel
ECA Exceptional Contribution Award
ECR Early Career Researcher
F:M Female:Male
FE Further Education
FSSTDG Faculty Support Staff Training and Development Group
FT Full-time
FTC Fixed Term Contracts
FTPGT Full-time Postgraduate Taught
FTUG Full-time Undergraduate
HE STEM Higher Education Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics
HEFC Higher Education Funding Council
HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England
HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency
HR Human Resources
LBR Learning Beyond Registration
LETB Local Education Training Board
LeTTOL Learning to Teach Online
LSF Learned Society Fund
NH National Health
NHS National Health Service
NMC Nursing and Midwifery Council
NSS National Student Survey
PG Post Graduate
PGR Post Graduate Research
PGT Post Graduate Taught
PT Part-time
PTPG Part-time Postgraduate
ROI Return On Investment
SAT Self-Assessment Team
SNM School of Nursing and Midwifery
SOAMS Sheffield Outreach and Access to Medicine Scheme
SRDS Staff Review and Development Scheme
SURE Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience
TUoS The University of Sheffield
TUPE Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)
UG Under Graduate
UoS University of Sheffield
USS University Staff Survey
WARP Women’s Academic Returners Programme
WP Widening Participation
WTE Whole Time Equivalent
YH Yorkshire and the Humber
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2. The self-assessment process: maximum 1000 words
Describe the self-assessment process. This should include: a) A description of the self-assessment team: members’ roles (both within the
department and as part of the team) and their experiences of work-life balance.
b) An account of the self-assessment process: details of the self-assessment team
meetings, including any consultation with staff or individuals outside of the university, and how these have fed into the submission.
c) Plans for the future of the self-assessment team, such as how often the team will continue to meet, any reporting mechanisms and in particular how the self-assessment team intends to monitor implementation of the action plan.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery (SNM) established the Athena SWAN Departmental Self-Assessment Team (SAT) to develop the application for the Athena SWAN Bronze award. The SAT represents a full range of staff; grades and gender are represented including full and part-time, academic, University Teachers and Professional Services Staff (PSS). We have recently appointed 3 Early Career Researchers (ECRs) - all female, one of whom started in January 2014 and has been co-opted onto the group to ensure the views of this group are represented. The SAT has met on 12 occasions between July 2012 and March 2014. The team was joined by a HR staff member on some occasions, participating in an advisory capacity. All members completed Equality and Diversity training.
Mrs Lisa Bell - School Administrator within the School. She works closely with the Dean and the School Executive Committee. Lisa's husband works full-time. She has a teenage step-daughter and is also the main carer for her elderly mother.
Mrs Andrea Fox - University Teacher and Renal and Specialist Educator working part-time on secondment and part-time as Professional Development Sister in clinical practice. To achieve an acceptable work/life balance Andrea sets clear boundaries between home and work-life. She finds the University more flexible in achieving this because she can access modules and information electronically.
Dr Mark Limb - Senior University Teacher. Whilst working in the School Mark has been supported through a higher degree and he is a trustee for a charitable organisation. Mark has been able to work flexibly to undertake these activities and work around family circumstances during this time.
Mrs Andrea Lowery - Personal Assistant to the Dean and Programme Co-ordinator for the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Studies. She works full-time and works flexible hours. Andrea is a widow, a lone-parent with a 13 year old son.
Dr Jane McKeown - University Teacher and Senior Nurse on a part-time 2 year secondment from Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust. Having a joint appointment necessitates flexibility in her working arrangements. Jane has a school-age child and a partner who works unsociable hours.
Professor Anne Peat - Chair of the SAT and Dean of the School since 2006. She is a member of both the Faculty Athena SWAN Steering Committee and the Female Academic’s Progression Action Plan Steering Group. Anne has been a Mentor on the Impact Mentoring scheme since 2008 and has been mentored by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching & International Affairs on the Futures mentoring scheme. Anne is married with 2 grown up sons and 1 grand-daughter and is the main carer for elderly parents.
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Mr David Reid - Lecturer who oversees dementia care education and 2 units on the BMedSci in Health and Human Sciences. He originally joined the School in 2002 as Research Fellow before being appointed Lecturer in 2008. David is the School’s Disability Liaison Officer, is undertaking a part-time PhD, and has 2 young daughters and a baby son.
Dr Jill Thompson - Lecturer who joined the School in January 2014. An early career academic, Jill gained her PhD in 2010. She has a young daughter and works part-time (80%), appreciating the flexibility offered within the School to manage her work and child-care commitments.
Mrs Sally Underwood - University Teacher who undertakes a number of key roles. She is Placement Lead for the School, Programme Leader for PGCert in Long Term Conditions and Safeguarding Lead. Sally is undertaking a part-time taught doctorate and is due to complete in 2014. She is married with 3 teenage children, 2 at university, and she is prime carer for 2 elderly parents.
Several methods of consultation were used to inform the School’s application: ● Focus groups with external facilitation, commissioned by the University, to seek views of a
wide range of staff. Issues discussed included: staff perceptions of ‘place’ in School; opportunities available; flexible-working.
● Adapted Higher Education Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (HE STEMM) Gender Equality Culture Survey. There was a 34% response rate, the majority indicating they agreed or strongly agreed with the statements within the survey. Of the negative responses, the most significant related to provision of mentoring opportunities. This is incorporated into the Action Plan. Action point 2.4
● University Staff Survey (USS) (2012) - A small group facilitated by a SAT member explored the School’s Survey ‘Lowlights’, distributing a further questionnaire to staff, focussing on questions attracting negative responses. In-depth focus groups followed with PSS, facilitated by HR, because PSS were the main staff group identifying issues.
● Staff consultation at School Council to identify issues for inclusion in the application. ● Student consultation at Student-Staff Committee to identify issues for inclusion in the
application.
The SAT Chair attended the Athena SWAN Champions workshop to understand further the application process and support available. She is a member of the Faculty Athena SWAN Steering group and is a member of the Faculty Equality and Diversity group, at which all Faculty Departments are represented, providing opportunities to share experiences, offer and receive guidance and share good practice.
Another SAT member also attended an Athena Swan Champions workshop organised by the Council of Deans of Health (CoD), at which specific issues relating to gender and female progression were discussed with representatives from similar departments in other UK Universities.
SAT members were allocated tasks, which included the analysis of staff and student data. A draft was sent to three ‘critical friends’ for comments, as well as the School’s Student-Staff Committee and School Council.
Upon completion of this application process, the SAT is due to meet quarterly, reporting every 6 months to the School Executive Group and Faculty Excellence Through Inclusion Committee. The monthly School Executive meeting has ‘equality and diversity’ as a standing agenda item.
Word count 954 (1000)
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3. A picture of the department: maximum 2000 words
a) Provide a pen-picture of the department to set the context for the application, outlining in particular any significant and relevant features.
b) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery joined the University in 1995. The University had a Medical School as part of its origins and a well embedded health focus. The School is one of 9 departments in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, offering a wide range of Higher Education Funding Council England (HEFCE) and Health Education England (HEE) funded undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes within a varied and flexible portfolio.
The School has 22 academic and research staff (59% female) including 5 Professors (4 female). The Dean (female) is 1 of only 8 Professors in the University promoted through the teaching route.
Our core business is teaching UG and PG students. We currently have 473 UG students (92% female) and 154 PG students (85% female). The School commenced its first HEFCE-funded UG programme in 2009, attracting students wanting to work in health and social care. A high percentage of these students access the programme through widening participation (WP). We pride ourselves in our outreach activities and we were one of the first Departments in the Faculty to sign 7 Progression Agreements with local FE Colleges. We also deliver a PG Diploma in Adult Nursing, 20 students per cohort (75% female), this programme has just received 100% increase in its commissions.
We are a major provider of Learning Beyond Registration (LBR) for health care practitioners http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/snm/cpd. We deliver UG and PG, full-time (FT) and part-time (PT), LBR education to approximately 1500 students annually, ranging from local health practitioners who attend individual study days to international students registered on FT masters and doctoral programmes. As well as offering a wide range of timetabled modules and study days, we also deliver bespoke work-based programmes on National Health Service Trust premises. All academics/university teachers in the School teach and provide academic and Personal Tutor support. Students are taught by leading researchers and experts in key specialist areas. Our reputation for actively supporting students is reflected in the 2013 NSS (80%) and our own commissioned Oxford Survey capturing LBR students (84%). Student representatives tell us consistently they are highly satisfied with the learning and teaching support provided. They feel listened to and are confident that their views count. We include in Student Handbooks a ‘you said we did’ section to make the action taken clear. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/lt/publicinfo/nationalstudentsurvey/nationalstudentsurveydata/2013/
The School is located on the main University Campus opposite one of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK and it is in close proximity to the newly refurbished Medical School and Health Sciences Library which benefits staff and students. Academics from the School participate in clinical skills teaching contributing to inter-professional learning. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/lets/toolkit/teaching/clinicalteaching
School staff have research expertise in a number of areas within an overarching ‘Healthcare across the life course’ theme http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/snm/research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise we were ranked in the UK top ten for research, equivalent to ‘world leading’ status. We currently have 28 FT and PT postgraduate research (PGR) students (79% female) who benefit from a range of professional development opportunities. Our FT students are primarily overseas, though
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we have recently awarded 2 of our undergraduates (both female) PhD scholarships. This investment is extremely important for future workforce planning.
Student data The School delivers educational programmes for a mixed student population. Many are qualified professionals undertaking UG or PG LBR programmes. All students registered on LBR programmes work in the health sector and fall into the ‘mature student’ category. Some students undertake professional qualifications recordable on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register, including a FT PG programme leading to registration as an Adult Nurse. The NMC (2014) state the current gender ratio in nursing is 10:1 F:M, this is generally reflected in in our programmes for nurses/midwives. We deliver a FT UG Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC) non-professional course available to students whose long-term plan is to work in health or social care.
(i) Numbers of males and females on access or foundation courses – comment on the data and describe any initiatives taken to attract women to the courses.
The School does not deliver access or foundation courses.
(ii) Undergraduate male and female numbers – full and part-time – comment on the female:male ratio compared with the national picture for the discipline. Describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and the impact to date. Comment upon any plans for the future.
Table 1: Current students by Gender on award bearing programmes
Table 1a: % Current students by Gender on award bearing programmes
BMedSci Health and Human Sciences Undergraduate LBR
Female 91% 93%
Male 9% 7%
BMedSci Health and Human Sciences Undergraduate LBR
FEMALE 90 348
MALE 9 26
0
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400
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The numbers/proportion of males and females out of a total number of 374 currently registered on UG LBR programmes. These programmes are delivered on a PT basis to professionals working in health care. Because of the nature of their clinical work students are allowed up to 5 years in which to complete the programme, it is not unusual for students to require an extension due to family or work commitments. The School has an approved special regulation to facilitate students in this category. LBR places are generally funded by the Local Education Training Board (LETB), the School does not have any influence on the decision to admit a student other than the consideration of academic criteria. Action point 1.1
(iii) Postgraduate male and female numbers completing taught courses – full and part-time – comment on the female:male ratio compared with the national picture for the discipline. Describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and the effect to date. Comment upon any plans for the future.
For the purpose of this report, tables relate to academic years.
Table 2: Postgraduate Awards 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12
Table 2a: Postgraduate Awards 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12
Females Awarded Males Awarded
2008/09 90% 10%
2009/10 90% 10%
2010/11 89% 11%
2011/12 88% 12%
This shows the number and proportion of Postgraduate Taught (PGT) awards made to females and males over the last 4 years. Awards made do not correlate with the number of students admitted who have up to 5 years to complete their studies on a PT basis. The proportion of females to males generally reflects the national picture in terms of the 10:1 F:M ratio in nursing.
(iv) Postgraduate male and female numbers on research degrees – full and part-time – comment on the female:male ratio compared with the national picture for the discipline. Describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and the effect to date. Comment upon any plans for the future.
Females Awarded Males Awarded
2008/2009 27 3
2009/2010 63 7
2010/2011 59 7
2011/2012 29 4
0
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Table 3: Postgraduate female/male numbers commencing research degrees 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Table 3a: Postgraduate female/male numbers commencing research degrees 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Female – FT Male – FT Female – PT Male – PT
2009/10 67% 33% 100% 0%
2010/11 50% 50% 100% 0%
2011/12 50% 50% 100% 0%
2012/13 67% 33% 100% 0%
28 students registered on PGR programmes all of whom commenced from 2005 (79% female, 21% male). Annual admissions range is between 4-5 whilst other institutions have admitted 11-13 over a comparable period. This relatively small number compared to the national average reflects a relatively small supervisory capacity with the appropriate specialism and students are considered mainly in terms of the expertise of supervisors.
Over a comparative period nationally the percentage of females is between 83-89%. Whilst there appear to be more males than the national picture there is balance brought to the figures when the PT female students are factored in. This group of individuals is much more likely to apply for PT study because of their personal and work circumstances and the School is happy to support them through this route.
The School offers a scholarship for PhD students and encourages students from the UG HEFC funded programme to apply. There are currently 2 female home students registered who have obtained scholarships. In addition 1 scholarship has been awarded to an international female student. PGR students are engaged in teaching where possible and encouraged to act as role models to developing UG/PG students. Action point 1.2
(v) Ratio of course applications to offers and acceptances by gender for undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research degrees – comment on the differences between male and female application and success rates and describe any initiatives taken to address any imbalance and their effect to date. Comment upon any plans for the future.
Female - FT Male - FT Female - PT Male - PT
2009/10 2 1 1 0
2010/11 2 2 1 0
2011/12 2 2 1 0
2012/13 2 1 1 0
0
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Table 4: Undergraduate taught FT Students 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Applicants (%) Offers (%) Accept (%)
2009/10 – Female 42 (91%) 36 (90%) 15 (100%)
2009/10 – Male 4 (9%) 4 (10%) 0 (0%)
2010/11 – Female 55 (82%) 37 (84%) 18 (86%)
2010/11 – Male 12 (18%) 7 (16%) 3 (14%)
2011/12 – Female 78 (80%) 44 (80%) 23 (79%)
2011/12 – Male 19 (20%) 11 (20%) 6 (21%)
2012/13 – Female 88 (87%) 68 (92%) 25 (89%)
2012/13 – Male 13 (13%) 6 (8%) 3 (11%)
Table 4 relates only to the FT HEFC non-professional programme with applicants, offers and accepts remaining fairly consistent in terms of the proportions of females to males. The national average of females to full-time undergraduate (FTUG) programmes of study over a comparative period is between 90 and 91. However, most other institutions would be offering pre-registration Nursing as an UG programme and therefore have very high levels of female offers. This would explain the slightly lower percentage of females in this group at this institution. However, overall Table 4 clearly indicates that there are no gender-discriminatory processes during our admissions procedures – applications match offers, which broadly match acceptances.
Table 5: Postgraduate Taught FT Students 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Applicants (%) Offers (%) Accept (%)
2009/10 – Female 59 (84%) 28 (82%) 17 (77%)
2009/10 – Male 11 (16%) 6 (18%) 5 (23%)
2010/11 – Female 234 (88%) 45 (85%) 13 (81%) 2010/11 – Male 31 (12%) 8 (15%) 3 (19%)
2011/12 – Female 313 (83%) 62 (81%) 18 (78%)
2011/12 – Male 58 (17%) 15 (19%) 5 (22%)
2012/13 – Female 258 (85%) 75 (84%) 18 (75%)
2012/13 – Male 44 (15%) 14 (19%) 6 (25%)
The professional FT PG Diploma leading to registration as an adult nurse with the NMC and the applicants, offers and accepts remain fairly consistent in the proportions of females and males. The national average for admission of females to full-time postgraduate taught (FTPGT) programmes over a similar period is between 84% and 85%. The offers reflect the national average however, the accepts are slightly below the national average for females. Unfortunately, no decliner’s data is available for the School over this period. As well as meeting academic criteria, FT PG Diploma nursing students have to undergo additional selection processes as required by the professional body. This includes an interview for which the panel undergo equality and diversity training. Action point 1.3
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Table 6: Postgraduate Taught PT Students 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Applicants (%) Offers (%) Accept (%)
2009/10 – Female 49 (92%) 43 (93%) 38 (93%)
2009/10 – Male 4 (8%) 3 (7%) 3 (7%)
2010/11 – Female 50 (88%) 40 (95%) 24 (92%) 2010/11 – Male 7 (12%) 2 (5%) 2 (8%)
2011/12 – Female 74 (88%) 48 (94%) 41 (93%)
2011/12 – Male 10 (12%) 3 (6%) 3 (7%)
2012/13 – Female 96 (95%) 46 (98%) 40 (98%)
2012/13 – Male 5 (5%) 1 (2%) 1 (2%)
In addition to the FTPGT professional programme the School offers a range of other PGT opportunities. Within this group of students there are higher numbers of female applicants offers and accepts. Table 6 relates to the PT PG programmes and highlights that there have generally been an increased number of applications from both males and females in the last 4 years. However, this has been associated with a decreased number of offers, particularly amongst males. Offers are made on academic criteria only, therefore there is no relationship with gender to be noted. There are fewer males taking up PT study, but this may indicate that females are more likely to want to take up this route as this can be advantageous to groups that find access to study difficult. The School is looking at its marketing in an attempt to attract males with the appropriate academic background. Action point 1.4
Table 6a: Breakdown of PT Postgraduate MMedSci student numbers by programme 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
AdvancingPractice
Advanced NursingStudies
Midwifery Maternity Care
2009/10 - Female 8 15 7 0
2009/10 - Male 2 3 0 0
2010/11 - Female 6 17 7 0
2010/11 - Male 2 5 0 0
2011/12 - Female 10 11 10 1
2011/12 - Male 2 4 0 0
2012/13 - Female 4 16 7 0
2012/13 - Male 3 5 0 0
0
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18
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Table 6b: Proportion of female/male PT Postgraduate MMedSci student numbers by programme 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Advancing Practice
Advanced Nursing Studies
Midwifery Maternity Care
2009/10 – Female 80% 83% 100% 0%
2009/10 – Male 20% 17% 0% 0%
2010/11 – Female 75% 77% 100% 0% 2010/11 – Male 25% 23% 0% 0%
2011/12 – Female 83% 73% 100% 100%
2011/12 – Male 17% 27% 0% 0%
2012/13 – Female 57% 76% 100% 0%
2012/13 – Male 43% 24% 0% 0%
Table 6c: Breakdown of PG Diploma and Certificate student numbers by programme 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Neonatal CareLong TermConditions
EnhancingNeonatal Practice
Cancer Care
2009/10 - Female 0 16 0 0
2009/10 - Male 0 0 0 0
2010/11 - Female 1 7 0 0
2010/11 - Male 0 0 0 0
2011/12 - Female 4 8 0 0
2011/12 - Male 0 2 0 0
2012/13 - Female 1 10 6 0
2012/13 - Male 0 0 0 1
0
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Table 6d: Proportion of female/male students on PG Diploma and Certificates by programme 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Neonatal Care
Long Term Conditions
Enhancing Neonatal Practice
Cancer Care
2009/10 – Female 0% 100% 0% 0%
2009/10 – Male 0% 0% 0% 0%
2010/11 – Female 100% 100% 0% 0% 2010/11 – Male 0% 0% 0% 0%
2011/12 – Female 100% 80% 0% 0%
2011/12 – Male 0% 20% 0% 0%
2012/13 – Female 100% 100% 100% 0%
2012/13 – Male 0% 0% 0% 100%
Tables 6b/6d give a breakdown and percentages of students admitted to different programmes (note - these programmes did not start until 2009/10). Midwifery, Maternity and Neonatal Care have a predominantly female population and this is reflected in the numbers on the associated programmes. The Cancer Care programme has only just commenced and, consequently, has a small number of students, so it is difficult to comment on the gender balance at this time. The admission for PGT programmes has recently been reviewed to allow for ‘significant experience’ to be acceptable for admission where a clinician does not already hold a UG qualification. This will allow experienced females to progress to study at higher academic levels. Action point 1.5
Table 7: Postgraduate Research Students 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Applicants (%) Offers (%) Accept (%)
2009/10 – Female 9 (75%) 4 (80%) 3 (75%)
2009/10 – Male 3 (25%) 1 (20%) 1 (25%)
2010/11 – Female 21 (72%) 11 (61%) 3 (60%)
2010/11 – Male 8 (28%) 7 (39%) 2 (40%)
2011/12 – Female 21 (62%) 11 (69%) 3 (60%)
2011/12 – Male 13 (38%) 5 (31%) 2 (40%)
2012/13 – Female 19 (70%) 8 (89%) 3 (100%)
2012/13 – Male 8 (30%) 1 (11%) 0 (0%)
Gender ratio on PGR has been undertaken in Tables 3/3a.
(vi) Degree classification by gender – comment on any differences in degree attainment between males and females and describe what actions are being taken to address any imbalance.
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Table 8: Classifications for Undergraduate awards 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Table 8a: Proportion of female/male Classifications for Undergraduate awards 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
1st 2:1 2:2 3rd Pass
2009/10 – Female 94% 94% 96% 0% 0%
2009/10 – Male 6% 6% 4% 100% 100%
2010/11 – Female 96% 93% 93% 91% 97% 2010/11 – Male 4% 7% 7% 9% 3%
2011/12 – Female 100% 94% 90% 100% 89%
2011/12 – Male 0% 6% 10% 0% 11%
2012/13 – Female 71% 87% 100% 100% 100%
2012/13 – Male 29% 13% 0% 0% 0%
Classifications awarded in relation to gender and the number of female students gaining good honours degrees is high. This data has been consistent for the last 3 years and is thought to reflect the support provided. 2012 did show a marked reduction in awards. This is explained by LBR having no fixed end-point and the awards made relate to number of students who complete in any given year (because of the nature of LBR this fluctuates widely) and also, the School no longer runs the BMedSci Nursing Studies (ADNS top up course).
Staff data
(vii) Female:male ratio of academic staff and research staff – researcher, lecturer, senior lecturer, reader, professor (or equivalent). comment on any differences in numbers between males and females and say what action is being taken to address any underrepresentation at particular grades/levels
1st 2:1 2:2 3rd Pass
2009/10 - Female 45 156 134 0 0
2009/10 - Male 3 10 5 21 1
2010/11 - Female 51 161 202 20 61
2010/11 - Male 2 13 16 2 2
2011/12 - Female 30 103 64 6 47
2011/12 - Male 0 6 7 0 6
2012/13 - Female 12 33 46 6 12
2012/13 - Male 5 5 0 0 0
0
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Academic staff
For the purpose of this report the term ‘academic staff’ refers to any staff member who is Researcher/Lecturer/Teacher, and tables relate to academic years.
Researchers undertake research primarily; Lecturer roles are split between teaching and research; whilst University Teachers have a focus predominantly on teaching. Staff can achieve promotion through a teaching or research route. For the year 2012/13 there were 22 academic staff (F=13/M=9).
Secondments
We have 4 secondments from local NHS Trusts (F=4) engaged in specialist professional education, i.e. renal/dementia care. The seconded staff make a significant contribution to the quality and currency of our teaching and are an integral part of our teaching team. Seconded staff are supported to gain experience of Higher Education to help develop an interest in teaching and to produce the next generation of academics. They are offered opportunities of career development (discussed in section 4).
Table 9a-9e: Academic Staff by Gender 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
2 (Grade 7)
1 (Grade 7)
1 (Grade 8)
2 (Grade 6 x 1, Grade 7 x 1)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
Researcher (various grades - see below)
Female Male
6
6
7
8
4
5
6
6
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
Lecturer/University Teacher(Grade 8)
Female Male
18
See section 4 for analysis of the staff data.
1
1
1
1
4
3
3
2
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
Senior Lecturer/Senior University Teacher (Grade 9)
Female Male
1
1
2
1
1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
Reader (Grade 9)
Female Male
4
3
2
2
1
1
2
1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
Professor (Professorial grades)
Female Male
19
(viii) Turnover by grade and gender – comment on any differences between men and women in turnover and say what is being done to address this. Where the number of staff leaving is small, comment on the reasons why particular individuals left.
Table 10: Academic staff leaving the School 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Lecturer/ Teacher Senior Lecturer/ Senior University Teacher
Researcher Reader Professor
2009/10 - Female
1 (Retired)
0 1 (Funded project ended)
0 0
2009/10 – Male
0 0 0 0 0
2010/11 – Female
1 (Undertook Health Visitor training)
0 1 (Funded project ended)
1 (Retired)
0
2010/11 – Male
0 0 0 0 0
2011/12 – Female
2 (Moved to other Universities)
0 0 0 0
2011/12 – Male
1 (Moved to another University)
0 0 1 (Promotion at another University)
1 (Moved to another University)
2012/13 – Female
0 0 0 0 0
2012/13 - Male
0 0 0 0 0
The School has also employed a number of staff on fixed term contracts (FTC) which also contributes to the higher turnover of staff. Staff are employed on FTC to meet business requirements (see Table 19 and accompanying discussion).
There is a system in place for exit interviews to be conducted prior to staff leaving, which are held with their line manager. Action Point 2.1, 2.2
Word count 1844 (max 2000)
20
4. Supporting and advancing women’s careers: maximum 5000 words
Key career transition points
a) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning.
(i) Job application and success rates by gender and grade – comment on any differences in recruitment between men and women at any level and say what action is being taken to address this.
Table 11: Breakdown of recruitment figures 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Vac
anci
es
Ap
plic
atio
ns
Sho
rtlis
ted
Inte
rvie
wed
Ap
po
inte
d
Staf
f gr
ou
p
Fem
ale
Mal
e
Fem
ale
Mal
e
Fem
ale
Mal
e
Fem
ale
Mal
e
2009/10
Academic (Grade 8)
1 8 3 1 1 1 1 0 1
Teaching (Grade 8)
2 7 0 5 0 5 0 2 0
2010/11
Academic (Professorial)
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
Research (Grade 7)
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
2011/12
Academic (Grade 8/9)
1 6 2 2 0 2 0 0 0
Teaching (Grade 8)
1 3 0 2 0 2 0 1 0
2012/13
Academic (Grade 8)
2 20 3 7 0 6 0 3* 0
Academic (Professorial)
1 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
Research (Grade 7)
1 5 2 3 2 2 2 1 0
Teaching (Grade 8)
1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
Totals
Academic 6 40 8 12 1 11 1 4 1
Research 2 6 2 4 2 3 2 2 0
Teaching 4 12 0 8 0 8 0 4 0
* Appointed 3 PT female academics (advertised for 2 FTE or equivalent)
21
For the purposes of this data chart academic staff refers to Professor, Readers and Lecturers with research as part of their role; Researcher refers to Research Associates/purely research staff and Teaching refers to staff on teaching only contracts. The 12 posts advertised over the past four years attracted 68 applicants (F=58/M=10). This data shows that the School attracts more female applicants than male. This is reflective of the national picture of gender differences within the profession. However a greater number of women who applied were shortlisted for interview (F=24/M=3). 11 appointments were made (F=10/M=1*) and 2 posts were not appointed to as the candidates were not successful at interview.
(ii) Applications for promotion and success rates by gender and grade – comment on whether these differ for men and women and if they do explain what action may be taken. Where the number of women is small applicants may comment on specific examples of where women have been through the promotion process. Explain how potential candidates are identified.
Table 12: Promotions 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Senior Lecturer/ Senior University Teacher
Researcher Reader Professor
2009/10 - Female 0 0 1 1
2009/10 – Male 0 0 0 0
2010/11 – Female 1 0 0 0
2010/11 – Male 1 0 0 0
2011/12 – Female 0 0 0 0
2011/12 – Male 0 0 0 0
2012/13 – Female 0 1 0 0
2012/13 - Male 1 0 0 0
This data highlights a previous action point regarding gender differences between promotions. Females have been successful in their promotions at a senior level to Reader and Professor.
Analysis of the staff data identifies some complex and interesting issues.
The number of academic staff who have nursing or midwifery registration is 16 (F=11/M=5) giving a ratio of approximately 2:1 F:M unlike the traditional 10:1 F:M ratio described by the NMC. This could reflect a national picture of attrition of female registered nurses and midwives as they move into senior positions in management, clinical practice and education; this has been described in academia as the ‘the leaky pipeline’ scenario. However this does not provide a complete picture as the Professorial roles are largely occupied by female nurses.
Another explanation could lie in the unique history of the School where, 7 years ago, the School retained a number of staff following the transfer of the pre-registration nursing/midwifery contract to another University. At that time, 8 members of staff did not meet the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) criteria due to the nature of their roles. These staff formed the core of a reconfigured SNM which has since expanded to employ the 22 academics in post today. The majority of these staff were men (F=3/M=5), one has since left. The Athena Swan process has prompted us to continue to examine this data. Action Point 2.1
22
The picture of female to male ratios across academic grades and roles is interesting. At Professorial level (F=4/M=1) all Professors have a nursing qualification. Over the past 4 years the ratio has been equal or in favour of females. There are currently no Readers in post, but there are 5 Senior Lecturer / Senior University teachers (F=1/M=4). The past four years have seen an increase in males at this grade whilst female numbers have remained static. The ratio is much more equal at Lecturer / University Teacher grades (F=6/M=4) and has remained relatively stable over the past 4 years. There are also 2 research assistants (F=2). Researchers are primarily on FTC to cover the period of a project. Action Point 2.3
We intend to encourage more female academics to seek promotion providing support as described.
The Dean invites all academic staff for annual informal discussions regarding career development. Although this is an optional meeting, it is booked into all staff members calendars and in 2013, all female staff and 90% of male staff attended.
Support is provided by the Head of Department and other senior academics within the University to help with career progression and CV writing. Again, this is on an informal basis but several members of staff have asked their senior colleagues to review their CVs.
“Both the Dean and another member of staff lent their CVs to help me restructure mine, as the University is quite specific about CVs this was really useful.”
Career surgeries are available to all staff within the School. These used to be part of the regular academic forums but, since 2013, are offered as a 1:1 discussion with the Dean. Open appointments are booked into the Dean’s diary for staff to choose if required. In 2013, 2 female and 1 male staff member attended.
Staff wishing to put themselves forward for promotion are considered at the Departmental Review Panel (DRP) which has 5 academic members (F=4/M=1). Exceptional Contribution Awards (ECA) are also considered at this meeting. The panel verifies whether the staff member addresses the University criteria for promotion, or gives advice on how they could work to achieve this in the future. Staff supported by the DRP have been successful in their promotions when considered by Faculty.
b) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed.
(i) Recruitment of staff – comment on how the department’s recruitment processes ensure that female candidates are attracted to apply, and how the department ensures its short listing, selection processes and criteria comply with the university’s equal opportunities policies
Each job is approved by the Faculty Executive Board. The School writes the job description which is sent to HR for advertisement. Information is included about both the University’s Equality and Diversity and flexible working policies.
Academic posts are advertised on the University website, on http://www.jobs.ac.uk and senior academic posts are also advertised via the Council of Deans (CoD) email distribution list. All paperwork for recruitment has the University of Sheffield (UoS) Athena Swan Bronze award logo displayed. Potential candidates are encouraged to arrange an informal visit to the School to meet with a member of senior staff prior to the selection process.
23
All interview panel chairs have undertaken University training, including equality and diversity, to ensure correct procedures are followed. In addition, a gender balance of members on the interview panel is arranged. Notes are taken at all stages of the recruitment process (application, short-listing, interview and offer) ensuring an audit trail for all candidates.
We note that appointment of academic staff to the School has a gender imbalance (F=10, M=1), this reflects the national picture regarding Schools of Nursing. Even when the post does not specifically request a professional qualification there are more female than male applicants.
The Dean offers 1:1 meetings to all candidates unsuccessful at interview to provide feedback. Action point 3.1, 3.2
(ii) Support for staff at key career transition points – having identified key areas of attrition of female staff in the department, comment on any interventions, programmes and activities that support women at the crucial stages, such as personal development training, opportunities for networking, mentoring programmes and leadership training. Identify which have been found to work best at the different career stages.
The School is largely funded by commissions related to LBR money and these commissions are renewed on an annual basis. Therefore, it is necessary to offer some posts as FTC in order to fulfil a particular role for a fixed period. The FTC is normally 1-2 years, and then reviewed depending on the commissions.
We also have a number of seconded staff at any one time. Seconded staff are normally PT whilst retaining their clinical role within a NHS Trust. The School gives seconded staff, and staff on FTC the same training opportunities as substantive academic staff. Courses, conferences and study days undertaken by staff in non-substantive posts include Learning to Teach Online (LeTTOL), Return on Investment (ROI) Workshops, Masters in Education and access to the Learned Society Fund (LSF). Current committees where non-substantive staff are members include School Council, Board of Studies, Athena Swan SAT, Yorkshire and Humber Renal Educators Network and the Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Skills network. Action point 3.3
PGR students are provided with development opportunities and encouraged to participate in teaching although the take-up of this has been low. Steps taken recently by the PGR tutor to address this have been successful. All staff involved in teaching are expected to have a teaching qualification or in the case of PGR students, they must have undertaken the Sheffield Teaching Assistant course.
Three of our current PGR students (3/26) undertake teaching activities. They are all female, FT and are home students. Whilst this number is very small it should be noted that some factors, such as remote location and PT status, may act as a systemic barrier to participating in teaching. We continue to encourage all students to become involved in this element of the School's activities. All three contribute to BMedSci Health and Human Sciences programme Year 1 & 2 curriculum.” Action Point 3.4
Study leave is provided for all staff on an individual basis (2009-2013; F=2/M=1), and this is normally discussed at the annual Staff Review and Development Scheme (SRDS). Study leave forms for conferences and 1 day events are completed and then authorised by the line manager. However, these forms are destroyed once fees have been paid and so statistics on who has applied for and attended study leave are not available. More extensive study leave, for example to attend Masters
24
or PhD programmes, is more formally arranged and agreed with line management and Dean of School. We currently have 2 members of staff on taught doctorate programmes with agreed study leave (1 female senior teacher and 1 female teacher). One of these members of staff states that “with personal commitments at home and working full-time, it would have been impossible for me to undertake the EdD programme without support from the School”. Action point 3.5
Career development
a) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed.
(i) Promotion and career development – comment on the appraisal and career development process, and promotion criteria and whether these take into consideration responsibilities for teaching, research, administration, pastoral work and outreach work; is quality of work emphasised over quantity of work?
All staff are required to have a SRDS annually. In 2013 the School achieved 100% participation compared to 92% within the Faculty and 88% across the University. The process commences with the establishment of the DRP at which School objectives and reviewers are identified. The panel ensures that all reviewers are trained to ensure consistency. Within the School there are 4 main academic reviewers (F=3/M=1). Following completion of the reviews a discussion takes place regarding training and development requirements for the forthcoming year. A 6 monthly follow up takes place to review progress and provide additional support where needed. The DRP is responsible for reviewing the full range of assessment of contribution scores, considering cases for promotion and the identification of individuals to be put forward for an ECA/Sustained Excellence award. An opportunity within the SRDS process is for staff to submit their current CV for review and to receive constructive feedback on ways to improve it. Not all staff take up this opportunity. Action point 3.6, 3.7
Programme Leaders
Of the current 9 academic awards delivered by the School, 5 of the Programme Leaders are male and 4 are female showing a gender imbalance with regards to programme leadership. Following a recent review of the School governance, a process was introduced whereby programme leadership (as with other substantive posts) goes out for Expressions of Interest. If there is more than one candidate, then interviews are held. This helps to address any hidden bias that may have occurred in the past. The policy is for appointments to be made for 3 years in the first instance, subject to a further 3 years with agreement of both parties. Action Point 3.8
Staff Development and Training
The School actively encourages its staff to access career development opportunities which the University offers www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/femaleprogression. These include:
● Leadership training provided for different grades of staff through the Sheffield Leader Programme. There are currently 3 members of staff undertaking different levels of the Leader Programme (F=3, 1 academic and 2 PSS). The Dean currently shares good practice and knowledge of being a female leader on the Sheffield Leader 2/3 programme. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/lmd/sheffieldleader
25
● IMPACT Programme: a University-wide mentoring programme for female academic staff. Staff who have undertaken this programme have increased in confidence and undertaken more leadership roles. An example is one female who has now been appointed the Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching. No data on staff involved in this is available as it is a confidential process.
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere/coachmentor/impactfutures/impact
● Futures Programme: a University-wide scheme for senior female academics interested in pursuing senior governance and leadership roles within the University. This is a 6 month programme where participants are mentored by, and in some cases work shadow one of the University´s PVC’s. This programme is aimed at senior female academics who have been in post for at least 2 years and also newly promoted Readers and Professors. One female professor in the School who has completed this programme now leads on a number of University-wide initiatives. No data on staff involved in this is available as it is a confidential process.
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere/coachmentor/impactfutures/future
● Think Ahead Programme: aimed at Grade 6 and 7, the School has input into this programme and related activities via the Faculty Early Career Group - its research interests include: training needs analyses, impact evaluation of training and mentoring programmes and the staff appraisal process. This group aims to ensure that all researchers in the Faculty have access to advice and training to develop their career trajectory. Researchers within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health have access to training workshops, career mentoring, and carefully selected work- based opportunities. The programme aims to ensure that every researcher has a career trajectory and access to tailored development activities. The programme is continually updated to reflect the current needs of researchers and their prospective employers and was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education award in 2011. This Faculty initiative is being rolled out across the University. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/thinkahead
Attendance data is only available from 2012-2013, where 3 researchers attended events (F=2/M=1)
● Researcher Mentoring Programme: provides training for mentees and mentors. The matching process includes questions specifically to support women e.g. can request a female mentor or someone who works PT. Since 2010 the School has 1 female mentor and 1 female mentee joined in 2012.
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/ecr/mentoring
● Springboard for women: a personal and professional development programme offered to women in research and scholarly work across the University. It provides an opportunity for women to build confidence and assertiveness and to identify future career pathways. At least 2 female staff have attended this but there is no requirement to register attendance within the School, therefore the actual numbers are unclear. A staff member commented:
“I would recommend Springboard to other female academics, particularly if they are at a cross roads in their career or feel they would like to improve their confidence. The programme is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on yourself and your career with like-minded colleagues in a safe and supportive environment.”
26
Other Faculty-wide sharing and learning opportunities available to all staff include:
Bite Size training sessions and Away Days offered by the Faculty for which all staff are invited.
An invitation to attend Inaugural lectures of new Professors in the Faculty goes out to all staff.
Staff and students are invited to the Faculty Lecture Series. 6 lectures were undertaken in the 2013 academic year. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/facultyevents
ECAs and Senate Awards
The School is very active in identifying staff members suitable for ECAs and Senate Awards, these are considered by the DRP. ECAs are issued to staff who go above and beyond what is expected.
Table 13: ECA awards 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Number of ECAs
2009/10 1 – male
2010/11 0
2011/12 1 - male
2012/13 1 - female
All ECA awards put forward for consideration have been successful. The ECA awards indicate a gender issue and data will be examined next year. In 2008/09, 1 female staff member received a Senate Award, and in 2012/13 1 male received a Senate Award. Action point 2.6
PROGRESS AND OPPORTUNITY High Achievers event:
In order to recognise and appreciate excellence in learning and teaching the School has an annual High Achievers evening at which awards are made for students who have excelled in their studies. The majority of these students are female (2013 - F=16/M=1) and are from both UG and PG programmes. They are given information on future study options and encouraged to progress to higher degrees for further development. Action point 3.9 The Sheffield Graduate Award The Sheffield Graduate Award http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/thesheffieldgraduateaward is an award open to all UoS students which recognises achievements and skills gained through extra-curricular activities. All UG programmes are mapped to the graduate attributes to ensure that the programmes fit into the university teaching strategy. The award is endorsed by employers in a range of industries, and there are prizes for outstanding Graduate Award portfolios. If a student completes the programme, he or she will be able to demonstrate to future employers that they have much more to offer in addition to what they have learned on their programme of study. This award mainly relates to FTUG Programmes who can engage in extra-curricular activities.
27
Table 14: Sheffield Graduate Awards 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Registrants Awards
2009/10 0 0
2010/11 0 0
2011/12 3 (female) 2 (female)
2012/13 6 (female) 5 (female)
It should be noted that to date, whilst the number of awards made is increasing, all registrants and award-winners are female. Action point 3.10 SHEFFIELD UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (SURE) SURE http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sure/lets offers funded research scholarships to TUoS's UG students to work in partnership with an academic on a dedicated piece of research. Data is only available for the following years:
Table 15: SURE applications and offers 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
Applications Offers
2010/11 0 0
2011/12 2 (female) 1 (female)
2012/13 1 (female) 0
The current approach is for students to contact supervisors to engage with this process, if they would like to participate. It is intended to encourage future students by inviting those who have participated in SURE to share their experience. Action point 3.11 UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD ENTERPRISE AWARD In 2013, a female UG student was awarded the Social Concept Enterprise Award. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/snm/news/soconaward-1.281342
(ii) Induction and training – describe the support provided to new staff at all levels, as well as details of any gender equality training. To what extent are good employment practices in the institution, such as opportunities for networking, the flexible working policy, and professional and personal development opportunities promoted to staff from the outset?
New staff undertake a School and a Faculty induction programme. In addition the School identifies a mentor for each new staff member for the first 12 months of employment. New academics to the School have 2 identified mentors (1 for research and 1 for teaching) who formally meet monthly with the new staff member for the first year of their role. This policy was implemented by the University in order to ensure that new academics have clear guidance in place to support the new staff member and set manageable personal targets as they integrate into the School. A new staff member commented:
“The provision of 2 mentors for the first 12 months of my appointment has been extremely useful. They have helped me settle into my role, setting me manageable and pragmatic short term targets whilst also helping me consider my longer term career aspirations and development needs”.
28
In addition line managers meet with new members of staff to discuss roles and responsibility, key contacts and expectations on a regular basis.
In addition, new academics in the University have a probationary period of 3 years where support is provided by the School and Faculty, and a reduction is made to the teaching load in order to encourage the development of research.
All staff undertake mandatory equality and diversity updates via e-learning and completion is recorded and monitored by the School.
(iii) Support for female students – describe the support (formal and informal) provided for female students to enable them to make the transition to a sustainable academic career, particularly from postgraduate to researcher, such as mentoring, seminars and pastoral support and the right to request a female personal tutor. Comment on whether these activities are run by female staff and how this work is formally recognised by the department.
For some years the School has recognised the difficulties encountered by some students, particularly females working in clinical practice, who want to attend education programmes and update their knowledge and skills. The School has developed a number of innovative projects and methods of delivery for undergraduate LBR students:
• Training needs analysis and development programmes for senior staff to support practice development and change. This staff group have previously found it difficult to arrange and attend periods of study.
• Bespoke units that help NHS Trusts with their staff development and also contribute to the achievement of an academic award. These are delivered on Trust sites so that students who find travelling difficult can attend. As a result of attending professional development programmes, they are in a position to transfer knowledge, improve the overall care for patients and increase their promotion prospects.
• The School accredits prior experience and learning (APEL), allowing students who have studied in other institutions to have their credits recognised.
• Study days are delivered, particularly for staff in general practice that need regular updates, but may find it hard to arrange periods of study due to restrictive working arrangements.
• On-line modules being developed further for LBR students for those that may find travel difficult.
These flexible and innovative approaches to learning widen the opportunities for a predominantly female health care workforce, making education accessible for this group of LBR students.
Students have the advantage of studying in an environment where all grades of teaching/academic staff including Professors are involved in teaching. Students are provided with a Personal Tutor upon commencement of the programme. Consideration is taken of students’ cultural needs, and University guidelines are followed with regards to support for students - http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssd/welcome and http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/cpd/cilt. Students take responsibility for making appointments with their Personal Tutor, they are encouraged to meet at least once per semester. Students who wish to change their Personal Tutor may do so following discussion with the Programme Leader. Academic support is normally provided by the Unit Leader.
29
We have a Disability Liaison Officer who provides support for students with a disability and we are in the process of introducing a Student Affairs Officer role to provide additional support. Our students continue to be highly satisfied with the learning and support provided. They feel listened to and are confident that appropriate action is taken. This is demonstrated in the recent student survey (2012), which reports 96% overall satisfaction. This high level of satisfaction can be attributed to the flexible courses which the School offers and the approachability of the staff.
A prayer room is available within the School for use by staff and students. When students are on clinical placement, each NHS Trust has their own arrangements for quiet prayer.
A lockable infant feeding room is also available within the School for female students and staff to assist those who are returning from maternity leave. This currently does not have facilities for heating milk and there are ongoing discussions about ways of ensuring safety of stored breast milk.
We employ a core hours policy for teaching to assist those with caring responsibilities. Teaching core hours are 9-5pm and any changes to the timetable are sent to students and staff at least 1 week in advance (or earlier if possible).
Action Points 1.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
Organisation and culture
a) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning.
(i) Male and female representation on committees – provide a breakdown by committee and explain any differences between male and female representation. Explain how potential members are identified.
Table 16: Summary of current committee membership by Gender
1
17
2
17
6
2
3
2
2
9
3
9
2
5
6
3
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Special Circumstances Board
School Council
Taught Programme Advisory Group
Student Staff Committee *
Research Committee
Marketing and Admissions Group
Learning and Teaching Committee*
School Executive
Academic Staff on School Governance Committees by Gender
Female Male
30
The Committees marked with an asterix (*) also have students attend and some committees also include PSS who all make an important contribution. However, these groups are not shown on this data table as the focus is on academic staff.
Apart from the School Council and the Student-Staff Committee (where all staff are eligible to attend) all other committees and groups have terms of reference and membership.
It is interesting to note that apart from the Research Committee where the staff mix is in favour of women (F=6/M=2) all other committees, where staff attend related to their role, have a greater proportion of males to females. This may reflect that more males are taking up roles relevant to the governance structures than females and is one of the consequences of asking for Expressions of Interest. An emphasis needs to be placed on encouraging female staff to take up these opportunities. Action point 4.4
The University has an Equality Impact statement and this is read out at the beginning and end of every meeting within the School. This was implemented in 2012: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/snm/current/governance (available via download). Student representation The School is committed to student engagement in its governance and has representation on all appropriate committees relating to learning and teaching. The following webpage informs interested students of the governance structures, that nomination of committee members is by peers and organised within programmes http://www.shef.ac.uk/snm/current/governance (with exception to the Board of Examiners). To ensure as many students as possible have the opportunity to engage in governance, representative positions are advertised on an annual basis. All students are expected to attend training organised by the Union of Students.
Table 17: Student representation on SNM committees 2011/12, 2012/3, 2013/14
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
Female 4 18 20
Male 2 6 5
0
5
10
15
20
25
Stu
de
nt
Re
pre
sen
tati
on
20
11
-20
14
31
Table 18: Proportions of female/male student representation on SNM committees 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14
Female Male
2011/12 67% 33%
2012/13 75% 25% 2013/14 75% 25%
Prior to 2011 no data is available. However, the Union of Students now keep a database of all students which the School is accessing to promote diversity in representation. Students are recommended to update their knowledge of diversity prior to nomination and take a formal approach to elections. However, there is a large proportion of males acting as representatives when compared to the gender split of the student population overall and the School will to look at ways of encouraging females to engage with this activity. Action point 4.4 School lecture series The School offers a lunchtime lecture series open to all staff and students. Here, the work of researchers and PGR students is presented for review by peers. As access to lectures includes all, the intention is also to inspire students to follow a research route as part of their academic career. The lecture series is delivered at lunchtime to allow for maximum attendance. However, to date, student attendance has been very poor and no register is being maintained to examine the attendance of students from a gender perspective. Action point 3.12
(ii) Female:male ratio of academic and research staff on fixed-term contracts and open-ended (permanent) contracts – comment on any differences between male and female staff representation on fixed-term contracts and say what is being done to address them.
Table 19: Staff on an open ended and fixed term contracts 2009/110, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
4
3
1
3
5
9
9
9
9
11
9
10
10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
20
12
/13
20
11
/12
20
10
/11
20
09
/10
Contract Type by Gender for Academic Staff
Fixed Term Open Ended
32
It is interesting to note that it is predominately women who are on FTC. Discussions around this issue concluded that these roles are largely related to LBR programmes which are practice based and attract mainly clinical nurses to the posts (who are more likely to be female). As LBR programmes are funded external to the University it is not possible to assure continuation of funding long term, hence the decision to employ staff delivering these programmes on FTC. However, for those on FTC for more than 4 years, the reasons for the contract are examined via the School and Human Resources. This is to establish whether there are still genuine reasons for a FTC or if an open-ended contract is more appropriate. Action point 3.13
b) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps
have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed.
(i) Representation on decision-making committees – comment on evidence of gender equality in the mechanism for selecting representatives. What evidence is there that women are encouraged to sit on a range of influential committees inside and outside the department? How is the issue of ‘committee overload’ addressed where there are small numbers of female staff?
Opportunities to join committees outside the School are circulated with details of the respective terms of reference. Committee overload was raised as an issue, and this led to a review of the School’s governance framework in 2013 which resulted in streamlined governance procedures. Minutes are kept on the School’s shared drive so that all staff can access them.
Although several members of staff attend committees and meetings outside the School, such as Faculty, University, Regional and National committees, we currently do not collect data regarding which members of staff attend external committees and meetings. Anecdotally we are aware that women do have positions that require attendance at meetings and committees externally, but we need to collect formal data. Action Point 4.5
(ii) Workload model – describe the systems in place to ensure that workload
allocations, including pastoral and administrative responsibilities (including the responsibility for work on women and science) are taken into account at appraisal and in promotion criteria. Comment on the rotation of responsibilities e.g. responsibilities with a heavy workload and those that are seen as good for an individual’s career.
A workload model has been used by the School since 2011. It takes account of research, teaching, pastoral and administrative roles. Allowances are made to take account of roles and responsibilities and teaching allocations adjusted accordingly. The current workload model is complex and the results given are not clear. A new workload database is currently being implemented. Workload is also discussed at the SRDS.
(iii) Timing of departmental meetings and social gatherings – provide evidence of
consideration for those with family responsibilities, for example what the department considers to be core hours and whether there is a more flexible system in place.
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The School is committed to developing a family friendly culture. The School operates core teaching hours (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday). It is difficult to adjust these teaching times for example to start later and finish earlier because of classroom availability. The University encourages full usage of rooms by using teaching classes am, early pm, late pm. The School had a trial period of starting classes at 10am for one of the FT programmes at the students’ request in order to accommodate child care arrangements and travelling. This was in response to persistent lateness. However, the decision has been to reverse this after the trial period as lateness did not improve. Core hours for staff events, committees and meetings are 10am-3pm, Monday to Friday. As the School staff group is comparatively small it is possible to make decisions about the timing of committee meetings with knowledge of each colleague’s working arrangements and negotiation frequently takes place about timings to minimise the likelihood of staff members being excluded. Regular meetings change the time and day of the week in order to accommodate PT staff. The agenda and notes are available to all staff. Action point 4.6
(iv) Culture –demonstrate how the department is female-friendly and inclusive. ‘Culture’ refers to the language, behaviours and other informal interactions that characterise the atmosphere of the department, and includes all staff and students.
The Head of Department is a female and the Deputy Head of Department is male. The Director of Learning and Teaching is male and the Deputy a female. We have evidence of supporting women to achieve their career aspirations through the Impact and Futures Mentoring schemes and 2 female academics have recently been given study leave/sabbatical to complete doctoral studies. We have a number of academics with caring responsibilities of family members who have been allowed to work flexibly at a time of need. A bi-monthly School newsletter has been introduced to communicate developments and celebrate staff achievements.
Away Days are organised to encourage individuals to participate in decision making, both for particular purposes such as new developments, and there is also an annual away day for all staff to discuss the future direction of the School. All staff are invited to the Christmas Dinner, which is held during the day to allow as many as possible to attend. Details are advertised well in advance. In addition, ad hoc social events are arranged for staff to get together after work. For the last 2 years the School has a team which has participated in the Global Corporate Challenge https://juice.shef.ac.uk/the-latest/2014/04/17/global-corporate-challenge-2014/ encouraging healthy lifestyle and working together as a team (F=6/M=1 in 2013). Research seminars are open to all staff and students and occur bi-monthly.
(v) Outreach activities – comment on the level of participation by female and male
staff in outreach activities with schools and colleges and other centres. Describe who the programmes are aimed at, and how this activity is formally recognised as part of the workload model and in appraisal and promotion processes.
Staff are encouraged to participate in activities outside of the School and the University. These are recognised and accounted for in the workload model. This type of scholarly activity brings prestige to the individual and brings added value to the School. Examples are: internal and external Periodic Review panel members (F=3/M=2); ‘Critical friends’ in other Departments and at other HEI’s. We have a female who is an executive member of the National Outreach Forum for critical care; 1 female member is the Yorkshire and Humber (YH) representative on the National Clinical Learning Network; and the Head of Department is a member of the CoD and a QAA reviewer.
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Staff of mixed gender and grades participate in the universities outreach programmes ADOPT (Access to Dental Occupations) www.sheffield.ac.uk/schools/outreach-programmes/adopt and SOAMS (Sheffield Outreach and Access to Medicine Scheme) www.sheffield.ac.uk/schools/outreach-programmes/soams encouraging school children to gain a better understanding of healthcare programmes and encouraging WP. We have 7 progression agreements with 7 FE colleges. This was a first within the Faculty, to encourage WP through this initiative. Action Point 4.7
Flexibility and managing career breaks
a) Provide data for the past three years (where possible with clearly labelled graphical illustrations) on the following with commentary on their significance and how they have affected action planning.
(i) Maternity return rate – comment on whether maternity return rate in the department has improved or deteriorated and any plans for further improvement. If the department is unable to provide a maternity return rate, please explain why.
Between 2009 and 2013, no academic staff took maternity leave. Maternity leave guidance is advertised via http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/family/toolkits/maternity. A meeting takes place with the staff member prior to maternity leave regarding work arrangements and upon return. Phased returns and Women’s Academic Returners Programme (WARP) is available (page 35).
(ii) Paternity, adoption and parental leave uptake – comment on the uptake of
paternity leave by grade and parental and adoption leave by gender and grade. Has this improved or deteriorated and what plans are there to improve further.
In 2010-2011 one Lecturer took paternity leave. Paternity leave guidance, adoption leave and other family leave entitlements can be found via http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/family.
Paternity leave is not seen as an issue and the SAT is confident that staff members would take paternity leave should they be eligible. It is supported and agreed by the Dean.
(iii) Numbers of applications and success rates for flexible working by gender and
grade – comment on any disparities. Where the number of women in the department is small applicants may wish to comment on specific examples.
b) For each of the areas below, explain what the key issues are in the department, what steps have been taken to address any imbalances, what success/impact has been achieved so far and what additional steps may be needed.
(i) Flexible working – comment on the numbers of staff working flexibly and their
grades and gender, whether there is a formal or informal system, the support and training provided for managers in promoting and managing flexible working arrangements, and how the department raises awareness of the options available.
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During the period 2009-2013 there have been a number of formal flexible working arrangements negotiated http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/guidance/flexible. Flexible working has been taken up exclusively by female staff. In 2009–2010, 1 academic staff member worked flexibly. This number remained the same in subsequent years. Staff are able to request alterations to contracts to either increase or decrease working hours where funding allows and in agreement with their line manager. In addition to the formal arrangement of flexible working, the School has a long-standing and positive approach to flexible working in the short-term for example in the event of a family crisis. These arrangements are made and agreed with the line manager on an ad hoc basis, though it is done in such a way as to ensure core duties and responsibilities are managed across the team. This form of informal flexible working is viewed by all staff within the School as a positive example of team-working to support individual circumstances and to maintain a work-life balance. Arrangements for informal flexible working is mutually understood but not written down in a formal process. As a consequence, there is currently no system in place to collect data on the informal flexible working arrangements that have been required over the past years.
“My Dad was taken into hospital as an emergency and my Mother was out of the country, being an only child I needed to be close by, I therefore arranged to work from my parents’ home for a week.”
We have had members of staff with family members who are seriously ill for a significant length of time, and their work has been redistributed amongst other staff members, so that they can work more flexibly, reduce their hours temporarily, or to take some leave. Action point 2.5
(ii) Cover for maternity and adoption leave and support on return – explain what the
department does, beyond the university maternity policy package, to support female staff before they go on maternity leave, arrangements for covering work during absence, and to help them achieve a suitable work-life balance on their return.
We currently do not have any formal processes beyond the University maternity policies. However informally we arrange “keeping in touch” days where the staff member on maternity leave is invited back to the School for informal chats (this is similar to those members of staff on long term leave for health issues). Action Point 5.1, 5.2 WARP is available to academics to provide support for returning women academics and researchers in the University http://www.shef.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/warp. The Parents@TUoS network runs parent coffee mornings and there is a parent to parent buddy scheme http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/parents. The University provides a nursery on central campus for staff http://www.shef.ac.uk/union/advice/support-services/childrens-services/nursery/.
Word count 5256 (max 5000)
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5. Any other comments: maximum 500 words
Please comment here on any other elements which are relevant to the application, e.g. other SET-specific initiatives of special interest that have not been covered in the previous sections. Include any other relevant data (e.g. results from staff surveys), provide a commentary on it and indicate how it is planned to address any gender disparities identified. We are committed to expanding educational opportunities for Nurses and Midwives through e-learning and flexible learning as well as traditional face-to-face methods. The flexibility is important as the majority of health care workers are female with family commitments. It is this blended learning approach that will accommodate the needs of UK and overseas health care students seeking continuing professional development opportunities.
Courses are delivered on a FT and PT basis, and have online and blended learning options in order to increase access opportunities for students unable to attend taught programmes. From anecdotal comments from students this is popular with females as it means they do not have to leave their families for long periods, and some from abroad have stated how this is the only way they can continue to study especially those students from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.
The ratio of F:M studying on LBR modules and programmes (F=181/M=20) reflects the ratios of the professional groups overall and therefore indicate that the School is admitting students to study without impact on gender. A number of degrees, diplomas and certificates are available to increase access to students that often work FT and have family commitments - http://www.shef.ac.uk/hsccpd/coursesearch/a-z. Stepping off points have been built into some Masters programmes, this allows students who may need to finish their studies earlier than anticipated, to exit with an award.
The School’s professional programme delivered on a FT basis has an opportunity to move to PT after the first 6 months if the student’s circumstances prove difficult or challenging. There are currently 3 students on maternity leave and 4 students on leave of absence (F=3 / M=1) that may return to complete the programme on a bespoke PT basis. The data for the professional programme is shown within Table 5. These statistics show a higher proportion of males than one would see in the professional population, thus demonstrating an increased interest in application and admission for this programme from men.
The USS was undertaken in April/May 2012 and the School had a 78% response rate. Highlights include that staff are proud to work for the University, are trusted to make decisions in their jobs, and nearly all staff plan to continue working here in 12 months’ time. The majority of negative issues raised were from PSS. At the School’s request, staff from HR have held several focus groups to follow up these issues which have been reported to School Council.
The HE STEMM Gender Equality Culture survey (October 2012) had a 35% response rate. The top 4 areas of good practice identified;
Staff feel they are treated on their merits irrespective of their gender.
Staff feel that work is allocated on a clear and fair basis irrespective of gender.
Staff feel that those who work PT or flexibly are offered the same career development opportunities as those who work FT – all staff are encouraged to take up career development opportunities.
The School uses senior women as well as senior men as visible role models.
499 words (Max 500)
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6. Action plan
Provide an action plan as an appendix. An action plan template is available on the Athena SWAN website.
The Action Plan should be a table or a spreadsheet comprising actions to address the priorities identified by the analysis of relevant data presented in this application, success/outcome measures, the post holder responsible for each action and a timeline for completion. The plan should cover current initiatives and your aspirations for the next three years.
The action plan does not need to cover all areas at Bronze; however the expectation is that the department will have the organisational structure to move forward, including collecting the necessary data.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield – 3 year Athena Swan Bronze award action plan APPENDIX 1
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
1
1.1 Number of males accessing LBR is below the national average for the group and the School needs to look at the way in which LBR is marketed to this group.
Reviewed webpages and discussed with Learning Technologist.
To arrange for new images for LBR webpages.
Learning and Teaching Committee, Marketing and Admissions group
8 months 01.12.13 Increased numbers of males applying for LBR.
1.2 It is anticipated that the new Faculty challenge for level 1 students will be supported by PGR students in order for them to gain wider University teaching/support experience.
Faculty starting to advertise this role.
School to email PGR students with support for their application for these roles.
Learning and Teaching Committee
6 months 01.05.14 PGR students involved in Faculty challenge teaching.
1.3 Arrange to be proactive in collecting decliner’s data specifically for PGDip Nursing students in order to ascertain why they may choose not to accept a place within this School.
Requested decliners data from central services which had limited information available.
Develop questionnaire specifically for PGDip Nursing.
Development group and Board of Studies
12 months 01.05.14 School more aware of reasons for declining offers on PGDip Nursing.
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Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
1.4 Review School webpages for PG study to ascertain the way images are utilised and academic criteria requirements are presented.
Reviewed webpages and discussed with Learning Technologist.
Discuss with PG tutor and Learning Technologist: ensure images reflect gender appropriately and the academic criteria are clear for all programmes.
Learning and Teaching Committee, Marketing and Admissions group
8 months 01.12.13 Increased numbers of students with appropriate background applying therefore a higher percentage of offers and accepts.
1.5 Monitor admission to PG study through non-standard routes.
Development of criteria by Faculty.
Maintain a record of all students admitted via this route in order to monitor gender ratio.
Learning and Teaching Committee, Marketing and Admissions group
12 months 01.05.14 School able to monitor gender ration of admissions via this route and market appropriately.
1.6 Contact and communication between the Personal Tutor, the Unit Leader and the Programme Leader individuals is currently not organised and may be haphazard thus making issues that may
Review of http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/lets/toolkit/support/tutor by Learning and Teaching committee.
The School is currently looking at http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/lets/toolkit/support/tutor in order to add structure and purpose to the
Learning and Teaching Committee, Board of Studies
12 months 01.05.14 Successful monitoring of students through programme and on to higher level study.
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affect progress difficult to track. We may have students with personal issues who sometimes find it difficult to talk to their Personal Tutor. Students with caring responsibilities can access the programmes without too much impact on their personal circumstances.
Presentation of paper to Learning and Teaching Committee who requested more time to consider. Review of timetables to look at teaching hours.
roles. Develop roles for existing members of staff who will be responsible for ‘women and carers’ and also ‘men and mature students’. To consider the implementation of core teaching hours where appropriate and the curriculum allows.
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2 Staff data
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
2.1 It has been difficult to obtain data from HR in a format that is useful for completing this application. The School will monitor staff data on an annual basis to ensure the information is correct & will liaise with HR to obtain reports in a more user friendly format.
HR informed that report format data is not currently user friendly, and asked that this be addressed.
To discuss further with HR.
School Administrator
6 months 01.12.13 User friendly reports which will allow the School to monitor staffing trends.
2.2 The School does not record information on why people leave. This will be recorded in the future with data taken from the exit interviews.
A new University of Sheffield Google questionnaire sent to all new leavers was implemented in October 2013. Information from this will be added to the exit interview data.
No academic staff have left since October 2013, so no data yet.
Line manager 12 months 01.10.13 Reports on reasons for leaving to be reviewed, and issues addressed as appropriate. For some researchers they are on FTC due to nature of project work.
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Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
2.3 There is a need to explore how to support current female Lecturer / University Teachers to develop in order to apply for Senior Lecturer / University Teacher roles.
Impact mentoring. Informal mentoring arranged by the Dean.
Discussed at informal 1:1 with Dean. Encourage to undertake training, development and leadership.
SRDS 6 monthly reviews.
Dean 12 months 01.10.13 Increase in females in Senior Lecturer / University Teacher roles.
2.4 Increase the provision of mentoring opportunities for staff.
Prepare for 2014 SRDS meetings.
Discuss at SRDS and 1:1 meetings with Dean.
SRDS 6 monthly reviews.
Dean
12 months 01.05.14 Increase in females accessing mentoring opportunities.
2.5 Develop a system to record flexible working
School Administrator created a spreadsheet.
Staff to be notified in May 2014 newsletter.
Dean / School Administrator
6 months 01.05.14 Records of flexible working arrangements.
2.6 Monitor ECA applications by gender
School Administrator to log previous ECA’s on spreadsheet.
2014 ECA’s to be added to spreadsheet and data to be monitored.
School Administrator
8 months 01.3.14 Increase in females recommended for ECA’s.
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3 Career Advice and Support
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
3.1 We currently do not have qualitative information on our application process broken down by gender to enable identification of specific issues affecting females.
Discussed how to implement this.
Ask applicants and appointees to complete an evaluation form at the end of the selection day.
Recruiting Chair, Staffing Services
3 months 01.05.14 Data on application process which will be reviewed to identify any specific issues affecting females.
3.2 Review all School webpages to ensure that we are positively representing gender, ethnicity, age, culture.
Review website. Change webpages. Website administrator
8 months 01.10.13 Website positively represents gender, ethnicity, age, culture.
3.3 No records are currently kept regarding how many staff and which staff apply for the Learned Society Fund to pay for conferences and study days.
Development of a database on Learned Society applications/ funding discussed.
Update to all staff via May 2014 newsletter. Create database and log applications.
Team Leader 6 months 01.04.14 Increased females applying for Learned Society Fund.
3.4 To double the number of PGR students who undertake teaching activities over the next year.
Discussed with PGR Tutor.
PGR Tutor to actively encourage PGR students to get involved with teaching activities.
PGR Tutor 12 months 01.05.14 Increased PGR students involved in teaching.
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Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
3.5 No formal database on study leave applications is currently kept.
Discussed with School Administrator.
Study leave forms completed but not kept. All data on study leave recorded.
Short summary of conference retained electronically and paper copy in a file in staff room.
School Administrator
6 months 01.03.14 Study leave applications monitored.
3.6 Staff to be reminded and supported to submit their CV for review at their SRDS.
Discussed at DRP. Draft SRDS invitations currently out for comment.
Head of Department, School Administrator
4 months 01.04.14 Staff submit their CV’s 1 week prior to their SRDS and receive feedback during SRDS.
3.7 The University has recently implemented an amended SRDS format for Early Career Researchers to ensure career opportunities and support is offered even though they are on FTC.
Discussed at DRP. The School will ensure that this initiative is embedded within School policy. Revised paperwork to be sent out with SRDS invitations.
Head of Department
4 months 01.05.14 DRP review in September 2014 to evaluate latest paperwork completed.
3.8 The School has recently implemented deputy posts for all significant posts to allow for continuity, development opportunities and succession planning.
Most posts have now been filled. There is 1 vacancy remaining.
The School to ensure the remaining vacancy is filled asap.
Head of Department
6 months 01.02.14 All significant roles will have a deputy in place. Encourage more females to apply.
45
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
3.9 Consider developing support/mentor systems using staff and alumni that encourage students to progress from UG to PGT to PGR where it is noted they are excelling.
Reviewed numbers of students invited to high achievers events.
Ensure that all students attending these events are offered a mentor/buddy to encourage future further study.
Learning and Teaching Committee
1 year 01.12.13 Increased number of female students progressing to further study.
3.10 The School will have to look at how the Sheffield Graduate Award is marketed to its UG students in order to ensure that all students are making most of this opportunity to look wider than the curriculum.
Review of School webpages and handbooks.
More explicit encouragement: Handbooks Posters School webpages.
Learning and Teaching Committee, Board of Studies
1 year 01.10.13 Increased numbers of students registering for and completing award.
3.11 Consider a system that encourages students to engage with SURE and recognise the utility of such in progress to higher degrees and a career in research.
Review of data relating to application and success.
Ensure the School is proactive in advertising SURE and identifying potential study areas prior to the event being advertised. Ask past students to talk to current
Learning and Teaching Committee, Research Committee
1 year 01.05.14 Increased number of female students applying for and achieving success with applications.
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students.
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
3.12 Examine ways by which the lecture series can be promoted amongst all levels of students and ensure students feel part of the academic community as encouraged by the University.
Advertised by email. Ensure a broader range of methods are utilised: Webpages/posters Maintain register of attendees.
Learning and Teaching Committee, Research Committee
6 months 01.05.14 Increased numbers of students attending and the School able to see gender ratio of attendees.
3.13 We need to establish whether those on FTC are at a disadvantage in terms of career advancement, especially as these are predominantly women.
This will involve leading a discussion within the School, across Faculty and with other Schools of Nursing.
Arrange for the discussions to take place at CoD.
Dean 12 months 01.05.14 Any action points would then be informed by the discussions with the School, across Faculty and with other Schools of Nursing.
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4 Culture, Communications and Departmental Organization
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
4.1 The Athena Swan SAT has recognised the need to advertise more broadly the use of the prayer and infant feeding facilities.
This is on the School notice board and in the students’ and staff social spaces.
This is also being put in all handbooks for the 2014 academic year.
Handbooks; Director of Learning and Teaching. Notice boards; School Administrator
9 months 01.02.14 Prayer and infant facilities utilised by students and staff.
4.2 Implementation of a female and male student officer. These will be staff members who will meet with any student upon request to discuss issues of a personal nature that they cannot discuss with their Personal Tutor. This will not replace the Personal Tutor role but may be used in particular circumstances. It may be that the officers would arrange for an alternative Personal Tutor if required.
Discussed at School Council.
Advertise via Expressions of Interest for implementation by September 2014.
Head of Department, Director of Operations
5 months 01.04.14 Female and male student officer in place.
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Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
4.3 To submit a minor works request for facilities to store and heat milk in the infant feeding room.
Room identified. Information in student handbooks and notices in social space.
Application to minor works – funding electricity socket.
Monitor satisfaction.
School Administrator
12 months 01.02.14 Facility in place and utilised.
4.4 Explore the reasons why fewer women than men are taking on key governance roles.
Women have been encouraged to express interest.
Discuss at 1:1 with Dean.
Continue to collect data.
Dean 12 months 01.12.13 Increase in females in key governance roles.
4.5 We will collect data on external committee attendance.
CVs include details of external committee attendance.
Data formally requested.
Data maintained and updated annually.
School Administrator
8 months 01.03.14 Examine the number of females on external committees.
4.6 An inventory of all meetings’ days/times will be undertaken to highlight which ones fall outside of the core hour’s policy of 10 am-3 pm, Monday-Friday. Those that do fall outside the recommended guidelines will need to provide a reason.
Annual meeting schedule is available, and meetings which fall outside core hours identified.
Planning for 14/15 meetings – will ensure these fall in core hours and days / times rotated wherever possible.
Meetings currently being scheduled for 14/15.
School Administrator, Chairs of Committees
4 months 01.02.14 Meetings planned for 14/15 within core hours and rotate days/times to accommodate PT staff where possible.
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Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
4.7 We currently do not have a database on which members of staff who participate in outreach activities with Schools, Colleges and other Universities is held.
Agreed that this data will be collected.
We will collect this data via the SRDS appraisal and keep a record that can be analysed for trends and future action points.
Developing database.
Staff members, SRDS reviewers
5 months 01.04.14 Gender balance of staff involved in outreach activities.
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5 Career breaks/flexible working
Act
ion
Description of action Action taken already and outcome at April 2014
Further action planned at April 2014
Progress Log
Responsibility Timescale Start date Success Measure
5.1 To discuss and formalise a School maternity package. We have not had any members of staff on maternity leave for a number of years and therefore have not recognised the need for one.
2 new lecturers currently on maternity leave. Appointed and went straight on maternity leave in 2014.
Implement maternity leave policy working closely with HR. Make available information on WARP.
Dean 6 months 01.04.14 Evaluation in 6 months to see how successful the support was.
5.2 ‘Keeping in touch’ days are done on an informal basis for those on maternity leave or sick leave. However the School will appoint a mentor who will be responsible for keeping in touch with the staff member. This will be outside any formal occupational health/management meetings.
Currently occurs on ad hoc basis.
Appointment of dedicated mentor – ask for volunteers.
Dean / School Administrator
12 months 01.04.14 Ask feedback after 1 year of implementation