Prestigious equality award for University

The Athena Swan charter recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women in the SET subject areas in higher education and research.

The University has now been successful in gaining an Athena Swan Bronze award, which can help fulfil the organisation’s gender duty commitments, work towards sustaining equitable working environments and enabling the University to identify itself as an employer of choice to staff, students, funders, research councils and industry.

There were 112 submissions to gain an award with 87 being successful and eight new institutions, including the University of Wolverhampton, gaining bronze award status.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “This is fantastic news for the University and demonstrates our commitment to equality.

“I’d like to thank everyone whose hard work helped achieve this award as it is a big achievement.

“But the hard work really starts now through implementing our plans in this area to ensure we can deliver equality to help facilitate the development and support of female researchers across all disciplines.”

Karen Bill, the University’s Athena Swan champion, said: “The application was submitted along with a three year action plan in April 2013, which was the biggest award round Athena Swan has ever had, demonstrating its national significance for UK Universities.

“Over the next three years the action plan will be delivered and monitored. As part of this it is our aim to have policies and procedures in place that will further support the career development and progression of academics and researchers that will be used to help support women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

“We will also be encouraging departments to apply for bronze departmental status in these subject areas, with a view to gaining an institutional silver awards in the next few years.

”The awards will be officially presented at a ceremony to be held in London during November. Institutions which are granted awards hold the status for a three year period.

ENDS

For more information please contact James Allen in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322003

Date Issued: Friday 27 September 2013