Transcript Fiona McLean Equal Opportunities Coordinator University College London (UCL) 1

Fiona McLean
Equal Opportunities Coordinator
University College London (UCL)
1
• Background - UCL
• How bad are things?
• The Leaky Pipeline
• Mythologies
• Overview - How it begins
• Statistics – UCL and UK
• What are the issues?
• What action should we be/is UCL taking?
2
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
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Founded in 1826. Third University in England
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70 Departments in eight faculties
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First to admit students of any religion & without reference to social background
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First to admit women on equal terms with men
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27,000 staff and students
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7656 staff of which 4,000 academic and research staff
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19,000 students, of which two thirds are undergraduates, more than a third
engaged in graduate studies
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How bad are things?
• Women are 50% of the population
• 20% of those doing A level Physics are women
• 4% of Physics professors are women
4
How bad are things?
• Women made up 40% of graduates in Medicine in last 5
years
• 11% of clinical academics in Medicine are women
• 1 in 5 Medical Schools has no female professors
• Only 2/33 heads of UK Medical Schools are women
Occupational segregation exists in the UK on the basis of
ethnicity and sex
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The Leaky Pipeline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Drift away by gender and ethnicity, - by disinterest, or
failure to ’make the grade’?
Five GCSE’s grades A-C
Science A levels
Qualify for university entry in Science subject
Subject choice
Performance at degree award, first or upper second?
Pursuit of postgraduate, or further study
Career in academia
Recognition/promotion/career advancement
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MYTHOLOGIES
• “We only choose the best - academe is a meritocracy”.
Evidence shows unconscious and conscious bias in
selection, but also disproportionate weighting of processes
that favour males
• “It is only a matter of time”….women’s representation
decreases with each step up the academic hierarchy, even
in fields that have had a large proportion of women
doctorates for 30 years and despite 32 years of sex
discrimination legislation
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Overview…How it begins.
• Gender stereotypes among pupils, teachers, parents, career advisers,
what is appropriate for boys and girls
• Cultural, social and economic factors affecting choices
• Ethnicity has a strong impact on curriculum choices and job
preferences
• Socio economic factors more significant than ethnicity or gender.
• High academic potential of non traditional pupils, but low application
rate to university, especially the top universities, high drop out rate
• Discrimination in the job market
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But….
• 80% of girls and 55% of boys said they would be
willing to learn to do non traditional jobs
• 68% of boys and 82% girls want a job they can
combine with family responsibilities
• Majority of employers agree improved gender
balance means better mix of skills and talents,
good business
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“Not a university type?”
• UCL project working with 6 London secondary schools
• 68 academically able, scientifically orientated 14-16 year olds from
diverse social and ethnic backgrounds with no history of university
attendance
• Explored pupils perceptions and aspirations about Medical Schools
• Follow up - one week widening access summer school for 40 pupils
considering applying to Medical School, aged 16, from deprived
backgrounds
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Overview – what makes a difference
• Better information from independent sources about
options. Better careers guidance, especially for
underachieving pupils with poor backgrounds
• Pupils talk to real students and graduates at Open Days,
Summer Schools and find out what is entailed/involved
• Diverse role models, ethnic and gender mix of staff &
students at Open Days
• Diverse images in publications, websites, positive
welcoming statements, stated commitment to equal
opportunities
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Overview – what makes a difference,
continued
• Measuring and acknowledging potential at selection
• Ensure assessment methods no ethnic or gender bias
• Promote access to jobs, work based training and
apprenticeships, especially in non traditional areas, ‘try out’
before deciding
• Encouragement
• More of same sex, better diverse ethnic representation in
non traditional areas
• Better working conditions
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UCL undergraduate UK domiciled first years
in SET excluding Life Sciences
Gender
Biomedical EngineerSciences
ing
Female
Built
Environment
46.2%
72.2%
18.8%
Maths &
Physical
Sciences
33.8%
Male
53.8%
27.8%
81.2%
66.2%
No of
students
93
18
186
417
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UCL postgraduate UK domiciled first years in
SET excluding Life Sciences
Gender
Biomedical EngineerSciences
ing
Female
Built
Environment
46.5%
53.2%
27.4%
Maths &
Physical
Sciences
35.8%
Male
53.5%
46.8%
72.6%
64.2%
No of
students
271
453
259
173
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UCL undergraduate non UK domiciled first
years in SET excluding Life Sciences
Gender
Biomedical EngineerSciences
ing
Female
Built
Environment
45.8%
100%
25.6%
Maths &
Physical
Sciences
53.8%
Male
54.2%
0%
74.4%
46.2%
No of
students
48
2
160
195
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UCL postgraduate non UK domiciled first
years in SET excluding Life Sciences
Gender
Biomedical EngineerSciences
ing
Female
Built
Environment
55.4%
56.7%
28.2%
Maths &
Physical
Sciences
41.5%
Male
44.6%
43.3%
71.8%
58.5%
No of
students
316
208
323
82
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Undergraduate awards made in 2006 in SET
excluding Life Sciences
• Proportion of females and males achieving firsts
similar.
• More females getting upper seconds 60%:48%
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2007 UCL Statistics
Prof
UCL
%
M F
83 17
SET
%
M
F
82 18
Reader
68 32
73
27
Senior
Lecturer
64 36
75
25
Lecturer
Total
57 43
69 31
61
73
39
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Headcount by Sex/Grade
SET
Grade
Sex
Professor
Female
Professor
Male
Reader
2005
2006
2007
38
45
47
217
225
217
Female
25
26
27
Reader
Male
71
61
72
Senior Lecturer
Female
43
38
38
Senior Lecturer
Male
112
112
112
Lecturer
Female
79
90
81
Lecturer
Male
123
131
125
708
728
719
UCL
Grade
Sex
Professor
Female
Professor
Male
Reader
Female
Reader
2005
2006
2007
94
109
112
523
545
532
67
72
78
Male
160
151
164
Senior Lecturer
Female
161
160
155
Senior Lecturer
Male
305
298
283
Lecturer
Female
243
259
248
Lecturer
Male
314
335
324
1867
1929
1896
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Average Length of Service by Grade/Sex in
SET
Grade
Sex
2005
2006
2007
Professor
Female
13.32
14.69
15.53
Professor
Male
15.09
15.30
15.47
Reader
Female
12.48
11.58
11.41
Reader
Male
14.17
15.13
13.46
Senior Lecturer
Female
12.58
12.74
13.16
Senior Lecturer
Male
14.37
14.13
14.43
Lecturer
Female
6.35
6.21
7.46
Lecturer
Male
5.85
5.66
5.98
11.96
11.94
12.28
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Average Age by Grade/Sex in SET
Grade
Sex
2005
2006 Avg Age
2007 Avg Age
Professor
Female
55.05
57.31
58.22
Professor
Male
57.04
57.15
57.87
Reader
Female
49.12
46.04
45.86
Reader
Male
47.04
47.41
46.65
Senior Lecturer
Female
57.93
54.37
53.91
Senior Lecturer
Male
53.49
50.11
49.78
Lecturer
Female
49.68
48.40
50.92
Lecturer
Male
42.80
42.97
43.89
51.85
51.08
51.63
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Instances of Maternity leave in SET
Grade
2005
2006
2007*
Professor
1
1
1
Reader
1
0
0
Senior Lecturer
2
1
1
Lecturer
5
6
1
9
8
3
* 01/01/07 - 31/04/07
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What are the issues in academia? Getting In
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Fewer women applying in some subject areas
Isolation of women in some reseach groups/disciplines
Gender bias and stereotyping in men AND women
Transition from short term contract researcher to lecturer is
a critical hurdle
• Women under represented on boards, panels, committees
• Long work hours culture and lack of family friendly policies
off putting
• Lack of women and role models in some areas, laddish
culture and boys’ clubs
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What can we do? Getting In
• Work with schools to give ‘tasters’ and more information about non
traditional subjects, better careers advice, encouragement to girls
• Monitor gender disaggregated data for staff and students, identify
barriers, monitor progress
• Set gender targets
• Raise awareness of gender issues/training
• Transparent and fair recruitment procedures
• Better representation of women on boards, panels, committees
• Flexible working/ work-life balance and family friendly policies
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What are the issues in academia? Getting On
• Women perceive less encouragement and less
good prospects re promotion
• More women are likely to have taken career
breaks, may have negative effect on
research/careers
• Workload allocation- women may be more likely to
have more teaching, pastoral, clinical or
administrative responsibilities
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What can we do? Getting On
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Mentors and women’s networks so women less isolated.
Leadership programmes for underrepresented groups
Take into account career breaks in promotion/research assessment
Monitor work hours. Senior staff/leaders set example by working
flexibly themselves. Meetings at family friendly times.
• Promote knowledge, transparency and clarification of promotions
process. Better advice re career routes and balancing work : family
• Performance appraisal to include discussion on promotion
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What can we do? Getting On, Continued
• Promotion also through teaching route
• Monitor composition of committees and panels - ensure
diverse and gender balanced selection and promotion
panels.
• Harassment and bullying procedures
• Fair work allocation
• Fixed terms of office on committees, rotate executive
positions
• Exit interviews
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What are the issues in academia? Getting
Back
• Career breaks may have negative impact on
career and interrupt research
• Loss of contact/knowledge in time away
• Balancing family and work life on return
• Tiredness!
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What can we do? Getting Back.
• Plan career breaks in advance if possible, discuss with
employer
• Keep in touch days
• Information/newsletters sent from workplace while away
• Sabbatical for one term from teaching commitments on
return
• Maternity: Workplace Nursery, Childcare vouchers
• Flexible working and monitor uptake of this
• Review with line manager that return satisfactory
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UCL Gender Initiatives
• Annual staff monitoring
• Gender target: to increase the representation of senior
women by 2% per annum with the ultimate aim of a 50:50
split of women and men at this level at UCL by 2011
• Women’s Mentoring Scheme for new appointments to all
research posts, in the Medical Schools and support staff
• Increase representation of underrepresented groups on
UCL Committees – target individuals: vacancies, co
options
• Sabbatical for one term from teaching commitments for
women on return from maternity/adoption carer’s leave
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UCL Initiatives, continued
• Athena SWAN charter
• All SET Depts have to undertake initiative towards
advancement of women in SET
• Gender Equality Scheme and Action Plan
• RAE special circumstances box - briefing and promotions
• Equal Pay Review showed no disproportionate effect
• Promotions
– No Quota!
– Workshops (including women only)
– Diverse panels
– Monitored by sex
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Bibliography
• ‘Not a University Type?’ UCL Project [email protected]
• ‘Best Practice in Career- Break Management’. Institute of Physics
January 2006 www.iop.org
• ‘Women in University Physics Departments’. Institute of Physics
February 2006
• ‘Representation of Ethnic Groups in Chemistry and Physics’. Institute
of Physics May 2006
• ‘Women in Academic Medicine’.July 2007
• ‘Moving On Up - Ethnic Minority Women and Work’. Equal
Opportunities Commission. Bhavnani 2006
• ‘Breaking Down the Stereotypes: Gender and Achievement in
Schools.’ Skelton, Francis and Valkanova EOC 2006
• ‘Women in Non Traditional Training and Employment’ EOC 2007 Dale,
Jackson and Hill
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