ATHENA SWAN 17
Athena SWAN
Charter
Since September
2005 Keele has
been a Member
of the Athena
SWAN Charter,
which recognises
advancement of
gender equality,
representation,
progression and
success for all.
T
he University currently holds an
institutional Athena SWAN Bronze
award, two departmental Silver
awards, and eight departmental Bronze
awards, and we continue to strive towards
higher levels of award recognition.
Professor Susan Bruce, Institutional Lead
for Gender Equality and Co-Chair of Keele’s
Athena SWAN Steering Group, comments:
“We’re committed to the principles of the
Athena SWAN Charter and seek to foster
equality and diversity across the institution,
and at all levels within it. I’m particularly
pleased that in the last few years we’ve seen
a real step-change in engagement with the
gender equality agenda. We have Athena
SWAN champions in every eligible School,
Research Institute and Directorate, and all
either already have a departmental award,
have applied for one, or have set a deadline
for their award submission.
We’ve also seen the number of women
in senior roles grow, with an increasing
proportion of female Professors; we currently
have 29% – which is higher than the sector
average, but we want to increase this even
more: our target is 35% by 2020. We also
want to see an increase in female Senior
Lecturers by then, to 50%.
One initiative that I have been particularly
pleased to see progress has been additional
support for academic women on maternity
leave, and on their return to work.
It is important to recognise that Athena
SWAN work, like so many aspects of the
work that goes on at Keele, is a team-effort,
which depends on the work of women at all
levels throughout the University.
I’d like to thank everyone involved, of all
and any gender, for their individual and
collective efforts to advance the gender
equality agenda here at Keele.”