Fiona McLean Equal Opportunities Coordinator University College London UCL

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Fiona McLeanEqual Opportunities Coordinator
University College London (UCL)
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• 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?

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UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

• Founded in 1826. Third University in England
• 70 Departments in eight faculties
• First to admit students of any religion without
  reference to social background
• First to admit women on equal terms with men
• 27,000 staff and students
• 7656 staff of which 4,000 academic and research
  staff
• 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

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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
  womenOccupational segregation exists in the UK
  on the basis of ethnicity and sex

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The Leaky Pipeline

• Drift away by gender and ethnicity, - by
  disinterest, or failure to make the grade?
• Five GCSEs 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.womens
  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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OverviewHow 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
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UCL postgraduate UK domiciled first years in SET
excluding Life Sciences
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UCL undergraduate non UK domiciled first years in
SET excluding Life Sciences
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UCL postgraduate non UK domiciled first years in
SET excluding Life Sciences
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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 6048

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2007 UCL Statistics
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Headcount by Sex/Grade
SET
UCL
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Average Length of Service by Grade/Sex in SET
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Average Age by Grade/Sex in SET
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Instances of Maternity leave in SET
01/01/07 - 31/04/07
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What are the issues in academia? Getting In

• 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

• Mentors and womens 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 5050 split of women and men at this
  level at UCL by 2011
• Womens 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
  carers 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
  p.greenhalgh_at_pcps.ucl.ac.uk
• 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