School of Law, Politics and Sociology at Sussex recognised for advancing gender equality
The School of Law, Politics and Sociology (LPS) at the University of Sussex was yesterday (Thursday 4 September) recognised for its progress in advancing gender equality in the social sciences.
LPS is one of just 17 university ‘departments’ to achieve Bronze level in the Equality Challenge Unit’s (ECU) trial gender equality charter mark. Of those, there are only two other politics departments and one other law school.
The School was selected for the pilot of the national scheme in October 2013 and, after a major self-evaluation exercise, submitted its application for a bronze award in April 2014.
Professor Stephen Shute, Head of LPS, chaired the School’s self-evaluation team. He says: “As a School, we are strongly committed to addressing gender inequalities at all levels and in all forms within our remit.
“I am very grateful to every member of the LPS team who played a part in this success and especially to Professor Susan Millns who served as deputy chair of the self-evaluation team. It took a lot of work to get right. The award covers the whole School and extends to all three of its discipline areas.
“It is a helpful step in advancing the equalities commitments set out in Making the Future, the University’s strategy for 2013-18.”
Sussex already holds bronze accreditation in the ECU’s highly successful Athena SWAN Charter for women in science.
Based upon the principles of Athena SWAN, the gender equality charter mark aims to address chronic gender imbalance and underrepresentation in the arts, humanities and social sciences. It covers academic staff, professional and support staff, men, women, and gender identity.
Bronze level is the first step in the process, showing a strong commitment to specific actions and building a culture that will improve the representation, progression and success of both staff and students.
David Ruebain, ECU’s chief executive, says: “Today’s results offer an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and the achievements of everyone involved in the charter mark trial, and to focus on the positive progress being made to address chronic gender inequalities in HE.”
Many academics in LPS have research interests in gender-equality issues across the legal, social and political sciences. The School is also home to the University’s Centre for Gender Studies.
The gender balance of staff in the School has improved in recent years. Between 2010-11 and 2012-13, the proportion of female staff members holding senior committee positions increased:
- In the academic departmental senior management team, from 13% to 44%
- From 17% to 67% on the academic teaching and learning committee
- From 29% to 50% on the research committee
By meeting every month during the trial and conducting focus groups and surveys among the staff in the School, LPS’s self-evaluation team identified a number of areas where further improvements could be made. The School’s resulting action plans address a number of distinct issues:
- Training – all managers and staff involved in recruitment, as well as all senior staff, will undertake equality and diversity training. All other staff will also be offered the training
- Leadership and management commitment
- Workload allocation
- Maternity/paternity leave
- Timetabling/Flexible working
LPS’s self-evaluation team comprised 17 members of staff from across the three disciplines (law, politics and sociology), covering: people at different stages of their careers; those with management responsibilities; those who had recent experience of the promotions process; people of different genders; people who have had maternity and paternity leave; staff with caring responsibilities, staff on full-time, part-time and fixed-term contracts; and individuals from dual-career families.
In its strategy , the University pledges to further improve the proportion of women in senior roles.
The University is working towards silver Athena SWAN accreditation at an institutional level and a number of departmental bronze awards.
Posted on behalf of: Law, Politics and Sociology
Last updated: Friday, 5 September 2014
