OU wins four gender equality Athena SWAN Awards

Posted on 13 December 2016 • University news

The Open University has collected four Bronze Athena SWAN awards,  in recognition of its ongoing commitment to gender equality for all staff and students across the newly launched (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) STEM faculty.

Commitment to extending equality scheme

Chair of the OU’s STEM Gender Equality Group (SGEG), Dr Clem Herman, said she was thrilled to have led the faculty on such an incredible journey.

Athena SWAN applications demand huge amounts of commitment from so many people across the departments submitting, as well as the wider university. Receiving four awards is great news, not only for the STEM department, but for the entire university – indeed one of our commitments is now to extend the scheme and good practice in gender equality to non-STEM areas of the university.

The awards given at a ceremony last night (12th December) were:

• Renewal of the OU’s Institution Bronze status
• School of Computing & Communications – Bronze award
• School of Engineering & Innovation – Bronze award
• School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences – Bronze award

The School of Physical Sciences (SPS) received an Athena SWAN Silver award earlier this year. SPS is the first OU department to be awarded Silver status, recognising its activities towards reducing inequalities in research, teaching and day-to-day department processes. The School of Mathematics and Statistics already hold Bronze Athena SWAN status.

Equality challenge

The Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter aims to advance the representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM).  You can keep up to date with The Open University’s Equality Unit by following them on Twitter.

 

[Pictured collecting the awards are: Jane Wardale, Clem Herman, David Sharp, Carol Morris and Elaine Moore]