Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team
The Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (SAT) plays a critical role in the process of LSTMs progress through the Athena Swan Charter Mark system. Obtaining, maintaining and progressing through the charter marks (bronze, silver, gold) is of strategic importance to LSTM.
It signals our institutional commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, improves the culture of the institution as a work and study environment, and is a mandatory requirement for some funders.
The SAT, has around 17 members, and recently successfully completed extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of LSTM policies, practices and procedures in support of our Silver application. As we move to implement the 2022 to 2027 Athena Swan action plan, the SAT membership will evolve to support this new phase in our gender equality journey. The SAT also manages a fund which can be used to support relevant activities at LSTM.
Purpose and Scope
LSTM is required to establish a strong and effective SAT to participate in the Athena Swan Charter process. Having an effective SAT and undertaking a thorough self-assessment is key to the success of an application and the process. The primary focus of the SAT is gender equality, but the SAT will also maintain a keen focus on other aspects of equality as they intersect with gender. Hence the scope of the SAT includes all protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity) and other aspects of equality such as hierarchy, role, job type, location of work etc. which are relevant to LSTM.
The SAT is responsible for the activities listed below, but to be clear, it is LSTM as an institution who has responsibility for implementing the Athena Swan Action plan. This process will be overseen by the LSTM Equality and Diversity Committee (EDC) as outlined in the EDC Terms of Reference.
Responsibilities
The SAT is responsible for a range of activities as described below.
Analysis and evaluation
- Collecting, collating, analysing, interpreting, sharing and reflecting on a range of quantitative and qualitative data to identify both challenges and opportunities with regards to equality at LSTM.
- Evaluating written LSTM policies, and operational practices and activities to identify opportunities to improve equality at LSTM.
Benchmarking, priority and target setting
- Establishing priority areas for short, medium- and long-term action that directly respond to the analysis and evaluation and to emerging issues identified by networks and groups within LSTM.
- Identifying and defining selected indicators to track progress against priorities.
- Identifying and documenting suitable internal and external benchmarks to inform selection of realistic stretch targets.
Action planning
- Developing an evidence-based, SMART and comprehensive action plan to underpin advancement against the agreed priorities over the whole award period, and, for some longer-term actions, beyond the award period.
Monitoring and evaluating
- Evaluating the effectiveness of actions undertaken on an ongoing basis, to ensure actions are delivering impact against objectives.
- Evolving and developing the action plan in response to evaluation ensuring that successes and failures are documented and changes to the action plan are clearly identifiable and suitably justified.
Reporting and communication
Developing and maintain a two-way communication, feedback and reporting mechanism with the wider constituencies of LSTM including via:
- Progress updates to the monthly LSTM Management Committee (MC)
- Departmental representatives (including professional services) to update colleagues on SAT at relevant departmental meetings and provided back to the SAT on any relevant Departmental level matters arising
- The SAT Chair attending the EDC and sharing progress/identifying gaps and synergies between the two committees
- Keep the equality and diversity representative on the LSTM Board of Trustees abreast of progress
- Written updates published in the Staff and Student newsletter
- Regular updates to the School Staff Forum and with presentations at key points in the SAT timeline and when broad feedback is needed
- Formal representation of individual constituent groups on the SAT (See Representation on the SAT)
- A dedicated Athena Swan page on the LSTM Website and intranet
- Ad hoc opportunities such as at annual meetings, International Women’s Day Celebrations
- Informal mechanisms such as emails to the SAT Chair, questions at the School Staff Forum (these can be anonymous) and via the HR Department processes
Representation on the SAT
The LSTM SAT represents the LSTM staff and student body and must therefore include people from a variety of backgrounds, with different experiences and with consideration of intersectionality. It must also have enough senior representation to hold authority and facilitate change within LSTM. Above all the SAT must be diverse, as diverse panels make the best decisions. The Chair pro-actively monitors the SAT membership to ensure diversity whilst also ensuring that a disproportionate burden is not placed on under-represented groups. Recruitment of new members is done on an annual basis or as required (e.g. to replace network representatives).
SAT members (October 2022)
Name |
Role on SAT |
|
Eve Worrall |
Chairperson |
|
Vacant |
Deputy Chairperson |
|
Vicky Cowley |
Technical Coordinator |
|
Joseph Okebe |
B.A.M.E. staff network representative |
|
Julie-Anne Tangena |
Early Career Research Committee representative and Chief Data Analyst |
|
Yussif Alhassan |
ECR researcher representative
|
|
Jess Williams |
member |
|
Aaron Dowling |
Technicians Network representative
|
|
Edward Thomsen |
Member |
|
Justin Pulford |
Member |
|
Sarah Roberts |
Member |
|
Dean of Clinical Sciences & International Public Health: Bertie Squire |
Member by virtue of role (Ex officio) |
|
Dean Biological Sciences: Alister Craig |
Ex officio |
|
Dean Education: Isabel Lucas |
Ex officio |
|
Global HR Director: Sam Airey |
Ex officio |
|
Communications Director: Marie Grey |
Ex officio |
|
Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement Officer: Samia Benbrih |
Ex officio |