Athena SWAN
Advance HE's Athena SWAN Charter is a national scheme aimed at supporting and transforming gender equality within higher education and research. Originally focused on encouraging and recognising commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM), the charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women. Advance HE grants bronze, silver and gold Athena SWAN awards to institutions and departments. The University holds a Silver institutional award.
The University of Exeter Medical School was awarded a Bronze departmental award in April 2013 and Silver in April 2014, before being awarded a Silver departmental award in April 2019 as the College of Medicine and Health.
The Department of Sport and Health Sciences has held Silver departmental awards since 2014.
Following the University restructure which saw the College of Medicine and Health being split into four new departments, one of which merged with the Department of Sport and Health Sciences, we will be submitting an interim Silver application in 2023, to cover the new University of Exeter Medical School and the Department of Health and Care Professions.
We are incredibly proud of our Silver Athena SWAN awards, as we strive to ensure equality is at the heart of all we do. Since securing our first Silver awards, we have implemented a number of significant steps towards promoting gender equality.
Among our actions are: supporting an increased number of staff to work flexible hours to accommodate needs such as childcare; raising the number of female staff taking up leadership and career development opportunities; and an improvement in the career progression pipeline through a sustained increase in the number of female academics being promoted to Associate Professor.
