University College London

1. GENDER EQUALITY – UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONProf Jan Atkinsonj.atkinson@ucl.ac.ukUCL Co-ordinator for Athena ASSET & Athena SWANStrategic Advisor: Gender Equality Scheme (GES) Head, Developmental Science Dept, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, Life Sciences Faculty, UCL(Past UCL Pro-Provost (North America) 2005-2008) Visual Development Unit : UCL and Oxford www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/vduWebsite for UCL Athena SWAN: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/equalities/athena_swan.php

2. University College London • Founded in 1826 • The original ‘University of London’ • The first to admit students regardless of class or religion • The first to admit women students on equal terms with men • The first to offer the systematic teaching of Medicine, Law and Engineering in England

3. Our Alumni • UCL’s network of 100,000 alumni actively contributes to its future • Notable alumni include: • Mahatma Gandhi (Laws, 1889): Indian political and spiritual leader • Francis Crick (Mathematics and Physics, 1937) co-discoverer of the molecular structure of DNA • Anthony Gormley (Slade, 1979): sculptor and winner of the Turner prize • Coldplay: Chris Martin (Greek and Latin, 1999), Will Champion (Anthropology, 1999), Jonny Buckland (Mathematics, 1999)

4. UCL’s Academic Standing • A long, distinguished academic reputation in both teaching and research • 21 Nobel Prize winners (former students/staff) • In top 3-4 Universities in RAE 2008 = UK Government Research Assessment Exercise (decides public funding level) • One of the highest (top 4) research incomes of UK • 4th in Times Higher Education World Ranking, 26th in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University top 500 world universities • Highest number of Professors in UK universities (N=648) • Students 22,000, more than 1/3 graduate degrees. • Students from 140 countries outside UK, 1/3 students (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/facts) • Sunday Times:“an intellectual powerhouse with a world-class reputation”

5. RAE 20084* = world leading quality; 3* = internationally excellent Some highlights in UCL departments (alphabetical order): • Architecture/Built Environment -75% 3* or 4* • Chemical Engineering- 75% 3* or 4* • Cancer Research - 75% 3* or 4* • Computer Science/Informatics-80% 3* or 4* • Earth/Environmental Sciences- 80% 3* or 4* • Economics - 95% 3* or 4*, 55% 4* • History - 40% 4*(highest in UK = Cambridge) • History of Art/ Design - 80% 3* or 4* • Clinical Medicine(including Institutes- Ophthalmology, Child Health, Women’s Health) 70% 3* or 4* • Infection and Immunology- 80% 3* or 4* • Law - 75% 3* or 4* • Philosophy - 75% 3* or 4* , 45% rated 4* • Psychology – 75% 3* or 4*

6. Endo Kinsuke Director of Mint Bureau, Osaka Hirobumi Ito Prime Minister, 1885-1901 Masaru Inoue founder of Japanese Board of Railways Yozo Yanao Secretary of State, Ministry of Industry Kaoru Inoue Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1879-87 First Japanese students at UCL - 1863

7. UCL - F:M student numbers 2009 • remained fairly constant for the past three years and does not match this trend nationally of increased female numbers above 50% • . There is significant variation across disciplines, between home and international students, and between undergraduate and postgraduate entry. • For undergraduates, numbers of men and women are almost equal for UK students; for other EU, over 57% are female; for non-EU almost 56% are female (total 51% are female). • For postgraduates, around 53% of UK students are female; 58% for other EU; 58% for non-EU. In total, 55% are female. • All these figures exclude international semester/year abroad students.

8. UCL 2009 % female students by faculty * = not u/g medical students, n<50

9. Faculties in UCL 6. EngineeringBiochemical, Chemical, Civil and Environmental, Computer Science, Electronic/ Electrical, Geomatic, Mechanical, Medical Physics/ Bioengineering, Naval Architect./Marine Engin. 7. Mathematical & Physical Sciences Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Information Management, Math, Natural Sciences, Physics, Science and Technology, Statistical Sci. 8 Built EnvironmentArchitecture, Project Management for Construction, Urban Planning/ Design/Management, Urban Studies • Biomedicine • Life Sciences • Laws • Arts & HumanitiesClassical World, Dutch, English, European Social & Political Studies, Fine Art, French, German, Hebrew & Jewish Studies, Italian, Language & Culture, Philosophy, Scandinavian Studies, Spanish & Latin American Studies • Social and Historical Studies Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Geography, History, History of Art

10. Some UCL highlights - Biomedicine Health and Inequality • Prof Marmot’s ‘Whitehall study’ shows how status differences between civil service employees links to risk of cardiovascular disease • The new International INSTITUTE FOR SOCIETY AND HEALTH will tackle problems of health inequalities on a global scale Prof Sir Michael Marmot

11. Some UCL highlights - Biomedicine Cognitive Neuroscience • The UCL INSTITUTE OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE and the FUNCTIONAL IMAGING LABORATORY are world centres for studying brain function • A now classic study by Dr Eleanor Maguire showed how the hippocampus of the brain grows larger as London taxi drivers learn ‘the knowledge’- city streets

12. Some UCL highlights - Technology LONDON CENTRE FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY • Partnership: UCL < > Imperial College • Interdisciplinary:engineering < > IT < > molecular < > bioscience • manipulations on atomic scale • exploit quantum properties for computing • proteins: ‘nature’s nanomachines’ • human tissue engineering • environmentally friendly materials & catalysts

13. Some UCL highlights - Architecture Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning UCL alumnusAngus Campbell is lead architect for the new Wembley Stadium ‘Space Syntax’ developed at UCL analyses how people flow through streets, offices and hospitals

14. Some UCL highlights – Environment Environmental Change Research Unit Prof Rick Battarbee’s research team uses diatoms – micro-fossils that enable UCL researchers to trace the acidity, temperature, and ecology over centuries of lakes worldwide Global Deserts Outlook Report for the UN: Prof Andrew Warren (UCL Geography) finds threats from salinisation and climate change ...but opportunities for aquaculture and solar energy

15. Some UCL highlights - Law Institute of Global Law • teaches and analyses law through a comparison across national systems • comparative law of privacy • anti-terrorism and human rights • compensation for injury in different national systems

16. Some UCL highlights – Social Sciences School of Slavonic & East European Studies • Economic and social transition in the post-Soviet era • Literature and cinema of Eastern Europe and Russia • Centre of Excellence for teaching Eastern European languages award-winning new building for SSEES

17. Some UCL highlights – Archaeology/ Egyptology The Institute of Archaeology has nearly 200 graduate students engaged in projects worldwide ..from seafaring in Arabia 7,000 years ago.. to evidence of African-American plantation life in Louisiana UCL’s Petrie Museum contains over 80,000 objects from ancient Egyptian culture

18. University Preparatory Certificate for Science and Engineering (UPCSE) Welcome to the web pages for the UPCSE. The UPCSE is a foundation course for science and engineering for international students who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes at University College London (UCL) and other top UK universities. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON University Preparatory Certificate for Science and Engineering (UPCSE) An intensive 1-year foundation course for international students of high academic potential who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes in science and engineering for at University College London (UCL) and other top UK universities. Students combine study of two science subjects, Academic English and Science and Society. The UPCSE is an intensive one-year course for international students of high academic potential, combining study of two science subjects, Academic English and Science and Society.

19. Women in leadership and management project Prof Jan Atkinson Visual Development Unit New behavioural / electrophysiological EEG techniques for assessing eye-brain development adult vision in eye and brain Visual developmental disorders e.g. Downs/Williams syndrome,CP, autism adult brain imaging (fMRI) / infant brain imaging (structural MRI) Developmental neuropsychology and developmental visuo-cognitive neuroscience - basic and clinical, translational research and assessment

20. BRAIN IMAGING IN INFANTS • Recording brain waves safely and non-invasively, with a geodesic net of electrodes while the infant looks at a visual pattern designed to activate particular areas in the brain

21. History of Athena ASSET and SWAN in UCL • 2003-4 JA suggests to Provost that Gender Equality Issues are incorporated into UCL White Paper • 2004JA joins UCL into Athena ASSET survey - 12 talks in depts / PGIs, contacts 45 SET department administrators - good UCL response ~ 500 SET staff (20% of total) highest in UK universities • 2005 JA sets up AAG (Athena Advisory Group) & SWAN SAT (Self Assessment Team) • 2005 Provost ‘Champion’- SWAN Charter as Founder Signatory • 2005-6 SWAN Charter (Bronze) submission and UCL SWAN award • 2007 JA appointed by Provost to take strategic responsibility for Gender Equality Scheme, submitted to Government • 2008-9 UCL SWAN charter renewal (Bronze) & four SWAN Silver awards: Div of Psychology & Language Sci (8 depts/institutes) MRC Lab of Molecular Cell Biology Dept Chemical Engineering Dept Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering • 2009- UCL Women in Leadership and Management Project

22. Prof Malcolm Grant, UCL Provost and President, and Prof Jan Atkinson with UCL’s SWAN Charter Award (renewal) 2009, first awarded 2006

23. Women in leadership and management project • From analysis of ASSET data, UCL Staff Survey and National HEI data, there are three key areas of concern for women’s career development: • getting in (first academic post - moving from post doc to lectureship) • getting back (after career breaks - maternity/paternity leave/ carer’s responsibilities) • getting on (promotion and leadership)

24. UCL has set up ‘relatively’ successful initiatives to improve career development (particularly for women) in all of these areas over past few years, e.g. • flexi-time, • life/work balance, • paternity/maternity schemes, • returner’s sabbatical term to catch up on research, • mentoring

25. Flexible working relates to two much broader issues: • Gender equality generally in universities (UCL 50%+ F students, only 19% F profs) • ‘Work-life balance’ Increasing problem in society – caring for elderly (usually parents) Many carers (mainly women) already look after family members outside their working day – early mornings/ evenings/ nights/weekends- but need support during the day in holiday periods and need respite care

26. Why is Flexi Working ever a problem in HEIs ? • Many individuals would like to work full time with normal working hours throughout their career Report 2009 : Glasgow Cal Business School 3500 staff M+ F: academic women sacrifice W/L balance to apply for better jobs, non academic staff more concerned with W/ L balance • but many with caring responsibilities face practical difficulties (finding affordable ‘part-time’, often intermittent, care for children and family members) • - so many change to part-time work or drop out • difficulties, particularly in London, of working some distance from home (school often near home)

27. Current UCL policy on flexible working, parental leave, work-life balance, equality • Flexible W-L balance Policy allowing departments to adapt different models according to their needs. • Every UCL individual has right to request flexible working/ changes in work pattern. • All Heads of Departments receive equality and diversity training • HR Policy Team is currently trying to develop improved communication of WLB policy to all staff, and improved corporate monitoring of flexible working

28. Current situation in UCL • Many academics already have ‘flexible working’ • the extent of flexibility depends on discipline and career positio (from postgrad to professor) • extra flexibility is needed by many during and after career breaks (maternity/paternity leave/ carer responsibilities) • NEW POLICY: for sabbatical leave from teaching commitments following return from maternity leave, to allow research ‘catch-up’.

29. Another problem – the lab work culture Unconscious belief or bias –’ “scientists should work normal working hours (9 to 5 at least - and go to the pub with the lab after work/ after seminars! ) and only take annual leave outside term/semester teaching time”

30. Solutions? • Work part-time flexible hours and live (deal) with the biases (sometimes ‘unconscious’) of the ‘lab culture (this may mean that you accept that your career prospects in the current climate may be compromised) • Arrange and pay for extra care as best as you can (this is what a lot of us do, and forget good W/ L Balance!) • don’t have children or take on caring responsibilities: women having children at older age (sometimes more heath risks) • try to reduce the culture biases or work around these biases

31. Extra evidence of the culture biases: • Almost 50% of fathers in UK fail to take up paternity leave rights (2 weeks paid leave) • 40% of men afraid to ask for flexible working arrangements which they think would harm their career prospects • fear that flexible working arrangements would question their job commitment and affect their promotion chances • In most households women continue to take responsibility for childcare, even where both parents work full time (Research report: Equality and Human Rights Commission 2009)

32. Another ‘real’ problem (particularly in sciences): research teams may suffer when the PI or an integral specialist team member takes a career break • sometimes possible to fill post with temporary person, but unlikely to be as well qualified/ trained/ experienced as the individual on leave and usually the PI cannot be substituted • If all team members are on one grant of fixed duration , grant cannot easily be suspended and extended to accommodate the career break

33. initiatives underway in UCL • increase acceptance of flexitime through managerial training/ include WLB discussion in appraisals / extend mentoring/ advisory schemes/ one-term ‘sabbatical’ after career break to aid research ‘catch-up’ • try to change ideas of the ‘working day’ - accept good productivity of part-time work/ meetings in‘family- friendly’ times • Run events celebrating female ‘champions’ -successful combination of career breaks/flexible working with career • Aim for ‘critical mass’ of these champions - women reaching the top in universities

34. However, • there are still rather few female professors across the whole of UCL, compared to women at earlier stages of their career. • There is a low % of women on most of the main executive committees of UCL and only a small increase over the past 3-5 years.

35. Women in leadership and management project • 17 19 • % female

36. Women in leadership and management project • Provost asked JA to lead on project : • ‘Women in Leadership and Management’ : • The aims are: • To work towards a Athena SWAN Charter Silver award for UCL as a whole in the near future • To increase the number of women across the whole of UCL (SET & non-SET) with the aspiration, knowledge, skills and experience to progress to senior posts • . • To identify any organisational or procedural barriers to the appointment of women to management and leadership roles in order that they can be addressed (immediately ?)

37. Women in leadership and management project • Methodology • Consultation across UCL to gather experiences and perceptions and to understand the key issues affecting women in the University. • JA will discuss these issues and initiatives with : • Faculty Deans and their Senior Management Teams • Women currently in senior academic management positions • Researchers whose work relates to gender in the workplace (e.g. Prof Virginia Valian: F/M leadership styles, consider Business/Economic Case for diversity and gender equality) • Lay members of Council who are themselves distinguished women who can add insights and be supportive of the project.

38. Women in leadership and management project • Areas of potential focus (1) • Creation and leadership of an advisory group interested in improving the number of women at senior levels within UCL. • Consider developing champions/ambassadors in each faculty to lead the examination of women’s issues locally. • Review the work in the departments/divisions which were successful in SWAN Silver Award applications – identify the lessons learnt and support new depts for SWAN submissions

39. Women in leadership and management project • Areas of potential focus (2) • Identify any barriers in UCL’s recruitment, promotion or work-life balance arrangements that may militate against women progressing their careers or lead to bias in decision making. • Link with the work of the Research Staff Sub-Committee of the Academic Appointment and Promotion Committee on the career progression/promotion of women researchers • Learn from best practice in other universities, especially amongst the Russell Group (top academic Universities in UK)

40. Business/ Economic Casethe Business Case emphasises the need for equal treatment to reflect diversity among potential employees and an organization and the organization’s customers- micro level the Economic case is at a macro level - it stresses the wider economic benefits that span individuals, firms, regions and nations

41. Gender equality can contribute to economic development by: • Quantitative improvement in female participation (as envisaged in European Employment Strategy) - through more effective use of investment in human capital • Women with greater economic independence contribute more as consumers of goods and services (knowledge of comsumers and alter items of consumption) • Integration of women into the fiscal system as net contributors to welfare state- ‘Smart Economics’ (pay more taxes) • through the establishment of a sustainable system of social reproduction which is essential for economic growth , labour supply (aging population problem) and sustainable public finances

42. Debate: does Gender Equality give higher profits ? • Many studies claim a correlation between better M:F ratio (e.g. board members in companies – University executive committees ?) and profitability • however, there is considerable debate over this correlation – it may not be causal • It may be that this correlation is positive in certain types of firms – large, wide international recruitment market, better decision making on selection, other added benefits in these firms • The correlation can be negative in firms with better gender balance (more diversity on board means more monitoring (more well-governed) , more chief executive officer turnover, more equity based compensation Catalyst - www.catalystwomen.org Adler R D – Women in the Executive Suite Correlate to High Profits Rennee & Ferreira, J of Financial Economics 2009

43. Women in leadership and management project Conclusion : Can something be done to speed up the process of gender balance and equality ? Some possibilities (1): • All ‘significant’ meetings/gatherings to be in ‘family- friendly’ hours (start: 10am or after, finish: 5pm) Does this make a significant difference ? • Create ‘Female Ambassadors’/Advisory teams in faculties/institutes • Adapt membership/terms of reference of major executive committees – bring new female recruits to committees to move more rapidly towards a 50:50 ratio • Set out the Economic Case for Gender Equality : M:F grant income , M:F publications comparisons .

44. Women in leadership and management project Conclusion : Can something be done to speed up the process of gender balance and equality ? Some possibilities (2): • Provide additional mentoring/advice/training to women at intermediate levels on management and leadership • . • Lobby Government to extend subsidized nursery schemes to before/after-school/ half term / holiday schemes for all • . • Lobby funding bodies to allow research grants to be extendable in time to accommodate career breaks (absence of specialised researcher)

45. Women in leadership and management project • Issues to discuss: • Current senior staff reflect academic recruitment 15 years ago. Should ‘positive action’ be taken for women to improve balance? • Are men and women differentially prepared to put themselves forward for promotion and management? • Can/should senior roles reflect a more ‘family friendly’ culture? - children at school – half the day, half the year - senior staff may have caring responsibilities (on the increase) • Do women bring a diversity benefit to decision and management processes, apart from issues of equity? • Is there a good ‘business/economic case’ for equity in Universities? • Can mentors/circle of advisors help develop women for senior management roles? Faculty ‘ambassadors’? Reverse mentoring? Do these make a difference ?

46. Women in Leadership and Management • I have prepared a short set of questions (a brief 2- page survey- 7 questions) which has been distributed by email to academic/research staff (male and female) in departments / institutes. • It is anonymous, but will ask for gender, position (grade) and faculty (Dept/Inst/Div –optional) • The aim is to canvas opinions and expressions of interest in gender issues from across UCL at all levels.

47. Examples from Silver SWAN Depts in UCLhttp://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/equalities/athena_swan.php • SWAN SAT led by Dr SARA MOLE, Reader in LMCB - research focus is an inherited genetic children's brain disorder (Batten disease) 2 school-age children (12, 7) - used UCL's Nursery (9-5.30) for 10 years. Parents/In-laws - late 70s & 80s, Alzheimer’s - 24/7 care at home. Example 1: UCL MRC Laboratory for Molecular and Cell Biology(LMCB)

48. LMCB: female bias in gender balance except at senior level • From results of SWAN Self Assessment Team : • Flexible working practices operate informally at all levels provided core responsibilities are covered. (but long hours of work at home) • Most important LMCB meetings and seminars held during core hours (10-5), avoiding school holidays • All formal requests for flexible working granted • Prior to extended career break (maternity leave) discussion with HOD to reach agreement as to how duties will be covered or cover for core staff. On return, appreciation of restricted working hours • Although most said that they were impartial, there is a perception of prejudice if they took a career break • Work-Life Balance notice board raises issue about prejudice.

49. Sara’s SWAN-SAT pioneered chartering for a SWAN award within LMCB • Athena web page/notice board for the LMCB http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lmcb/athena.htm • Survey to find out what life was really like in LMCB

50. Action plans: • Promote flexible working at annual appraisal (via UCL and MRC), notice board & web site, since survey shows it is not considered as a serious option and is considered discouraged by some. (Also not yet formally taken up by any males) • Vary times of social (networking) activities outside core hours so that same people not excluded • Promote successful careers of diverse (female) scientists from LMCB; identify role models (of flexible working). • Increase acknowledgment of caring responsibilities other than for children (mainly elderly parents) .