"I became closely involved in Athena Swan on joining the University of Stirling in 2014 and I firmly believe that providing opportunity for women and men to achieve their full potential is an essential responsibility of every academic employer. I personally have benefited enormously from support, mentoring, and encouragement from senior women within Health Sciences. I have a teenage daughter within the school system in Scotland, I am struck by the need to encourage ambition, attainment and achievement in young people's lives, and providing equal opportunity to do this.
Athena SWAN is an integral part of what we do, being incorporated into the Faculty plan, University plan, and research strategy for REF return in 2021. Equality, diversity and inclusion are part of our working routines and practices, embedded deeply within the faculty team, with actions ongoing and continuous; we have increased the proportion of women and/or those with other protected characteristics, such as caring responsibilities, applying for and successfully achieving promotion, and the number of professors who are women. We ensure gender balance in our membership of Faculty promotions panels, research leave panels, and interview panels.
Athena SWAN is featured heavily within marketing material and other internal (e.g. newsletter, Faculty Assembly) and external (e.g. website, Twitter) materials. I have committed financial and other resources to Athena SWAN plans with a continued commitment to this."
Professor Jayne Donaldson, Dean of Faculty Health Sciences and Sport