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Fiona McLeanEqual Opportunities Coordinator University College London (UCL)

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• Background - UCL

• How bad are things?

• The Leaky Pipeline

• Mythologies

• Overview - How it begins

• Statistics – UCL and UK

• What are the issues?

• What action should we be/is UCL taking?

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UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

• Founded in 1826. Third University in England

• 70 Departments in eight faculties

• First to admit students of any religion & without reference to social background

• First to admit women on equal terms with men

• 27,000 staff and students

• 7656 staff of which 4,000 academic and research staff

• 19,000 students, of which two thirds are undergraduates, more than a third engaged in graduate studies

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How bad are things?

• Women are 50% of the population• 20% of those doing A level Physics are women• 4% of Physics professors are women

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How bad are things?

• Women made up 40% of graduates in Medicine in last 5 years

• 11% of clinical academics in Medicine are women• 1 in 5 Medical Schools has no female professors• Only 2/33 heads of UK Medical Schools are women

Occupational segregation exists in the UK on the basis of ethnicity and sex

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The Leaky Pipeline

Drift away by gender and ethnicity, - by disinterest, or failure to ’make the grade’?

1. Five GCSE’s grades A-C

2. Science A levels

3. Qualify for university entry in Science subject

4. Subject choice

5. Performance at degree award, first or upper second?

6. Pursuit of postgraduate, or further study

7. Career in academia

8. Recognition/promotion/career advancement

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MYTHOLOGIES

• “We only choose the best - academe is a meritocracy”. Evidence shows unconscious and conscious bias in selection, but also disproportionate weighting of processes that favour males

• “It is only a matter of time”….women’s representation decreases with each step up the academic hierarchy, even in fields that have had a large proportion of women doctorates for 30 years and despite 32 years of sex discrimination legislation

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Overview…How it begins.

• Gender stereotypes among pupils, teachers, parents, career advisers, what is appropriate for boys and girls

• Cultural, social and economic factors affecting choices• Ethnicity has a strong impact on curriculum choices and job

preferences• Socio economic factors more significant than ethnicity or gender. • High academic potential of non traditional pupils, but low application

rate to university, especially the top universities, high drop out rate• Discrimination in the job market

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But….

• 80% of girls and 55% of boys said they would be willing to learn to do non traditional jobs

• 68% of boys and 82% girls want a job they can combine with family responsibilities

• Majority of employers agree improved gender balance means better mix of skills and talents, good business

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“Not a university type?”

• UCL project working with 6 London secondary schools• 68 academically able, scientifically orientated 14-16 year olds from

diverse social and ethnic backgrounds with no history of university attendance

• Explored pupils perceptions and aspirations about Medical Schools

• Follow up - one week widening access summer school for 40 pupils considering applying to Medical School, aged 16, from deprived backgrounds

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Overview – what makes a difference

• Better information from independent sources about options. Better careers guidance, especially for underachieving pupils with poor backgrounds

• Pupils talk to real students and graduates at Open Days, Summer Schools and find out what is entailed/involved

• Diverse role models, ethnic and gender mix of staff & students at Open Days

• Diverse images in publications, websites, positive welcoming statements, stated commitment to equal opportunities

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Overview – what makes a difference, continued

• Measuring and acknowledging potential at selection• Ensure assessment methods no ethnic or gender bias• Promote access to jobs, work based training and

apprenticeships, especially in non traditional areas, ‘try out’ before deciding

• Encouragement• More of same sex, better diverse ethnic representation in

non traditional areas• Better working conditions

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UCL undergraduate UK domiciled first years in SET excluding Life Sciences

Gender Built Environ-ment

Biomedical Sciences

Engineer-ing

Maths & Physical Sciences

Female 46.2% 72.2% 18.8% 33.8%

Male 53.8% 27.8% 81.2% 66.2%

No of students

93 18 186 417

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UCL postgraduate UK domiciled first years in SET excluding Life Sciences

Gender Built Environ-ment

Biomedical Sciences

Engineer-ing

Maths & Physical Sciences

Female 46.5% 53.2% 27.4% 35.8%

Male 53.5% 46.8% 72.6% 64.2%

No of students

271 453 259 173

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UCL undergraduate non UK domiciled first years in SET excluding Life Sciences

Gender Built Environ-ment

Biomedical Sciences

Engineer-ing

Maths & Physical Sciences

Female 45.8% 100% 25.6% 53.8%

Male 54.2% 0% 74.4% 46.2%

No of students

48 2 160 195

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UCL postgraduate non UK domiciled first years in SET excluding Life Sciences

Gender Built Environ-ment

Biomedical Sciences

Engineer-ing

Maths & Physical Sciences

Female 55.4% 56.7% 28.2% 41.5%

Male 44.6% 43.3% 71.8% 58.5%

No of students

316 208 323 82

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Undergraduate awards made in 2006 in SET excluding Life Sciences

• Proportion of females and males achieving firsts similar.

• More females getting upper seconds 60%:48%

UCL

%

M F

Prof 83 17

Reader 68 32

Senior Lecturer

64 36

Lecturer 57 43

Total 69 31

SET

%

M F

82 18

73 27

75 25

61 39

73 27

2007 UCL Statistics

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Headcount by Sex/Grade

Grade Sex 2005 2006 2007

Professor Female 38 45 47

Professor Male 217 225 217

Reader Female 25 26 27

Reader Male 71 61 72

Senior Lecturer Female 43 38 38

Senior Lecturer Male 112 112 112

Lecturer Female 79 90 81

Lecturer Male 123 131 125

708 728 719

SET

Grade Sex 2005 2006 2007

Professor Female 94 109 112

Professor Male 523 545 532

Reader Female 67 72 78

Reader Male 160 151 164

Senior Lecturer Female 161 160 155

Senior Lecturer Male 305 298 283

Lecturer Female 243 259 248

Lecturer Male 314 335 324

1867 1929 1896

UCL

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Average Length of Service by Grade/Sex in SET

Grade Sex 2005 2006 2007

Professor Female 13.32 14.69 15.53

Professor Male 15.09 15.30 15.47

Reader Female 12.48 11.58 11.41

Reader Male 14.17 15.13 13.46

Senior Lecturer Female 12.58 12.74 13.16

Senior Lecturer Male 14.37 14.13 14.43

Lecturer Female 6.35 6.21 7.46

Lecturer Male 5.85 5.66 5.98

11.96 11.94 12.28

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Average Age by Grade/Sex in SET

Grade Sex 2005 2006 Avg Age 2007 Avg Age

Professor Female 55.05 57.31 58.22

Professor Male 57.04 57.15 57.87

Reader Female 49.12 46.04 45.86

Reader Male 47.04 47.41 46.65

Senior Lecturer Female 57.93 54.37 53.91

Senior Lecturer Male 53.49 50.11 49.78

Lecturer Female 49.68 48.40 50.92

Lecturer Male 42.80 42.97 43.89

51.85 51.08 51.63

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Instances of Maternity leave in SET

Grade 2005 2006 2007*

Professor 1 1 1

Reader 1 0 0

Senior Lecturer 2 1 1

Lecturer 5 6 1

9 8 3

* 01/01/07 - 31/04/07

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What are the issues in academia? Getting In

• Fewer women applying in some subject areas• Isolation of women in some reseach groups/disciplines• Gender bias and stereotyping in men AND women• Transition from short term contract researcher to lecturer is

a critical hurdle• Women under represented on boards, panels, committees• Long work hours culture and lack of family friendly policies

off putting• Lack of women and role models in some areas, laddish

culture and boys’ clubs

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What can we do? Getting In

• Work with schools to give ‘tasters’ and more information about non traditional subjects, better careers advice, encouragement to girls

• Monitor gender disaggregated data for staff and students, identify barriers, monitor progress

• Set gender targets• Raise awareness of gender issues/training• Transparent and fair recruitment procedures• Better representation of women on boards, panels, committees• Flexible working/ work-life balance and family friendly policies

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What are the issues in academia? Getting On

• Women perceive less encouragement and less good prospects re promotion

• More women are likely to have taken career breaks, may have negative effect on research/careers

• Workload allocation- women may be more likely to have more teaching, pastoral, clinical or administrative responsibilities

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What can we do? Getting On

• Mentors and women’s networks so women less isolated.• Leadership programmes for underrepresented groups• Take into account career breaks in promotion/research assessment• Monitor work hours. Senior staff/leaders set example by working

flexibly themselves. Meetings at family friendly times.• Promote knowledge, transparency and clarification of promotions

process. Better advice re career routes and balancing work : family• Performance appraisal to include discussion on promotion

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What can we do? Getting On, Continued

• Promotion also through teaching route• Monitor composition of committees and panels - ensure

diverse and gender balanced selection and promotion panels.

• Harassment and bullying procedures• Fair work allocation• Fixed terms of office on committees, rotate executive

positions• Exit interviews

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What are the issues in academia? Getting Back

• Career breaks may have negative impact on career and interrupt research

• Loss of contact/knowledge in time away• Balancing family and work life on return• Tiredness!

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What can we do? Getting Back.

• Plan career breaks in advance if possible, discuss with employer

• Keep in touch days• Information/newsletters sent from workplace while away• Sabbatical for one term from teaching commitments on

return• Maternity: Workplace Nursery, Childcare vouchers• Flexible working and monitor uptake of this• Review with line manager that return satisfactory

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UCL Gender Initiatives

• Annual staff monitoring• Gender target: to increase the representation of senior

women by 2% per annum with the ultimate aim of a 50:50 split of women and men at this level at UCL by 2011

• Women’s Mentoring Scheme for new appointments to all research posts, in the Medical Schools and support staff

• Increase representation of underrepresented groups on UCL Committees – target individuals: vacancies, co options

• Sabbatical for one term from teaching commitments for women on return from maternity/adoption carer’s leave

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UCL Initiatives, continued

• Athena SWAN charter• All SET Depts have to undertake initiative towards

advancement of women in SET• Gender Equality Scheme and Action Plan• RAE special circumstances box - briefing and promotions• Equal Pay Review showed no disproportionate effect• Promotions

– No Quota!– Workshops (including women only)– Diverse panels– Monitored by sex

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Bibliography

• ‘Not a University Type?’ UCL Project p.greenhalgh@pcps.ucl.ac.uk • ‘Best Practice in Career- Break Management’. Institute of Physics

January 2006 www.iop.org• ‘Women in University Physics Departments’. Institute of Physics

February 2006 • ‘Representation of Ethnic Groups in Chemistry and Physics’. Institute

of Physics May 2006 • ‘Women in Academic Medicine’.July 2007 • ‘Moving On Up - Ethnic Minority Women and Work’. Equal

Opportunities Commission. Bhavnani 2006• ‘Breaking Down the Stereotypes: Gender and Achievement in

Schools.’ Skelton, Francis and Valkanova EOC 2006• ‘Women in Non Traditional Training and Employment’ EOC 2007 Dale,

Jackson and Hill