The Faculty of Classics has been awarded an Athena Swan Bronze award in recognition of its commitment to gender equality and diversity.
This makes them the fourth faculty within the Humanities Division to receive a Bronze award, following the Faculties of History, English and Music.
The Athena Swan Charter was initially created in 2005 to encourage and recognise the commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM).
The Athena Swan Charter has since expanded to support higher education and research institutions more broadly. The new charter provides a framework that covers all gender identities within STEMM and AHSSBL (arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law) to achieve their gender equality objectives.
The application was prepared by a team of academic staff, professional services staff and student representatives within the Faculty. As part of the application, the team conducted three surveys, and four key action points were identified based on the quantitative and qualitative results. The action points, which will form the basis of the Faculty of Classics’ five-year action plan, are as follows:
- Strengthen Faculty governance, ethos and communication
- Improve student and staff experience
- Strengthen the academic pipeline through support for student progression (graduate students and Early Career Academics)
- Improve career progression for women in academic, research and professional services roles
Professor Constanze Güthenke, who led the application within the Faculty, said, “It has been a productive, revealing and positive experience, leading to a greater appreciation for the Faculty as a working environment. We now have an action plan in place that is specific and measurable and we have come away from this experience with a greater sense of openness across the Faculty.”
You can read more about the Athena Swan Charter on the Advance HE website.
