promoting physics, supporting physicists women in university physics departments peter main...

Promoting physics, supporting physicists

Women in University Physics Departments

Peter MainDirector, Education and Science, IOP Heads of Mathematics Departments MeetingBirmingham3rd April 2007

[email protected], www.iop.org


Plan of Talk

Background

Site Visit Scheme

Some observations

Next Steps


Background


The Leaky Pipeline

0102030405060708090

100

GCSEDoubleScienceEntries(JCGQ)

GCSEPhysicsEntries

(JCGQ)

AS-levelPhysicsEntries(JCGQ)

A-levelPhysicsEntries(JCGQ)

F/T U/GDegreeStudents(HESA)

F/T P/GDegreeStudents(HESA)

Researcher(HESA)

Lecturer(HESA)

SeniorLecturer orResearcher

(HESA)

Professor(HESA)

%

Female

Male


Leaky Academia 1999, 2000 and 2001

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Researchers Lecturer SL or reader Professor

% F

emal

e

1999

000

2001


The Scheme


The Scheme

By invitation only. Heads of all physics departments were invited to participate, with a copy of the invitation sent to the VC

Visiting panel of 5 (including 1 man) + secretary

Paperwork (sent beforehand) included admissions statistics, gender disaggregated student numbers, pass rates, staff handbook etc.

Visited 17 physics departments in all.


The Visit

Meeting with departmental management , admissions tutor, director of teaching, HR representative etc

Meetings with: Female academic staff (where there were

no women physicists at all, we met with staff from cognate subjects)

Male academic staff Female RAs and PGs Male RAs and PGs


The Visit

Lunch with female UGs. No staff were present

Laboratory tour

Informal feedback at the end from the chair of the panel to the HoD

Confidential written report is sent to HoD with recommendations.


Observations


Observations from the Data Wide variations in % women students between HEIs.

In some places intake ratio is much lower than application ratio; not due to any explicit bias in admissions but with female applicants refusing offers.

Ratio of women higher in universities where a higher proportion of the students live at home (the same was true for ethnic minorities)

Men have a higher drop-out rate

Women underrepresented in seminars and colloquia


Observations from the Visits The vast majority of departments were not

monitoring statistics

Departments without women suffer in many ways (eg admissions, role models). Male staff are usually aware of this but are very reluctant to do anything about it.

The fact that the visit took place meant that gender issues were discussed, perhaps for the first time.


The “Best” Departments Sympathetic Head of Department (they were all

male). In some cases, it was clear that former HoDs had been very biased.

Male participation in family-friendly policies. If they did not, women felt they were perceived as “letting the side down” by, for example, taking maternity leave or fitting their hours around the nursery.

A high fraction of young staff. Young fathers appreciate the problems but younger men are generally more sensitive to gender issues.


The “Best” Departments

Mix of people from different countries. Welcoming diversity is a positive step.

Women involved in senior management. But women were often disinclined to get involved because they found the prevailing attitudes so unpleasant.

Strong, informal social networks for women. (In some places found that men had unconsciously created an uncomfortable atmosphere by being so friendly among themselves).


Important Issues

Formal, transparent procedures at all levels.

Recruitment (no secret discussions, women on interview panels)

Promotion (major issue)

Appraisal (particularly for RAs)

Workload allocation

Women on “serious” committees

Career breaks


Important Issues

Even successful female RAs and PGs did not want an academic career:

Not consistent with starting a family Average age of academic appointment is ~ 35. Effect of multiple short term contacts Lack of a well-defined career structure Lack of good careers advice Lack of role models Long hours culture


Important Issues

Childcare facilities were usually thought to be inadequate and, where they were good, did not have enough places. The best matched their hours to those of the university.

Harassment. Although almost every place had a procedure for dealing with harassment, the panels were told of several cases, almost none of which had been dealt with in a satisfactory manner.


Next Steps


General Report

General report highlighting the issues and disseminating good practice has been published

Created a lot of interest amongst other learned societies


Next Steps: Industry Site Visits

Working with other professional organisations to introduce a similar scheme in industry

It is much more difficult to operate the scheme in that environment!

They will have to pay.


Next Steps: JUNO Code of Practice

Introducing a Code of Practice for physics departments, based on the site visits report. Linked closely to the Athena-Swan awards.

Departments are “Supporters” if they aspire to the principles in the Code and “Champions” if they can provide evidence that they are following them.


JUNO Code of Practice: Principles

A robust organisational framework to deliver equality of opportunity and reward.

Appointment, promotion and selection processes and procedures that encourage men and women to apply for academic posts at all levels.

Departmental structures and systems which support and encourage the career progression of all staff and enable men and women to progress and continue in their careers.


JUNO Code of Practice: Principles

A departmental organisation, structure, management arrangements and culture that are open, inclusive and transparent and encourage the participation of all staff.

Flexible approaches and provisions that encompass, the working day, the working year and a working life in SET and enable individuals, at all career and life stages, to maximise their contribution to SET, their department and institution.

promoting physics, supporting physicists women in university physics departments peter main...

Documents