There are opportunities to reward and embed different types of success, such as teaching, outreach and departmental support.
- Professor Dame Athene Donald, Gender Equality Champion
Senior members of the University of Cambridge are calling for a debate on gender progression within the higher education sector.
In a letter published yesterday (20 February) in the Times Higher Education, more than 50 Cambridge staff – among them heads of colleges and departments – appeal for a broader and more inclusive approach to academic appointments and promotions so that talented women stand a better chance of progressing to senior positions.
They argue that conventional success in academia, for example a promotion from Reader to Professor, can often seem as if it is framed by rigid outcomes – a paper published in a leading journal, or the size and frequency of research grants – at the expense of other skill-sets and attributes. Despite the importance of such metrics, on their own they are likely to benefit men more than women, they argue.
A broader, more inclusive approach to success and promotion, where other academic contributions, including teaching, administration and outreach work are valued, would make it easier for women to advance, and universities fulfil their potential as institutions that contribute positively to society.
Data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency reveal that there are four male professors for every female professor in UK universities, despite women accounting for 45 per cent of the UK academic workforce.
Professor Dame Athene Donald, Gender Equality Champion at the University of Cambridge, said that she and her colleagues were keen to highlight how a conventional understanding of success in academia appears to disadvantage women.
Read the full story
Image: Photographs from the forthcoming book 'The Meaning of Success: Insights from Women at Cambridge'
Credit: Pari Naderi
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
________________________________________________