Kent Business School (KBS) is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for both our staff and students. In support of this KBS is applying for an Athena Swan Award.
Athena SWAN was set up by Advance HE to support and encourage work done to advance the careers of women in Higher Education.The Athena SWAN Charter is based on ten key principles and its awards recognise commitment and success in developing practices to support gender equality in academia. It is a Charter that recognises good practice, with three different levels of attainment: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
KBS has begun work on its application for a Bronze Athena SWAN award, with a self-assessment team (SAT) set up to work on the application. This team comprises a group of staff and students who will carry out the work needed to make the application. The Bronze award requires an assessment of KBS’s current position on gender equality and an action plan to address any barriers to equality that have been identified.
Leading the project is Dr Samantha Evans, Lecturer in HRM at KBS. She says “In making our application for an Athena SWAN award we are committing to a progressive charter which is about representation, progression and success for our staff and students. The Athena SWAN Awards are a benchmark in demonstrating commitment to gender equality and providing a supportive working environment for staff and students.
One of our first activities is conducting a staff survey. We want to hear from our colleagues what it is really like to work here so that we can identify any challenges to gender equality and areas of good practice. Holding an Athena SWAN award should not only improve the representation and career progression of women working in KBS, but also have an overarching positive effect on working culture and environment that benefits all staff and students. It is an exciting opportunity for everyone working at the business school”.
Find out more about Advance HE’s Athena SWAN Principles.