Prestigious award for Plymouth University

The Athena SWAN Charter, part of the Equality Challenge Unit, was established in 2005, to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research.

In order to achieve the Athena SWAN Silver Award PUPSMD had to satisfy or exceed a variety of exacting criteria, and introduce ways of working which are sustainable and create an environment for equal opportunity. Initiatives introduced by PUPSMD are wide ranging, and examples include improving the gender balance in meetings and interviews for prospective staff and students, creating mechanisms for promotion which are fair to all genders and providing crèche facilities for important faculty events.

The PUPSMD Athena SWAN Silver Award application process was led by Professor Liz Kay, foundation dean of the Peninsula Dental School and associate dean for equality and inclusion. Professor Kay chaired a cross-gender, cross profession self-assessment team which worked on the application.