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Athena SWAN Institution Application Bronze Award 1
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Application
Bronze Award
2
Name of institution The University of Western Australia
Date of application 30 July 2019
Award Level Bronze
Date joined Athena SWAN September 2015
Contact for application Simon Biggs
Email Simon.Biggs@uwa.edu.au
Telephone 08 6488 2808
ATHENA SWAN BRONZE INSTITUTION AWARDS
Recognise a solid foundation for eliminating gender bias and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff. This includes:
• an assessment of gender equality in the institution, including quantitative (staff data) and qualitative (policies, practices,
systems and arrangements) evidence and identifying both challenges and opportunities
• a four-year plan that builds on this assessment, information on activities that are already in place and what has been learned
from these
• the development of an organisational structure, including a self-assessment team, to carry proposed actions forward.
Completing the form
Please refer to the SAGE Athena SWAN Charter Bronze Institutional Award Handbook when completing this application form.
Do not remove the headers or instructions. Each section begins on a new page.
3
WORD COUNT The overall word limit for applications are shown in the following table. There are no specific word limits for the individual sections, and you may distribute words over each of the sections as appropriate. Please state how many words you have used in each section. Please refer to page 11 of the handbook for inclusions and exclusions regarding word limit. We have provided the following recommended word counts as a guide. Word limit Recommended Actual 1.Letter of endorsement 500 450 2.Description of the institution 500 433 3. Self-assessment process 1,000 1034 4. Picture of the institution 3,000 2627 5. Supporting and advancing women’s careers 7,000 7581 6. Supporting transgender people 500 764 7. Intersectionality 500 641 8. Indigenous Australians 500 735 9. Further information 500 215 10. Action plan N/A N/A Recommended word count 14,000 14480 4
ACRONYMS USED IN SUBMISSION CMO Chief Marketing Officer DHR Director, Human Resources DSPP Director, Strategy, Planning and Performance ECM Pre-2017: Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics EMS Post 2017: Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences HMS Post 2017: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences HR Human Resources IPE UWA Integrated Planning Exercise MDHS Pre 2017: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences SAT UWA self-assessment team SDVC Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor SIS School of Indigenous Studies STEMM Science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine UWA The University of Western Australia VC Vice-Chancellor 5
1. LETTER OF ENDORSEMENT FROM THE VICE CHANCELLOR/DIRECTOR
Dr Wafa El-Adhami
Executive Director
Science in Australia Gender Equity
GPO Box 783
Canberra ACT 2601
31 July, 2019
Professor Dawn Freshwater
Dear Dr El-Adhami
I am writing to assure you of my unequivocal support to the University of Western Australia (UWA) Athena SWAN application for a Bronze award, and its
associated four-year action plan.
6
Throughout 2015-2019 I have led considerable change across UWA to deliver a more resilient and agile institution that is ready to tackle some of the world’s great challenges. Our new decadal plan, Vision 2030, and the associated operational strategies are underpinned by our People and Culture Strategy. Developed in partnership with our staff this strategy is integral to our future development as an employer and is shaped by our institutional values. The coincidence of our work on the Athena SWAN project with our development of a new strategy was fortuitous and has allowed us to embed AS principles throughout these plans. The AS pilot program enabled a period of serious reflection across the entire University about our commitment to equity and diversity. The findings from the project, detailed in this report, have allowed us to pinpoint many areas requiring further attention if we are to be the employer we aspire to be. For example, our data highlight low participation of women in some STEMM areas as well as hidden barriers to career progress that cause many women academics to get ‘stuck’ at Level C. In response, and aligned with our action plan, we have completely revised our promotions process this year in a way that we hope will positively benefit career progress for women. Our engagement activities also allowed us to reflect upon the policy, process and culture drivers that cause disparities in our workforce and identify remedies for our future plans. We will use the Bronze Award to celebrate the success of our efforts to date in gender equality, to focus our attention where there is identified need for further improvement, and to act as a catalyst for development in all areas of inclusion and diversity. Our Action Plan outlines how we will continue to build and embed AS principles as part of our commitment to advance, and validates the integral role of the UWA Executive team and Senior Leadership groups have in driving change and monitoring progress. I am personally committed, as are the senior executive team, to a continuous improvement culture, one that is always evolving and responding to the changing demands and expectations of our staff. This can only be achieved by understanding, supporting and developing all these staff, to enhance their careers and allow them to achieve their aspirations. To the best of my knowledge, the information presented in our application, including data is an honest, original, accurate and true representation of the University. Yours sincerely, Professor Dawn Freshwater Vice-Chancellor 7
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INSTITUTION
UWA was established in 1911 and is committed to excellence in education, research and community engagement for the advancement of the prosperity and
welfare of our communities. As the first free university in the then British Empire, there is a long tradition of promoting equal access to education for all that
continues to this day. We recognise that diversity and inclusion is critical to our commitment to engage with, and be reflective of, the communities we serve
both locally and globally. We genuinely value the contribution that everyone can make, and a more equitable participation at every level of our workforce will
enable us to achieve the goals of our strategy.
UWA is a globally connected university with an extensive network of local and international partners. We are a member of the Group of Eight (Go8) and, as a
leading research university, we are proud of our global standing being ranked 93rd in the Academic Ranking of World Universities and 86th on the broader QS
rank. UWA’s vision is to play a leading role in education, scholarship and discovery of global significance by creating the next generation of global leaders
through experience-rich education and world-leading, trustworthy research. The link between world-class research and outstanding student education forms a
central component of our strategic plan from 2020 to 2025. This is further informed by our role as a member of the Matariki network.
Towards the end of the SAGE pilot period, in 2015/16, we underwent a major organisational re-structure moving from nine faculties, with 45 schools (plus the
School of Indigenous Studies) to four faculties and 21 schools (see Figure 1).
Figure 1-1: Faculty structures at UWA 2011 – 2019
The new STEMM faculties are: (2016 – Present) The previous faculties: (2011 -2015)
Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Science (EMS) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (ECM)
Faculty of Science Faculty of Science
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (HMS). Faculty of Medical, Dentistry and Health Science (MDHS)
The new Non STEMM faculties are: The previous faculties:
Faculties of Business, Arts, Law, Architecture, Landscape and
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education (ABLE)
Visual Arts, and Education
8
The faculties sitting within the STEMM definition remained relatively intact through the re-structure, although there was an amalgamation of some schools to
realise both academic benefits and operational efficiency gains.
In the non-STEMM disciplines, the previous Faculties of Business, Arts, Law, Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts, and Education were amalgamated into a
single Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education (ABLE). Where we present non-STEMM analyses for 2011-2015, we combined data from the (previous)
Faculties of Arts and Business, whose staff numbers were sufficient to make analysis meaningful. The School of Indigenous Studies remains outside the new
faculty structures.
In 2018, UWA had:
• 1,574 FTE academics (43 % women), and 2,205 professional and support staff (70% women);
• 27,415 enrolled students (62% UG, 30% PGC, 8% HDR) of which 49.4% were women;
• 14,430 students (53% of total) in a STEMM course (46% women); and,
• 2,230 HDR students (51% women) of whom 1,664 (88%) were enrolled in STEMM disciplines (49% women).
UWA Aerial view
9Table 2-1: Academic and Professional staff headcount at The University of Western Australia, taken at 31st March each year, 2011-2015.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Academic Professional Academic Professional Academic Professional Academic Professional Academic Professional
UWA total 1,657 2,448 1,769 2,542 1,771 2,514 1,799 2,530 1,741 2,475
STEMM 1,265 1,112 1,358 1,146 1,360 1,135 1,374 1,108 1,329 1,086
ECM /EMS* 203 154 206 157 223 150 224 157 220 163
MDHS /HMS 507 552 575 599 565 600 555 585 542 562
SCIENCE/ SCIENCE 555 406 578 392 575 388 598 370 572 366
Non-STEMM † 366 207 378 215 377 209 394 214 378 215
Non-Faculty 26 1,129 32 1,179 31 1,167 28 1,204 29 1,169
* includes Oceans Institute;
† includes School of Indigenous Studies,
‡ Head count data does not include casual staff
Data source: Department of Education Annual Staff submissions.
Table 2-2: Academic and Professional staff full time equivalence at The University of Western Australia, taken at 31st March
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Academic Professional Academic Professional Academic Professional Academic Professional Academic Professional
UWA total 1,526.4 2,332.3 1,630.2 2,404.4 1,659.0 2,398.2 1,664.2 2,419.7 1,618.7 2,387.3
STEMM 1,103.2 987.6 1,186.2 1,020.1 1,204.7 1,035.5 1,203.7 1,009.5 1,173.4 1,005.8
ECM /EMS* 215.0 154.4 220.0 158.5 233.7 150.8 239.7 155.0 235.1 162.2
MDHS/HMS 389.9 468.6 448.4 500.4 448.3 513.4 424.7 500.5 424.6 485.6
SCIENCE/SCIENCE 509.7 377.5 532.2 363.6 539.2 370.0 553.4 352.0 527.8 352.1
Non-STEMM † 361.7 200.1 377.7 208.3 385.4 199.4 394.2 205.8 379.7 210.4
Non-Faculty 61.5 1,143.2 66.3 1,180.1 67.9 1,170.7 65.9 1,216.9 63.8 1,187.7
* includes Oceans Institute;
† includes School of Indigenous Studies,
Data source: Department of Education Annual Staff submissions & Casual Staff submissions
103. THE SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCESS
(i) A description of the self-assessment team
Professor Dawn Freshwater is the Executive Sponsor for the SAGE Athena SWAN pilot project, initially as Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor (SDVC) 2015-2016, then
as Vice-Chancellor (VC) from 2017. The UWA Project Lead for the SAGE Athena SWAN pilot project, Professor Carolyn Oldham, was seconded to the Office of
the SDVC at 0.4 FTE (July 2015-Dec 2017).
The Terms of Reference for the self-assessment team (SAT) were approved early in 2016 and the SAT established through an open call for expressions of
interest. We had 34 responses from across the University and the profiles of these individuals were considered against a range of experience and diversity
demographics: 14 staff were selected, providing the SAT with a diverse range of skills and backgrounds as outlined below:
Name and Institutional Position Name and Institutional Position
Prof. Carolyn Oldham Dr Sally Male
UWA Project Lead and SAT Chair Senior Research Associate
School of Civil, Env. and Mining Engineering, ECM School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ECM
A/Prof. Johanna Badcock Ms Sue McLeod
NHMRC Research Fellow, Psychiatry, MDHS Business Analyst, Financial Services
11Dr Barbara Nattabi
Prof. Charlie Bond NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow, MDHS,
Associate Dean (Research), Science Geraldton campus
Prof. Graham Brown Dr Tinka Sack
Head of School, Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and
Visual Arts
Mr John Fitzgerald Dr Sachia Schediwy
Chief Operating Officer, Harry Perkins Medical Research Centre Research Fellow, School of Physics and Astrophysics,
Science
Dr Crystal LaFlamme Dr Zarrin Siddiqui
Research Associate Senior Lecturer, Medical Education, MDHS
School of Earth and Environment, Science
`
Women 9 Men 5
Research intensive academics 5 Teaching and research academics 5
Professional staff 4 Full-time staff 11
Part-time staff 3 Staff with caring responsibilities 10
Intersectional 2 Level A/B academic 2
Level C academic 4 Level D/E academic 4
12A Steering Group was established in early 2016, to provide strategic guidance to the project. This group was instrumental in getting broader Executive
engagement in the project, high-level ownership, and support for resourcing requests associated with the Action Plan and submission preparation. Steering
Group membership was:
Steering Group Members
Name Institutional Position
Prof. Dawn Freshwater Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, now Vice-Chancellor
Dr Elizabeth Constable Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow
Prof. John Dell Executive Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Science (EMS)
Prof. Tony O’Donnell Executive Dean, Faculty of Science
Prof. Wendy Erber Executive Dean, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (HMS).
Mr David Harrison Director, Government and Corporate Communications
Prof. Erika Techera Dean, Faculty of Law
Dr Campbell Thomson Director, Research Office
Ms Sandra Ventre Director, Human Resources
(ii) An account of the self-assessment process
UWA was accepted onto the Pilot Project in September 2015. The SAT was formed in December 2015 and met monthly from February 2016, with both face to
face meetings and digital conference calls. The business of the SAT was communicated in person and via email. Initially, the SAT was divided into three working
groups (1: Current status at UWA; 2: Indicators of success; 3: The action plan), however members soon became engaged in all aspects of the project, and the
working groups were dissolved in June 2016. The SAT provided feedback on data and findings and advice on development of the project, with the work being
progressed by UWA’s Athena SWAN lead, the SAT Executive Officer, and the Data Analyst.
In mid-2016, the SAGE Athena SWAN project was formally moved into the Office of Strategy, Performance and Planning (SPP). Concurrently, Dr Laila Simpson
(Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Unit, SPP) assumed responsibility for quantitative data analysis on the project. She was subsequently co-opted to the SAT,
along with Ms Jessica Thomas (Associate Director, Strategy and Planning, SPP).
13Four work packages were established by the SAT:
1. Quantitative data analyses;
2. A policy and process desktop review;
3. The development of gender equity key performance indicators (KPIs) for UWA; and,
4. Broader staff consultation on action planning.
These four work packages were critical to inform the SAT in its Athena SWAN work (Figure 2). Ten gender equity KPIs were developed using a career pathway
approach, and a framework that was developed by the World Economic Forum to assess gender equity progress. Four categories of academic career pathway
were used: 1) A healthy pipeline; 2) Economic participation; 3) Surviving and thriving; and 4) Political participation. The developed KPIs are listed in Table A,
under the Action Plan.
Open Space Technology (OST) was used in 2017, to engage a large number of UWA staff on the issue of gender equity. The first 4-hour OST workshop was titled
“Inclusion and diversity at UWA: How do we walk the talk?” with an information package provided of preliminary Athena SWAN quantitative analyses. All
academic and research-only professional staff and HDR students in the STEMM faculties were invited, along with some key staff from HR and SPP. The eighty
participants were diverse in gender, age, cultural background, and academic/professional level. Scribes captured discussion in all groups and the comments
were transcribed into a Book of Proceedings that was circulated to participants.
A small working group from the SAT then worked with a facilitator to formally analyse the workshop commentary, to map arising themes and identify consensus
on actions required. The output from this workshop directly informed the subsequent development of the UWA Gender Equity Action Plan. A second smaller
OST workshop (30 participants) in 2017, provided staff input to the draft Action Plan, and confirmation that the Actions were still relevant post university re-
structure.
The ongoing outputs and findings of the work packages were presented to UWA stakeholder groups for communication, discussion and endorsement. These
groups included the:
• Athena SWAN Steering Group;
• UWA Inclusion and Diversity Committee (IDC);
• Academic Board;
• Faculty Executives of the three STEMM faculties;
• ECM Equity and Diversity Committee; and,
• Heads of School Forum.
14Figure 3-1: Process map of UWA’s Athena SWAN project (includes resubmission work)
(iii) Plans for the future of the self-assessment team
The SAT was refreshed in October 2018 and renamed the Gender Equity Working Group (GEWG) with a focus on the implementation of the draft Athena Swan
Action Plan and review of the submission. Membership was determined based on recognising the need for:
• Responsibility for the submission of our application for SAGE accreditation;
• Implementation of Gender Equity Action Plan and monitoring of progress;
• Skills in project management and process monitoring;
• Excellent institutional knowledge; and,
15• Good working relationships across campus.
The GEWG (SAT) now comprises the following members:
Name Position Academic / STEMM
Professional
Professor Simon Biggs Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor, Chair A Y
Professor Carolyn Oldham School of Engineering, EMS A Y
Professor Peter Dean Pro Vice-Chancellor Education A N
Ms Jeneane Bilman Head Service Delivery Centre (SDC), EMS P Y
Dr Esther Ooi Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, HMS A Y
Dr Johan Nel Associate Director – Talent and Organisational Development, HR P N
Professor Charlie Bond Head of School, Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science A Y
Dr Josephine Muir Associate Director, Business Transformation - Marshall Centre, HMS P Y
Dr Chantal Bourgault Lecturer, ABLE A N
Assoc. Professor Britta Bienen Associate Professor, EMS A Y
Dr Michelle Olaithe Research Associate, Science A Y
Ms Fadzi Whande Manager, Inclusion and Diversity P N
Miss Bre Shanahan Guild Women’s Affair Officer N/A N
Dr Laila Simpson Manager, Research Impact and Engagement P Y
Women 10 Men 4
Research intensive academics 3 Teaching and research academics 2
Professional staff 5 Full-time staff 11
Part-time staff 3 Staff with caring responsibilities 10
Intersectional 2 Level A/B academic 3
Level C academic 2 Level D/E academic 5
16The GEWG is one of five working groups that report to the UWA Inclusion and Diversity Committee (IDC), established in 2016 and chaired by the SDVC. This is an
advisory committee to the VC that:
• Considers best practice and contemporary topics in diversity and inclusivity;
• Oversees the implementation of the diversity and inclusivity strategy across the university;
• Discusses and addresses any emerging diversity related institutional issues
• Communicates inclusion and diversity initiatives and progress of implementation both internally and externally as appropriate; and
• Advises UWA Executive on issues that would enhance the implementation of inclusion and diversity programs
Five specialist working groups provide advice to the IDC: Gender Equity (including Athena SWAN); Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD); LGBTIQA+;
Disability; and, Student Equity. Gender targets for academics are reported at the university level to our highest governing body (the Senate) as a key
performance metric. The alignment of the five working groups through the IDC provides an excellent route for sharing best practice and exploring areas of
intersection.
174. A PICTURE OF THE INSTITUTION 4.1 Academic and research staff data (i) Academic and research staff by grade and gender Data for non-casual academic staff numbers employed at levels B to E are provided in Figure 4-1. We restrict our initial analysis to staff at level B and above, comparing those who are predominantly on longer-term or permanent contracts. Considering this, the proportion of women at UWA, and across STEMM faculties, was essentially steady between 2011-2015 (Figure 4-1). Across UWA, around 40% of academic staff at level B or above were women (Figure 4-1a): In EMS it was 15% (Figure 4-1b); Science was 32% (Figure 4-1c); and MDHS was 50% (Figure 4-1d). In non-STEMM faculties, close to 50% of academic staff at equivalent levels were women (data not shown). Model of EZONE UWA Student Hub situated at the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical 18
Figure 4-1: Headcount totals of level B through E academic women and men employed on academic non-casual contracts, and percentage of academics that
are women.
a) All of UWA. b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
1500 100 500 100
Number of academics
1125 75 375 75
Number of academics
% women
% women
750 50 250 50
375 25 125 25
0 0 0 0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Year Year
Women (N) Men (N) % Women Women (N) Men (N) % Women
c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
500 100 500 100
Number of academics
Number of academics
375 75 % women 375 75
% women
250 50 250 50
125 25 125 25
0 0 0 0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Year Year
Women (N) Men (N) % Women
Women (N) Men (N) % Women
19Figure 4-2: Proportion of level B through E academic staff on non-casual contracts that are women in STEMM faculties: ECM, Science and MDHS, 1994-2016
45
Proportion (%) of women in faculty
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Year
ECM Science MDHS
All STEMM faculties saw a considerable increase in the proportion of women from 1994 to 2016, as shown in Figure 4-2. Whilst there is evidence of a slowing in
recent years, growth has continued in MDHS and Science, reaching 40% and 30% in 2016, respectively. In EMS, we saw an increase from 5% to 23% in 2008
before declining to 15% in 2016. Feedback from staff at the Open Space forum indicated that this aligned with a decline in the cultural environment. EMS has
responded by introducing cultural interventions to shift awareness of staff (of all genders), to an acceptance of the value of, critical need for, and rightful place
of gender parity in ‘business as usual’ practices. In the 2017 Your Say survey, 78% of EMS staff believed that UWA was committed to a gender diverse workforce
against 80% for the whole university. Since 2016 EMS has taken the following pro-active steps:
• 50% of associate deans are now women;
• 4 out of the 7 Heads of Department are women;
• Started an inclusion and diversity committee in the Faculty, chaired by the Executive Dean, which is implementing initiatives to improve the number of
women academics in EMS;
• Commenced unconscious bias training for academic hiring managers and Level C, D and E academic staff; and,
• Developing a gender equity framework to tackle and correct the continuing low participation rates of women in STEMM .
20Data for the complete academic staff cohort (including level A staff) are given in Figure 4-3. Broadly, in 2015, the STEMM faculties engaged a similar aggregate proportion of women academics at levels A and B of 57%, against the whole of UWA average of 55% (Figure 4-3a). We note, at the higher end, that 68% of women in Science were at levels A and B (Figure 4-3c), reflecting higher research intensity and greater volume of grant-funded roles. Generally, the proportion of men at level E is greater than the proportion of women at levels D and E combined. In MDHS, there were on average 2.6 men at level D or E for every woman (Figure 4.3d). In Science and ECM, this ratio was 5.9 (Figures 4.3 b & c). By comparison, within the non-STEMM faculties, this ratio is 1.6 (data not shown). Clearly, there is a lag in the progress of women to higher levels that has yet to mirror the overall growth in participation in the workforce (Figure 4-2) (Action D2.5). 21
Figure 4-3: The distribution of academic staff level A-E, 2011-2015. Horizontal axes represent proportions and numbers within bars represent headcount.
a) All of UWA b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
100% 45 51 49 100%
56 54 2 3 4 4 3
Proportion of academics (%)
217 214 215 214
Proportion of academics (%)
63 76 81 84 86 218 35 37 35 36 36
80% 8 9 10 8
80% 9
171 179 171 188 192 166 174 166 167 162 34 35
7 6 5 34 35 34
60% 7
60% 7
228 256 272 271 263 28 32 28 34
241 14 14 9 28
40% 211 227 240 231 40% 16 8
235 228 221 239 214 45 41 46 38
20% 46
20% 17 14
163 191 194 200 175 9 15
155 165 152 140 144 8 25 33 30 36
0% 19
0%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Women Men Women Men
Year and gender Year and gender
c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science
100% 100% 12 17 17
8 10 10 7 8 19 18
9 9 11 14 21
Proportion of academics (%)
17
Proportion of academics (%)
71 67 70 70 66 28 28 26 26 55 59 58 58 62
80% 43 40 45 45 42 80%
55 52 47 50 49
87 99 88 99 106 45 54 53 51 47
60% 82 60%
65 70 89 92 92
59 69 69 77
40% 79 89 93
40% 72 87 88 91 83
94 89 93 80
93 103 90
20% 64 78 72 78 20% 34
65 36 34 30 28
82 86 69 69 65 66 71 73 63 64
36 33 33 27 28
0% 0%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Women Men Women Men
Year and gender Year and gender
22Figure 4-4: Number of women and men commencing and completing HDR degrees, on research-only staff contracts, and Level A academic contracts, from
2011-2015
a) All of UWA b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science
The pipeline of women is strong in the UWA HDR cohort (about 50% women, Figure 4-4): In ECM the proportion of women is low at ~25%; it is much higher in
MDHS at 75%; and, balanced in Science. The proportion of women at level A is largely consistent with these patterns. Across UWA, the proportion of women in
research-only professional roles is higher than for academic positions. ECM appears to have seen a marked growth in the proportion of women in research-only
professional roles between 2013-15, but the number is very small (Figure 4-4b).
23Considering all these data, women are underrepresented across UWA in the academic career grades above level B (Figure 4-1). For all academic staff (Figure 4-3),
there were no significant changes across the period in the proportions of women at any level, and the significant overrepresentation of men at higher levels was
maintained. Overrepresentation at levels A and B, suggests challenges to women progressing up to and beyond level C, with many choosing to exit. As noted in
the 2019 Department of Industry Innovation & Science report “Advancing Women in STEM”, levels A/B align closely with life stages such as motherhood and
caring responsibilities. While each primary carer makes their own decisions, these data suggest there may be shortcomings in how workplace support and flexibility
are implemented to encourage retention of high performing academics. Level C departures may be more complex and could be associated with more attractive
roles at other universities (see Section 4.1(iv) below). At Level D, the proportion of women at UWA grew slightly from 17% to 20%, and at Level E, from 6% to 10%.
The linked 4% drop at Level C shows that we will have to put measures in place to grow the numbers of Level C women academics. Our data are consistent with
the national data at each academic level and across all disciplines reported on the SAGE website. Consistent with the national picture, our challenges are most
acute in ECM which has the lowest numbers of women academics at every grade, ranging from 14 at Level A down to just 3 at Level E (2015).
Senior academics set the behavioural and cultural aspects of a team. With men overrepresented in these levels, unconscious biases towards the status quo can
significantly influence this. With the involvement of senior academic leaders in recruitment, promotion and recognition decisions, and the implementation of
policy, we may be driving unintended outcomes. This is especially true where there are long-standing teams where change has been limited. Reports from staff
of the lived experience in ECM suggests this was true in some areas (Action C3.4).
In 2017, UWA launched a recruitment campaign (“Be Inspired”) to pro-actively identify and recruit up to 50 outstanding academics, across all levels. This is part
of our commitment to a new strategically aligned talent-attraction process. While there is no gender target for these appointments, to date, eight (36%) of the
22 academics appointed are women, with the majority appointed to level D or E positions.
The high proportion of women in levels A-C presents a significant opportunity to correct the imbalances at higher levels. Our recruitment, development and
promotions practices are currently under revision and a key driver is the academic pipeline and progression of talented women. Central to our approach is
longer-term consistent workforce planning which explicitly addresses alignment of strategy, behaviour and diversity (Outcome D2).
Action/Outcome What will we do?
Action C3.4 Translate the UWA values into expected behaviours and integrate the UWA values and behaviours into staff recognition programs
Outcome D2 Academic women have an equivalent opportunity as men to advance their careers
Action D2.5 Develop and implement a talent attraction and retention strategy for academic women at levels D and E.
Action D3.2 Build a monitoring programme of the mentoring and sponsorship programme to test its effectiveness, staff engagement and gender
differences in participation and contribution
24(ii) Academic and research staff on either fixed-term or open-ended/permanent contracts by gender
Figure 4-5: Percentage and number of research-intensive staff by gender on fixed term non-casual and permanent contracts, from 2011-2015
a) All of UWA b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
100% 100%
Proportion academics (%)
Proportion academics (%)
188 203 204 207 199 15
80% 16 18 18 69
80% 402 401 399 403 387
19
65 66 63 67
60% 60%
40% 639 609 633 639 649 40%
28 33 32
605 615 610 607 602 29 96 96 96 101 108
20
20% 20%
0% 0%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
women men women men
c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science
100% 100%
38 49 51 52 51
Proportion academics (%)
Proportion academics (%)
47 46 48 44 44
114 116 120 116 72 90 91 80
129 89
80% 80%
60% 60%
342 329
40% 199 192 196 205 205 40% 324 316 324
255 266 253 264 249 189 184 194 173
176
20% 20%
0% 0%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
women men women men
25We see from Figure 4-5 that, across UWA, 80% of women in academic and professional research-only staff roles are in fixed-term positions against only 60% for men (Figure 4-5a). By faculty, we see that the biggest divergence is within MDHS where almost 90% of women and 70% of men are on fixed-term contracts (Figure 4-5d). Exploring further, only about 10% of women in fixed-term roles have contracts of more than 3 years duration, compared to 20% of men (Figure 4- 6). Women are also more frequently on contracts of less than one year. In MDHS, > 60% of women have contracts
In the STEMM faculties, 7% of women are on fixed-term contracts for >3 years (Figure 4-6). Contracts of over 3 years may be considered part of the academic
pipeline as staff feedback indicated that contracts of this duration (or more) provided greater opportunity to develop research, supervision and teaching
experience and would support a more effective transition to permanence (Action D.2.4).
Although job sharing opportunities are supported at UWA, these are more successful in support roles than in academic. There is an opportunity to translate
success in support roles to shared academic roles. Staff feedback also indicated that when life demands that one partner work part-time, this will often be the
lower paid person on a less permanent contract. If women and men have equally secure employment, this difference should be minimised.
Our UWA 2030 strategy calls for a more robust approach to workforce planning that draws together the skills, capabilities and attributes required to deliver the
defined outcomes. This will set the succession, progression, development and role types required to deliver strategic outcomes. Applying the gender lens to this
enables diversity to be built into its design. Importantly, the development and delivery of strategic workforce planning, the promotions and rewards processes,
and the inclusion and diversity portfolios answer through to the SDVC allowing for a coherence in ambition across these agendas (Outcome C.4.1).
Action/Outcome What will we do?
Action C4.1 Creating institutional visibility of diversity and inclusion with the IDC and related working groups acting as champions and change agents to
share information and activity to invite participation.
Action D2.4 Develop and employ greater support programmes for research-intensive careers and transitions into more secure contracts is improved
Action D3.3 Survey academic staff to identify drivers of decisions to pursue research only fixed term positions and identify required support structures.
27(iii) Academic staff by contract function and gender: research-only, research and teaching, and teaching-only
Figure 4-7: Percentage and number of academic level A –E and research only professional women and men on research-only, teaching and research, and
teaching-only contracts.
a) All of UWA b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
100% 53 51 55
100% 3 3 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 3
70 89 85 97 96 74 64
Proportion of academics (%)
Proportion of academics (%)
80% 80% 18
19 16 82
316 309 327 304 18 87 92 83 86
337 19
591 601 576 576 555
60% 60%
40% 40%
483 494 539 524 525 31 34 29
24 78 92 90 94
20% 412 439 445 422 426 20% 19 81
0% 0%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
women men women men
c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science
100% 9 9 7 14 7 9 8 6 14 10 100%
39 49 50 51 52 28 28 33 37 31
62 64
Proportion of academics (%)
Proportion of academics (%)
65 67 61
80% 169 162 158 157 150 80% 107 128 104 108 98
60% 60% 156 174 166 163 151
40% 198 192 194
40%
180 181 245 249 263
232 231 237 231 247 251
227
20% 20% 83 90 96 86
80
0% 0%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
women men women men
Research Intensive; Teaching & Research; Teaching Intensive
28Academic women are less likely to be in teaching and research (T&R) positions across the STEMM faculties (Figure 4-7) and more likely to be in teaching- intensive roles. About 32% of our women academics are T&R staff (Levels A to E) compared to 48% of men across UWA. T&R positions are often considered the gold-standard ‘tenure track’ academic roles, where there is considerable autonomy and flexibility in time dedicated between teaching, research and other roles. The underrepresentation of women is mirrored by an overrepresentation of women on fixed-term research-only contracts (Figure 4-6); it is likely that a lack of mentoring and transition support to T&R contracts contributes to the inequity for women academics. Our strong pipeline of researchers should provide a fruitful pool for recruitment and transition into T&R roles to tackle this disparity in permanent and high- level academic roles. Feedback from academics in research-only positions is that some prefer to sit ‘outside’ of the competitive academic environment while actively contributing to research outcomes. This is something we will explore further in our workforce planning and skills retention strategies (Outcome D2). Action/Outcome What will we do? Outcome D2 Academic women have an equivalent opportunity as men to advance their careers 29
(iv) Academic leavers by grade and gender
Figure 4-8a: Annual academic separations (all genders) showing reason Figure 4-8b: Proportion of academic staff who separate from UWA each
for separation. Data are across UWA, and averaged over 2011-2015 year. Data are across UWA, and averaged over 2011-2015. The proportions
are of academic staff at a given level, of the respective gender (M and F).
The majority of academic separations are due to contract expiry (Figure 4-8a). Nearly a third of academic separations occur through staff resignation. On
average, almost 47% of academic women at Level A leave UWA, compared to 37% of academic men (Figure 4-8b). The proportion of staff leaving UWA rapidly
decreases with increasing academic level, for both men and women, most likely reflecting the greater degree of contract security at higher levels. From Level B
upwards, there are similar proportions of women and men leaving UWA at each level.
30Figure 4-9: Proportion of academic staff (women and men) who resign by appointment level each year. Data are averaged over 2011-2015. a) All of UWA. b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics. c) Faculty of Science. d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science 31
Figure 4-9 shows that across UWA, women resign at greater rates than men from Level C onwards, with Level E women resigning at almost double the rate of
Level E men.
Unsurprisingly, greater numbers of our academic staff resign or reach the end of contract at the lowest levels. The large proportion of leavers is clearly
correlated with staff on fixed-term research contracts tied to project funding. Data to demonstrate the repeat appointments of these staff is lacking, though
anecdotal feedback from staff is that this is a regular occurrence, but insufficiently certain to provide role security.
Almost half of women academics exit from level A. Our understanding of the choices about alternate career pathways and other life decisions by gender is
currently poor. We note, however, that the proportion of academics leaving at level A is consistent with sector patterns and relates to the main point at which
post-PhD academics select an alternative university or other employment.
Disparity in resignations between genders clearly exists at an institutional level: greater proportions of men leave at levels A and B, greater proportions of
women leave at levels C, D and E. Unfortunately, our current exit engagement reporting capabilities prevents us from understanding the reasons for this trend
and as a result we are unable to make informed decisions about addressing this issue. In response to this, the University is adopting a new engagement
approach with departing staff, utilising a combination of online surveys and face to face interviews (Outcome D4.4).
We are conscious that the development plans and support we provide for our staff needs to go beyond only research and teaching capabilities. By creating
placements with industry, opportunities to engage more heavily with the professional aspects of the University and support new methods of working, we seek
to arm our staff with a portfolio of experience to enhance their career opportunities (Action B2.8).
Action/Outcome What will we do?
Action B2.8 Proactively identify UWA women with leadership potential and nurture them through a leadership development
programme
Action D4.4 Conduct exit interviews to better engage and understand reasons for departing staff
32(v) Equal pay audits/reviews Figure 4-10: Average gender pay gap across academic levels for UWA, non-STEMM and STEMM Faculties, and across the three STEMM faculties. Data is averaged across 2011-2015. Across UWA, the greatest disparity in pay by gender is at levels D and E (Figure 4-10). In non-STEMM faculties, there is a considerable pay gap at level E in favour of women, reflecting the greater number of women leaders. The pay gap for all levels ranged from 0.5% at Level A to 3.6% at Level D. The pay gap was greater in the STEMM faculties. ECM had the lowest pay gap ranging up to 2.8% at Level B. Level E academics in Science had the highest pay gap at 11%, and Levels C, D and E in MDHS had pay gaps of 3%, 8.5% and 6.9%, respectively. We acknowledge the considerable pay disparity, particularly at the higher levels of the academic community, which in STEMM faculties consequently favours men. Prior to 2016 there was a gender imbalance in Head of School roles in Science which would have been reflected in loadings to men. This has changed now with 50:50 M:W Heads of School. Further inequities arise from discretionary allowances which are more regularly allocated to men. This is consistent with research and anecdote that suggests women are less confident to seek additional remuneration. The larger pay gaps in MDHS are partly associated with a higher proportion of men at Levels C, D and E, who also have a corresponding clinical role. 33
In 2014 UWA set up a Remuneration Committee chaired by the Vice Chancellor to determine and review the University's remuneration policy and monitor
salary and allowance movements. UWA policy on Reward and Recognition states that accordingly, when considering payment of bonuses or allowances there
must be consideration of the amounts paid to employees of all genders to ensure, as far as practicable, equity for the same levels of performance. As a first
step, the University has now standardised the Head of School role in terms of reward and tenure. We also developed Professorial Zoning to ensure consistency
of performance-based rewards. Zoning requires an assessment of contribution to the University as a whole against KPIs (i.e. teaching, research and service) and
will be fully rolled out in 2020.
During the restructure in 2016, Executive Deans and Senior Executives were provided with specific information appropriate to their faculties, including
information about gender tracking. Achievement Relative to Opportunity Policy was revised and implemented at the same time. UWA continues to recognise
Achievement Relative to Opportunity in all its remuneration, allowance and promotion decisions (Action C4.10)
In mid-2018, the University introduced a Remuneration team to its central People and Culture function. Our aim here is to eliminate discrepancies and add
transparency to remuneration across the University. By way of example, packages offered to new candidates are now benchmarked against comparative roles
internal and external to the University at the beginning of the recruitment process to better manage negotiations and ensure equal treatment. (Action D4.5)
Action/Outcome What will we do?
Action C4.10 Encourage Gender Equity Working Group network to promote recognition of Achievement Relative to Opportunity in
remuneration, allowance and promotion processes across faculties
Action D4.5 Conduct equal pay audits every three years and conduct an analysis if there are any disparities to better understand
reasons for this
345. SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING WOMEN’S CAREERS
5.1 Key career transition points: academic staff
(i) Recruitment
Since 2016, we have recorded data on our recruitment disaggregated by gender and grade, we did not do this previously.
Table 5-1: Competitive recruitment data by academic level across UWA from June 2016 through June 2019 inclusive.
Applications Shortlisted Offer
M F NS* M F NS* M F NS*
Level A 1542 684 26 146 99 9 56 32 6
Level B 2478 1180 68 185 137 13 63 54 8
Level C 506 370 20 83 60 16 22 21 15
Level D 280 110 9 56 21 4 20 8 3
Level E 178 45 23 31 12 16 7 4 12
Total 4984 2389 146 501 329 58 168 119 44
Proportion 0.66 0.32 0.02 0.56 0.37 0.07 0.51 0.36 0.13
*NS = Not stated
At UWA, representation of women within the total applicant pool is about one third of the total. As we move through shortlisting to offer we see a small
improvement, although we note this picture is somewhat complicated by the numbers with undeclared gender 1 recorded in our system (Action C4.8). Ideally,
representation of women in the pool of applicants should reflect the proportion of qualified women available to apply. Currently, we do not have the necessary
1When an application is made for a UWA position the applicant can select from Men, Women, Trans and Other. Not Stated data includes both Transgender and Other. Where external partners are
used such as search agencies for some Level E appointments, gender data may not be recorded. A brief analysis showed that for those appointed who have not stated their gender, it broadly
reflects the larger population that haven’t specified their gender with a very small number identifying as Transgender. This presents an incomplete gender view.
35benchmark data to know what these targets should be but this does form a part of our reinvigorated and centrally managed recruitment strategy.). We note,
however, that the proportion of women in the applicant pool is often less than the proportion of women receiving an offer, regardless of whether there was a
lower proportion of women being short listed. In Table 5-2 below we further explore the offers made across the faculties by gender and academic level.
Table 5-2: Offers ABLE (non-STEMM) EMS HMS Science
made, by M F NS M F NS M F NS M F NS
academic level
across UWA from % % Women
Total
June 2016 Women declared
through June
2019 inclusive
Level A 0 5 0 31 7 2 3 10 0 19 9 3 89 35 37
Level B 25 17 3 15 2 1 6 22 2 14 13 1 121 45 47
Level C 7 6 1 2 2 2 12 5 6 1 6 6 56 34 46
Level D 2 2 1 6 2 0 5 2 1 6 2 1 30 27 30
Level E 1 1 5 2 1 1 2 0 2 2 1 2 20 15 30
Total 35 31 10 56 14 6 28 39 11 42 31 13 316 36 42
Proportion 0.46 0.41 0.13 0.74 0.18 0.08 0.36 0.50 0.14 0.49 0.36 0.15
Looking across all levels, there is a smaller proportion of offers being made to women candidates at the higher levels D and E, although again this picture is
complicated by the high numbers of offers made at level E where gender is not stated (Action C4.89). The picture within the non-STEMM areas is relatively
balanced at all levels. In the STEMM areas, there is clear variability between the faculties, with the HMS faculty making significantly more offers to women in
levels A and B. Again, however, we note that at the higher ‘career grades’ there remains a predominance of men. EMS has consistently low representation of
women in the applicant pool and this is mirrored in the low proportion of offers. Science made offers to 10 more men than women at level A which may create
a pipeline issue.
Prior to 2017, UWA had a recruitment approach that was inconsistently and variably applied between faculties without consideration of the diversity and skills
needs for the broader workforce profile. The ability to attract women to UWA is impacted by many things, including the evident culture and reputation, existing
36gender diversity (especially in leadership positions) and our demonstrated commitment to this through the advertising and recruitment processes. The current
gender mix and the variability in the way we present opportunities have not helped attract a larger proportion of women. Recruitment panels can often
represent the gender mix of the team recruiting, which can introduce unconscious biases into the process. This would be a particular risk in EMS where the
representation of women is very low. However, where these panels are drawn from levels D and E, this is a risk across the whole institution.
Since 2018, we have been using a redesigned approach to recruitment that is strategically aligned with our workforce needs and the challenges we face in
establishing greater diversity in some areas. We have now rolled out consistent processes that are managed through our central HR Talent and Organisational
Development team. This new approach requires panels to be diverse with no worse than a 60:40 gender split and we have reviewed all of our recruitment
materials to remove instances of unconscious bias in language and images (Outcome D2).
Action/Outcome What will we do?
Action C4.8 Improve staff data collection processes and systems to ensure more accurate and complete staff data is collected allowing
a more complete view of the composition of our workforce
Outcome D2 Academic women have an equivalent opportunity as men to advance their careers
37(ii) Induction
Staff orientation
A University-wide staff orientation program is run 3 or 4 times each year and provides an opportunity to meet senior staff and explain the University’s
expectation of its staff. The orientation program is open to new and existing staff. Members of the University Executive team present on the University’s vision
and strategy, education, research and corporate services support. There are also presentations on inclusion and diversity at UWA and a welcome from the
Student Guild. Attendance at orientation in 2018 is presented in Table 5-3. (These data were not consistently recorded prior to this).
Feedback is reviewed and collected by HR via an online survey and, where required, improvements are made to future programs.
Table 5-3: Staff orientation attendance in 2018
February July May October Grand Total
Academic 36 16 11 18 81
Women 18 8 3 10 39
Men 18 8 8 8 42
Professional 61 23 39 34 157
Women 38 18 27 21 104
Men 23 5 12 13 53
Grand Total 97 39 50 52 238
Induction/onboarding
All new joiners are required to undertake the following training:
• Online Health and Safety Induction
• Preventing and Responding to Workplace Bullying
• Sexual Harassment Awareness
38All new staff members are given a checklist with information to assist them in settling into their new role, meeting compliance requirements, and enrolling in relevant orientations and inductions. Line managers are also required to work with new joiners within the first three months to discuss various issues relating to their role. Details are available on our HR website. (https://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/working/new-staff). Local induction and onboarding – Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Pilot In 2018 a project was undertaken in the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (EMS) to give a Faculty induction for academic staff. The project includes information about EMS vision and values; introduction to the EMS leadership personnel; overview of the Faculty structure, course and research themes; the EMS Gender Equity Framework; and introduction to professional services support for academics. This process is continuing in EMS and is being considered for roll out in other faculties in 2020. 39
(iii) Promotion The University currently operates a central process for academic staff. Details of the committee, the process and the criteria are on our website (https://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/working/academic). Applications require the support of the Head of School and Executive Dean. Figure 5-1: Number of applications and proportion of academics within a given level, applying for promotion. Data compares men and women, averaged across 2011-2015. a) All of UWA b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science 40
For the period 2011-15, the proportions of staff applying for promotion (as a function of total women or men at each level) are largely consistent between
genders. There is some divergence in Science and ECM at level E although numbers of women are very low in ECM. The divergence in Science in this period is
more interesting. Additional data, post the reorganisation of UWA, for the number and success of applications split by level and gender since start of 2017 is
provided below.
Table 5-4: Numbers of promotions and associated success by gender and level applied for from beginning 2017 to present (June 2019).
Level B Level C Level D Level E
Combined Data TOTAL % Women
M W M W M W M W
Successful 7 7 20 17 11 12 10 9 93 44
Unsuccessful 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 4 0
In Progress 2 0 9 4 11 7 7 5 45 36
9 7 31 21 22 19 19 14 142
The multiple levels of engagement and discussion typically result in high quality applications being sent to referees and an associated high success rate. Over the
last 30 months all women applicants have been successful. That said, it remains true that at all levels there are higher numbers of men who apply for
promotion, in line with the imbalances in our workforce (43% of applicants are women). We are seeing positive indications at Level D and E of increased
numbers of women applicants. All staff have access to promotions workshops.
We can further dissect these recent data by faculty (Table 5-5). We continue to have a significant challenge in the EMS faculty with only 5 women from 31
applications. Encouragingly, the picture in the other two STEMM faculties looks more balanced. Open Space focus groups identified that women at UWA often
delay applications for promotion longer than men, often due to a lack of confidence, peer support networks and/or mentoring. Our data do not indicate any
serious issues across the whole of UWA but we clearly have ongoing work to do in EMS (Outcome B2 and Action C4.5).
While the Academic Promotions policy was considered fair by staff contributing to an all staff consultation process in 2018, we nonetheless identified key areas
to improve around increased local involvement and staff diversity in the decisions and a broader recognition of different contributions to UWA (such as student
education, management and leadership, and industry and community engagement). We have revised our approach to promotions, in consultation with staff,
and this new approach will be launched fully in 2020. It allows for greater flexibility in assessing contribution type and should benefit a more diverse range of
staff and career profiles. Anecdotal feedback from women who are Heads of School has been very positive about the opportunities it will provide to reward a
wider diversity of staff (Outcome B1 & B2).
41Table 5-5: Absolute numbers of promotion applications and proportion of academic workforce by gender and faculty in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
2017 2018 2019 %
Faculty Total
Men Women Men Women Men Women Women
ABLE 8 0.05 8 0.06 6 0.04 12 0.08 10 0.06 6 0.04 50 52
EMS 8 0.04 5 0.12 11 0.06 0 0.00 7 0.04 0 0.00 31 16
HMS 4 0.02 7 0.04 2 0.01 5 0.03 5 0.03 2 0.01 25 56
Science 6 0.03 5 0.03 8 0.04 6 0.04 5 0.02 5 0.03 35 46
DVCR Office 1 0 1
Grand Total 26 25 27 23 28 13 142 43
Proportion 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.02
Action/Outcome What will we do?
Outcome B1 Recognition, reward and workload allocation are unbiased and non-compounding
Outcome B2 Academic promotion processes are improved
Action C4.5 Explore career development barriers for academic women more deeply through Open Space Technology and other
workshops and engagements.
42(iv) Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC) Figure 5-2: Box and Whisker plot of UWA’s Socratic Index across gender and academic levels (based on HERDC data, averaged 2010-2016). a) All of UWA b) Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics c) Faculty of Science d) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science 43
Until 2019, UWA employed a points system to all academic inputs (grant income), outputs (publications) and HDR completion, with different weightings given to publication type and quality. This became a simple count of academic activity and performance averaged across a six-year time period, with no consideration given to FTE, research workload or commencement dates. Figure 5-2 shows the distribution of scores by gender and level. Importantly, these data illustrate that women perform as strongly as men in research at UWA. However, the index was inherently skewed with a large volume of zero scores among early career academics (before 6-year qualification). We can also see many data outliers at the high end, these were UWA’s more prolific academics in terms of grants, publications and HDR completions, most commonly men. We had developed the Socratic Index as an integrated assessment of HERDC performance, as it aligned with our strategic outcomes, it was the basis on which academic performance was measured, and was used by managers across UWA in different ways. Unfortunately, this performance measure contributed to many of the outcomes we see in this self-assessment. This attempt to systematically metricise research performance utilised a narrow framework that did not holistically describe all academic activity. As it did not automatically consider available FTE or work breaks, it negatively impacted women more often than men as they more frequently took career breaks e.g. during parental leave, or worked part-time. Feedback from staff through our workshops identified a shortcoming in the support of staff returning to research after a career break, including helping them to maintain a strong track record. This impacts research metrics that contribute to grant applications, promotions and other opportunities. The Socratic Index strengthened UWA’s part in a self-perpetuating cycle: with more men at higher levels, grant applications are under-represented by women, and grant winners have more directive power over research grants and their resulting publications. A review of applications for research grants (Table 5-6) identifies a large gap between females and males in STEMM research fields. While success rates are for the most part comparable in STEMM subjects, the overall number of applications and size of the grants indicates a discrepancy that will require further investigation. A review of non-STEMM subject research grants reveal no significant differences between females and males, further highlighting the root cause of the discrepancy lying within the STEMM research areas. 44
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