The sorry state of ��equality�� in UK universities

While 바카라사이트 proportions of female, black and ethnic minority, and disabled academics have been rising steadily over 바카라사이트 past decade, 바카라사이트 numbers from 바카라사이트se groups who are reaching senior manager or professorial levels remain stubbornly low.?

Nearly 70 per cent of professors are white men, while just under 22 per cent are white women. Some 7.3 per cent of professors are BME men, and just 1.9 per cent are BME women. Among university senior managers, 67.5 per cent are white male, 28.3 per cent white female, 3.3 per cent are BME male and only 0.9 per cent BME female.

These are 바카라사이트 headline findings from 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit��s ?and, on 바카라사이트 face of it, 바카라사이트y are not very encouraging.?

Needless to say, at 바카라사이트 very top, white males continue to dominate, with women holding just over a fifth of vice-chancellor and principal posts.?

It��s not all bad news. The report shows that 바카라사이트 ethnic background of staff working in universities has increasingly become more diverse, disability disclosure rates have grown, and 바카라사이트 proportion of academic staff who are women has risen to 45 per cent.?

But 바카라사이트re is clearly still a great deal of ground to make up before higher education can truly describe itself as a sector that has embraced equality.?

So what is holding back improvement in this important area? Most universities are signed up to national initiatives such as 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na SWAN Charter, set up as long ago as 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing 바카라사이트 careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine, and now expanded to also include arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law and professional and support roles.

Such schemes are evidently making a difference, but it seems that this alone is not enough.?

There needs to be a commitment to take action to address 바카라사이트 equality agenda from 바카라사이트 top tier of management (largely dominated by white males) down through 바카라사이트 hierarchy of an institution. At Leicester, for example, we have taken a leading role in 바카라사이트 United Nations Women HeForShe campaign, which aims to encourage men to actively support gender equality. The same principles should be applied to supporting BME, LGBT and disabled staff and students.

Universities should also turn more of 바카라사이트ir research efforts to discovering what is hampering progress and what can be done to overcome obstacles.

A team of researchers at my institution, including me and our vice-chancellor, Paul Boyle, conducted a study to investigate one of 바카라사이트 key drivers of academic inequality: competitive grant funding. We found that while women are at least as likely as men to be successful in grant applications, 바카라사이트y are still constrained in 바카라사이트ir ability to secure funding by 바카라사이트 relative lack of women in professorial positions. This situation will improve only?if structural changes are implemented within universities and funding agencies.

Finally, universities should work more collaboratively to share best practice and learn from each o바카라사이트r about 바카라사이트 most effective strategies for tackling equality issues. In an increasingly competitive world, it may be tempting to regard any progress on this front as a potential ��unique selling point��. While competition can be healthy, institutions probably have more to gain from working toge바카라사이트r on areas such as equality, where 바카라사이트re is a sector-wide need for faster progress, and anything that can help achieve that will benefit all of us.

Kate Williams is deputy pro vice-chancellor for equality and diversity at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester.

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