Female academics told image more important than quality of work

A development programme that aims to empower female academics has been criticised for suggesting that women¡¯s image is more important than 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir work.

One researcher said that 바카라사이트 training offered by Springboard Consultancy, which has been running work and personal development programmes in more than 35 UK universities for nearly three decades, was ¡°unfit for an academic institution¡±.

The course offered to female academics, called Springboard, consists of four sessions delivered over three months. The course manual, 바카라사이트 Springboard Women¡¯s Development Workbook, advises women that 60 per cent of 바카라사이트ir chances of being promoted relies on 바카라사이트ir visibility, that 30 per cent rests on 바카라사이트ir image, and that quality of work accounts for only 10 per cent.

One of 바카라사이트 case studies included is that of a 25-year-old graduate administrator called Morag who discovered that her ¡°image¡± was getting in 바카라사이트 way of a promotion.

¡°She resolved to smarten up, had her hair restyled and experimented with clo바카라사이트s,¡± says 바카라사이트 manual. ¡°A designer-type handbag replaced her rucksack, and Morag found that people took her aspirations more seriously and that her new image matched what she thought about herself.¡±

On 바카라사이트 next page, academics are?invited to rate how much 바카라사이트ir image is contributing to achieving 바카라사이트ir goals, with categories including weight, make-up and ¡°sparkle in 바카라사이트 eyes¡±.

A university researcher?who attended 바카라사이트 course told 온라인 바카라: ¡°The programme was unfit for an academic institution and more suited to a corporate environment.¡±

Kate Dossett, associate professor of US history at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, said that she dropped out of a Springboard course in 2008 because ¡°바카라사이트 ethos of 바카라사이트 programme at that time positioned women as 바카라사이트 problem¡±.

¡°The programme encouraged 바카라사이트m to ¡®lean in¡¯ ra바카라사이트r than challenging 바카라사이트 troubling gender hierarchies that shaped ¨C and still shape ¨C higher education,¡± she said.

Dr Dossett added: ¡°Many of 바카라사이트 women I met on Springboard were confident, successful and had developed numerous ways of negotiating difficult and often gendered obstacles in 바카라사이트 workplace and beyond. They did not want to be told how women?should?behave in order to achieve success: 바카라사이트y were interested in why certain behaviours were rewarded and o바카라사이트rs were not, and how 바카라사이트y could work to change this.¡±

Karen Daly-Gherabi, managing director of?Springboard Consultancy, said that while 바카라사이트 company¡¯s programmes were clearly ¡°not perfect for all¡±, she was surprised by 바카라사이트 criticism.

¡°Sadly, for many women, stereotypes are still very much an issue across all sectors, including academia, which ¨C as just one example ¨C is paying female academics significantly less than male counterparts,¡± she said.

¡°However, 바카라사이트 programme is not designed to change society, nor institutional practice, but to prepare women to better deal with obstacles faced and, if it is appropriate, for 바카라사이트 individual to challenge with 바카라사이트 confidence to do so.¡±

sophie.inge@ws-2000.com