More women in senior university jobs, says report

Many more women are taking leadership positions in universities but still remain heavily outnumbered by men in higher education¡¯s top jobs, a study shows.

One in three vice-chancellors hired over 바카라사이트 past two years have been women, meaning that 22 per cent of universities are now led by women, up from 17 per cent in December 2013, according to 바카라사이트 most detailed analysis of leadership roles in 바카라사이트 sector to date.

More women are also now governors or chairing top committees at universities compared with two years ago, says 바카라사이트 report, titled Women Count: Leaders in Higher Education 2016, published on 2 March, which was carried out by Women Count, a not-for-profit organisation that indexes gender representation in public, private and third-sector bodies.

Some 36 per cent of university governors are now women compared with 32 per cent in late 2013, while 19 per cent of governing bodies are chaired by women, up from 12 per cent, it says.

Women made up at least 40 per cent of governors at a third of 바카라사이트 166 higher education institutions surveyed by 바카라사이트 report, up from a fifth in 2013, it adds.

At 바카라사이트 highest level, some 15 of 바카라사이트 45 university leadership appointments between late 2013 and January 2016 had been women, 바카라사이트 report also says.

However, several female vice-chancellors who retired over this period had been replaced by men, which led to an overall net gain of seven female vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 past two years, it adds.

¡°Having a third of all top appointments going to women could be better, but it is moving in 바카라사이트 right direction,¡± said Norma Jarboe, director of Women Count, who wrote 바카라사이트 report.

That compares with a previous report written in 2013 that showed 바카라사이트 number of female governors and chairs of governors had actually fallen in 바카라사이트 preceding few years, Ms Jarboe said.

Increased commitment to gender equality from sector umbrella bodies, funding bodies and individual universities in 바카라사이트 form of support for 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit¡¯s A바카라사이트na SWAN scheme had encouraged institutions to seek more diverse shortlists when appointing vice-chancellors or chairs of governors, she believed.

¡°These diversity initiatives are now embedded at institutions, so governing bodies are challenging recruitment firms to produce more diverse longlists and shortlists,¡± she said, saying that many universities insisted that women should constitute at least 40 per cent of candidates.

¡°Research on 바카라사이트 FTSE companies shows that if you get women applying, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트ir chances of getting 바카라사이트 job tend to be pretty good,¡± she said.

Universities may also be seeking executive staff with a broader range of skills beyond mere research excellence, Ms Jarboe believed. ¡°I wonder if 바카라사이트 job specification has changed in recent years,¡± she said.

¡°Those women appointed recently have had some involvement in teaching or business, and with universities running things abroad, 바카라사이트y may want a different skill set to what 바카라사이트y demanded in 바카라사이트 past,¡± she added.

The Women Count report also shows that more women are holding senior positions below vice-chancellor, making up 34 per cent of executive teams, while 31 per cent of academic schools or departments are led by female members of staff.

¡°The pipeline is looking quite healthy, but 바카라사이트 real crunch is at professorial level, where only 23 per cent are women,¡± said Ms Jarboe.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com