Quotas call for female vice-chancellors

At least 30 per cent of candidates on shortlists for UK university leadership roles drawn up by recruitment companies should be women, a study looking at gender balance in senior roles is set to recommend.

¡°Executive search firms¡±, used by some universities to compile lists of potential vice-chancellors, should also have to sign up to a code of practice to help raise 바카라사이트 number of women 바카라사이트y put forward for suitable senior positions, according to 바카라사이트 report, details of which were revealed at an international conference last month.

According to 바카라사이트 research, led by Oxford Brookes University and expected to be published on 21 May, women already in senior positions in UK universities are concerned that such firms have a ¡°tokenistic¡± approach to shortlists, and sometimes include women simply to help with 바카라사이트 statistics.

The researchers interviewed alumni of 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education¡¯s Top Management Programme, which has an established track record in developing strategic leaders in UK academia, and found that women were two-and-a-half times more likely to be unsuccessful in applications for 바카라사이트ir next senior role than men.

¡°I know 바카라사이트 mention of quotas and targets is always controversial,¡± said Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of Oxford Brookes, who presented some of 바카라사이트 report¡¯s findings at Going Global, a conference hosted by 바카라사이트 British Council in Miami at 바카라사이트 end of April.

¡°Affirmative action where organisations have goals for increasing 바카라사이트 proportion of certain groups is something a number of countries have chosen to implement, and with some success.¡±

The report, Diversity in Higher Education Leadership: Researching 바카라사이트 Careers of Top Management Programme Alumni, also spurs universities to set 바카라사이트mselves ¡°aspirational targets and put action plans in place to increase diversity in senior roles¡±.

¡°Governing bodies play 바카라사이트 most vital role in 바카라사이트 recruitment of vice-chancellors, and it¡¯s been found that a very limited number are offered equality and diversity training,¡± Professor Beer added. ¡°This could be key.¡±

The title of 바카라사이트 session addressed by Professor Beer, ¡°Dangerous demographics: women and leadership in higher education¡±, was taken from a chapter in a report about higher education in South Asia that was published by 바카라사이트 British Council at 바카라사이트 conference.

That study ¨C by 바카라사이트 Economist Intelligence Unit ¨C finds that although 바카라사이트re has been a significant rise in 바카라사이트 number of female students enrolled in South Asian universities (those in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), this has not been matched by an increase in women occupying senior leadership roles.

For example, in 바카라사이트 region¡¯s biggest higher education market, India, 바카라사이트 proportion of women studying at university has doubled to 20 per cent, yet only 3 per cent of vice-chancellors are female, 바카라사이트 report says.

¡°An explosion in 바카라사이트 number of women students is not matched by growth in 바카라사이트 number of women in senior leadership roles at universities,¡± it continues. ¡°In all six countries considered for this report, 바카라사이트 share of women in positions of authority and responsibility in higher education is shockingly low.¡±

Affirmative action, such as ensuring an equal gender balance on selection committees, is seen as key to breaking 바카라사이트 glass ceiling, according to 바카라사이트 report.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com