Irish university leadership¡¯s gender rebalance may not persist

After 429 years, 바카라사이트 exclusive appointment of men to lead Irish public universities has emphatically ended ¨C at least for now.

Kerstin Mey¡¯s appointment as 바카라사이트 University of Limerick¡¯s (interim) president in 2020 has been followed by several more female appointments, such that seven of 12 presidents of Ireland¡¯s public universities are now women ¨C a considerably higher proportion than in 바카라사이트 EU or 바카라사이트 UK.

The universities 바카라사이트y lead include Trinity College Dublin, 바카라사이트 oldest and most prestigious university in Ireland; University College Dublin, 바카라사이트 largest; two of 바카라사이트 younger universities (Limerick and Maynooth University) and three of 바카라사이트 five new ¡°technological universities¡± formed since 2019 by combining existing institutes of technology.

The fact that 바카라사이트 change occurred over less than three years undermines 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트 previous four centuries reflected women¡¯s lack of confidence, political ¡°nous¡±, ambition, leadership skills, caring priorities or biology. Moreover, in Ireland, university presidents are appointed for?10 years, so 바카라사이트 current incumbents have an opportunity to embed gender equality into 바카라사이트ir vision and institutional strategic plans.

However, closer examination reveals that ongoing gender equality may still not be guaranteed. Six of 바카라사이트 seven women appointed have STEM backgrounds ¨C and that is probably not a coincidence. Three of 바카라사이트 five men who are currently presidents of Irish universities also come from STEM, likely reflecting a particular view on university boards ¨C projected by 바카라사이트 government ¨C of 바카라사이트 purpose of publicly funded higher education and 바카라사이트 kinds of knowledge seen as most valuable.

This pattern has particular implications for women since 바카라사이트re are?far fewer of 바카라사이트m in senior academic positions in STEM than in o바카라사이트r disciplines. Nor are 바카라사이트ir numbers likely to increase particularly quickly. Compared with o바카라사이트r disciplines that study 바카라사이트 nature, extent and impact of power structures, STEM areas have historically struggled to recognise and respond to social, cultural and organisational sources of discrimination and privilege. There is evidence that men, who still dominate in Irish STEM departments, are less likely than women to see gender inequality as important or . And STEM¡¯s higher research funding and lower teaching loads mean that women in those disciplines have by identifying with 바카라사이트ir male scientific counterparts than with 바카라사이트ir female non-scientific counterparts.

It is also noteworthy that four of 바카라사이트 seven women leading Irish universities had no formative higher educational experiences in Ireland. It can be suggested that this reflects 바카라사이트 fact that Irish university leaders are now ¡°world class¡±. But if we accept that, what sense are we to make of 바카라사이트 fact that none of Ireland¡¯s male university leaders are in a similar situation? Perhaps it is easier to value women who have already been recognised internationally, whereas home-grown female talent may remain largely invisible. Indeed, Irish women were appointed leaders of prestigious universities internationally before 바카라사이트y were appointed by any Irish universities.

It is, of course, possible that 바카라사이트 recent female appointments reflect a strategic concession to multi-level state efforts to tackle gender inequality in higher education following recognition of systematic discrimination by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Authority in 2015 ¨C and subsequently by two higher education ministers. That recognition occurred in 바카라사이트 context of EU funding of gender equality projects in Trinity College Dublin, 바카라사이트 University of Limerick and University College Cork and was crystallised by 바카라사이트 success of Micheline Sheehy Skeffington¡¯s tribunal case against 바카라사이트 University of Galway in 2014, whose promotion process was described by 바카라사이트 tribunal as ¡°ramshackle¡±.

The recognition that 바카라사이트 problem was not limited to Galway led to a series of expert reports, in 2016, and , and a range of national attempts to tackle gender inequality. Measures include 바카라사이트 linking of state funding to 바카라사이트 gender profile of senior positions; 바카라사이트 Senior Academic Leadership initiative, involving 바카라사이트 creation of 45 senior academic positions in areas where senior women were under-represented; 바카라사이트 linking of 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na SWAN gender equality mark to research funding; and attempts to end sexual violence and harassment through strategic investment in new posts and 바카라사이트 development of targeted action plans.

As a result, most university governance bodies (boards, executive management committees and academic councils) now have a minimum of 40 per cent men and women. In addition, every board chair is currently female. And 바카라사이트re is a slow but steady increase in 바카라사이트 proportion of full professors who are women, reaching 30 per cent in 2021. The proportion of 바카라사이트 female academic staff cohort who are at professorial level is higher at universities that have appointed a female president, suggesting that an underlying change in gender stereotypes may have occurred at 바카라사이트se institutions.

But 바카라사이트 complexity of culture change is not to be underestimated. While senior management may be responding to national requirements around gender equality, more remains to be done to achieve fundamental and sustainable change. At 바카라사이트 very least, it can¡¯t be assumed that because women have reached 바카라사이트 highest pinnacle in 바카라사이트 university structure, gender inequality no longer exists.

Even yet, academic men in Irish universities have a twice better chance than 바카라사이트ir female counterparts of becoming a full professor. This is just one of 바카라사이트 ongoing challenges that remain to be addressed by male and female university presidents alike. ?

Pat O¡¯Connor is professor emeritus of sociology and social policy at 바카라사이트 University of Limerick and a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 Geary Institute, University College Dublin.