One of Ulster University’s largest Schools, the School of Nursing and Paramedic Science has been awarded a prestigious Advance Higher Education Gold Athena Swan Award, recognising the School's commitment to advancing gender equality.
A Gold Award is conferred if the applicant has demonstrated evidence of sector-leading gender equality practice and supporting others to improve over more than one assessment period.
The School of Nursing and Paramedic Science is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), with a dedicated focus within their strategic plan 2023-2028 and demonstrated gender equality influence through embedding Athena Swan (AS) principles as part of their culture and ways of working.
The staff team is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all staff and students.
Highlights of main Award submission:
In its Athena Swan award submission, improvements have been made through the following:
Committing to advancing gender equality in academia:
- The School tackled differential experiences and outcomes for staff and students, ensuring a fair and equitable environment for all. In a targeted response to a stagnation in promotions, they dramatically increased the number of staff applying for promotion to with great success [4 male and 14 female].
- They launched the first BSc Hons Paramedic Science course in NI (2021), appointing its first female paramedic Lecturers (2) in a predominantly male profession (70% male).
- The School’s leadership team (1 male and 13 female) provided leadership opportunities for female staff, with 2 female Associate Heads of School.
Tackling Behaviours and Cultures:
- The School strove to ensure that all environments were established as safe and collegial spaces.
- As a result of this, instances of bullying and harassment have been reduced from 22% to 11% in 2 years through education and support.
- The School has collaborated with all HEIs in NI creating a Career for All website, endorsed by the Department of Health (Northern Ireland), to break down discrimination barriers to careers in nursing.
- Over 40,000 nurses and midwives in the UK who have been tested in our Competence Test Centre have been facilitated to gain access to Postgraduate study, the only University in the UK to do so.
- Through an international partnership, the School of Nursing and Paramedic Sciences successfully worked with international partners to develop and launch a universal healthcare curriculum framework based on being person-centric, globally espousing the values of the charter in education.
Mitigating the Gendered Impact of Caring Responsibilities and Career Breaks:
- The School established robust and successful policies to support flexibility and the maintenance of a healthy work-life balance. They led the University in becoming a breastfeeding-friendly organisation and petitioned the Department of Health (NI) for greater equity in paternity leave duration, equal to national broader standards.
- The School developed policy guidance to support families in navigating issues like flexible working and special leave and implement Ulster University policy with a person-centric focus.
- The School continues to support staff through a Returning Carers Scheme, enabling them to focus on areas that support their return to work and career development.
- The School also established a Crisis fund of £15k to support students with caring responsibilities.
Notably, the School made significant investments in a whole-school approach, including externally facilitated workshops and ongoing support for away days and priority work groups.
Despite significant challenges during the Athena Swan assessment period, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of government funding streams, the School achieved 28 out of 30 of its previous action plan goals.
The School has seen a 65% substantial growth in new staff (male 39% and female 61%), including the addition of our first three staff members from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
This increasing diversity is reflected in the student population with 7% represented within the School (double the NI population figure). Total student numbers have quadrupled across the assessment period to 8403 in 2022/23.
The Assessment panel commended the School for:
"…showcasing several innovative practices, such as providing gender diversity and inclusion training to students, which has been well-received, and establishing a breastfeeding-friendly workplace.
There are clear examples of sharing good practices, such as supporting Athena Swan applications from other schools within and outside the University and advocating for paid paternity leave for male students. The application has shown that the School’s activities and good practices have been adopted by others, through the AS Champion network, local schools, and the wider University. They have made significant contributions to local, regional, and international networks."
Areas of Good Practice:
The assessment panel considered the following initiatives as areas of good practice:
- Men in Nursing outreach campaign
- Crisis Fund to support students with caring responsibilities
- CTC - gateway to education and career development in the UK.
Professor Carol Curran, Pro Vice Chancellor & Executive Dean of Faculty of Life & Health Sciences, said:
"This achievement is notable, being the first School in Ulster University to achieve a gold award, providing the opportunity for an institutional application for an award at this level. The School is also leading in that it is the first School of Nursing to achieve a gold award nationally.
I want to extend my congratulations to everyone in the School and express my gratitude to Professor Neal Cook, Dr Debbie Goode, and the School’s Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team for their hard work on the AS award submission - this accomplishment highlights our continuous dedication to integrating the Athena Swan values and principles throughout the School and within the Leadership Team."
Damian McAlister, Director of People and Culture, adds:
“Congratulations to everyone in the School of Nursing and Paramedic Science on the University’s first Gold Athena Swan award which has been achieved through continuous improvements in fostering a more supportive and inclusive workplace culture.
This is a huge achievement for the School, whose action plan has ensured they are prioritising equality, diversity and inclusion for its staff and students, with several of its initiatives cited as examples of best practice.”
Find out more:
Further information about Athena Swan at Ulster University is available on the website.
If you require further information on Athena Swan at Ulster University, contact Ines Chen, Athena Swan Officer, by email to athena-swan@ulster.ac.uk