The PATTERN campaign calls for a cultural shift in academia: away from the ‘thick skin’ and ‘that is the way we do things around here’ rhetoric and towards a culture of care. It raises awareness about:
- a wide range of unacceptable behaviours in academic settings, including abuse of power, exclusion, intimidation, belittling, excessive pressure, boundary violations, unethical conduct, academic dishonesty, microaggressions, and sexual misconduct.
- the common triggers of such behaviours
- the impact on both individuals and institutions
PATTERN is an awareness campaign featuring posters, merchandise, and workshops that encourage the academic community to challenge norm, change the pattern and foster a respectful, inclusive culture. All materials are freely available under a Creative Commons licence to support broad engagement across institutions. The campaign got launched on 17 June with an event open to everyone (UCL and non-UCL). The day included:
- Presentation of key findings from our 2024 cross-institutional research on unacceptable behaviours in academic settings
- A keynote on Using Behaviour Change to Improve Workplace Culture in Higher Education by Prof Leslie Gutman
- An introduction to the PATTERN awareness campaign, including visual materials and resources, presented by Derin Kılıçoğlu (Graphic Designer, Copywriter) and Dimitris Zachos
- Interactive discussions and networking with colleagues across roles and institutions.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, from academics and researchers to professional services, technical staff, and doctoral students. If you’d like to support the campaign, add the campaign logo and link to your signature.
