Athena SWAN
The Athena Swan Charter recognises institutions for their work in promoting a supportive and inclusive environment for staff and students.
UCL Medical School are committed to ensuring fair and inclusive practices for all our students and staff. Following our Bronze Award in 2018, UCLMS were awarded Silver Award Status in 2023. This recognises the work that had been undertaken to ensure gender and ethnic parity and our continued drive for equitable opportunities to enable staff and students to thrive.
What are we doing to drive change?
- We have established an Athena Swan Champion that liaises with the Senior Leadership Team at UCL Medical School and the Faculty of Medical Sciences to ensure oversight and implementation of the Action Plan.
- Establish annual staff surveys aligned to Athena Swan core values to enable issues to be identified and addressed in real-time.
- Ensure equity in our admissions and assessment processes across the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
- Adopt fair recruitment processes for staff and ensure adequate support is provided, especially for those with caring and parental responsibilities, to enable them to thrive.
- Establish a ring fence budget to support EDI related activities across all domains of practice at UCL Medical School. This includes financial provisions for carers to supplement professional development activities.
Impact of Athena Swan at UCL Medical School
- Provision of financial support for undergraduate students from a Widening Participation background.
- Improved induction process for all new starters at UCL Medical School to aid their sense of belonging.
- Improved gender parity with equitable opportunities for career progression and promotion.
Ongoing initiatives
- Improve our understanding of the tailored support students from a Widening Participation background require in the undergraduate programme.
- Addressing the BAME awarding gaps in the postgraduate programme.
- Ensuring adequate support for Early Career Researchers, especially in relation to managing grant applications.
- Address specific needs for those with caring and parental responsibilities in the postgraduate programme. This includes identifying how we can better support those on fertility treatment or experiencing early and late pregnancy loss.
- Improve parity when it comes to ethnicity and disability for staff working at UCL Medical School.
- Improve staff wellbeing and sense of belonging at work.
Want to know more
We encourage all staff interested in participating in Athena Swan activities to contact the Athena Swan Chair
Case Study
I first started at UCL Medical School as a Clinical Teaching Fellow in both Assessment and with CIMEC, a unit of the medical school that collaborates with international medical schools.
From the outset, I was encouraged to actively engage with the wider academic environment and pursue professional development that would strengthen my academic profile. This included gaining recognition as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and completing a Master’s in Health Professions Education.
Alongside these qualifications, I was encouraged to gain experience across a wide range of activities within the medical school and the wider institution. This included curriculum development, assessment work, faculty development, quality assurance processes, educational research, and collaboration with international partners. These experiences helped me grow not only as an educator but also as a researcher and academic.
During my time in the department, I was given the opportunity to take ownership of projects that contributed to both teaching and assessment innovation. This early exposure to leadership opportunities helped me build confidence, gain awards and develop a broader understanding of academic practice within medical education.
A key factor in navigating the promotion process was the mentorship and encouragement I received from my line manager and mentor. He consistently pushed me to achieve the best I could and supported my development over several years in the department. When he felt I was ready, he encouraged me to apply for promotion to Associate Professor and provided invaluable guidance throughout the process. With his support and mentorship, I was fortunate that this effort culminated in a successful promotion.
Documents:
UCLMS Athena Swan Silver Application 2023:
UCLMS Athena Swan Silver Award 2023:
