Athena SWAN Bronze Department award renewal application Name of institution: Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Department: School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Date of application: 29 April 2016 Athena SWAN process: pre-May 2015 Date of university Bronze and/or Silver SWAN award: 2008 (Renewed most recently in 2014) Date of department Bronze award: 2012 Level of award applied for: Bronze Contact for application: Elaine Chew Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0 20 7882 5813 Departmental website address: www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk Please note: This application follows major leadership changes in both EECS and QMUL. As a result of the turnover in senior management, the ECU granted us a one-year eXtension for this Bronze renewal application. Athena SWAN Bronze Department award renewals recognise that in addition to university-wide policies the department has made progress in promoting gender equality and addressing challenges particular to the discipline. It is expected that after three years Athena SWAN Bronze Department award holders should be at the stage to make a new application for a Silver Department award. However, in exceptional circumstances a Bronze Department renewal award submission can be made. Page 1 / 49 List of abbreviations AP Action Plan BUPT Beijing University of Post and Telecommunication CAPD Centre for Academic and Professional Development CDT Centre for Doctoral Training CPD Continuing Professional Development CS Computer Science CS4FN Computer Science for Fun (magazine) CSC China Scholarship Council ECU Equality Challenge Unit EDO Equality and Diversity Office EE Electronic Engineering EECS School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science FTC Fixed-term Contract HoG Head of Group HoS Head of School HR Human Resources ICT Information and Communications Technology IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering JP Joint Programme MAT Media and Arts Technology PDRA Postdoctoral Research Assistant PDRF Postdoctoral Research Fellow PG Postgraduate PGCAP Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice PGR Postgraduate Research Page 2 / 49 PGT Postgraduate Taught QMUL Queen Mary University of London RCUK Research Councils United Kingdom SAT Self-Assessment Team S&E Science and Engineering SMT Senior Management Team STEMM Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine Survey 2015 EECS Staff Culture Survey T&R Teaching and Research T&S Teaching and Scholarship UCU University and College Union UG Undergraduate VP Vice Principal WIE Women in Engineering WISE Women in Science and Engineering 1. Letter of endorsement from the Head of Department – max 500 words An accompanying letter of endorsement from the Head of Department should explain how the SWAN action plan and activities in the department have and will in future contribute to the overall department strategy and academic mission. The letter is an opportunity for the Head of Department to confirm their support for the renewal application and to endorse and commend any women and SET activities that have made a significant contribution to the achievement of the departmental mission. Page 3 / 49 Queen Mary University of London Mile End Road, London E1 4NS Tel: 020 7882 5555 Prof. Geraint A. Wiggins School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science Sarah Dickinson Direct Tel: 020 7882 5200 Head of Equality Charters Fax: 020 7882 7064 Website: www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk Equality Challenge Unit, 7th Floor Queens House 55/56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3LI 15 April 2016 Dear Sarah, The School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at Queen Mary University of London is proud to be part of the Athena SWAN campaign, and fully endorses its Charter. An academic department is a social enterprise, and EECS is like any other in this respect. The consequence for such an enterprise in which half of the population is systematically underrepresented it is losing the talent of a large proportion of the population. This is a state of affairs that requires change. Since our 2012 Bronze award, EECS has encouraged women to join our organisation at all levels, and to put in place actions to support and retain them. We have found that the vast majority of changes that improve prospects for women also improve prospects for men. We are working to improve involvement of women at all levels of electronic engineering and computer science, from high school (which we can influence via indirect means) through to professor. In doing so, I have been heartened to learn of the keenness of my male colleagues to help put the imbalance right. The results of everyone’s efforts are laid out in this submission. Our young people’s outreach activities, which include the nationally recognised CS4FN (CS for Fun) magazine (cs4fn.org), are carefully aimed at both genders, with regular emphasis on the importance of women in the history of EE and CS. We recently renamed our meeting rooms, used by students, after prominent women contributors, and commemorative plaques are being made. These are examples of how we provide role models for the female scientists of tomorrow: this is where change is most directly achieved. Patron: Her Majesty the Queen Letter of Endorsement: Page 1 of 2 Incorporated by Royal Charter as Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London Historically, EECS has been successful in recruiting a higher percentage of female undergraduate students (21%) than the national average (15%), and we want to increase it even further. We specifically aim to make our recruitment events friendly to all genders, and we are actively seeking ways to be more attractive to potential female applicants. At postgraduate level, EECS has three organisations promoting female involvement, G.Hack (Girls who Hack, ghack.eecs.qmul.ac.uk), IEEE WIE (Women in Engineering, ieeesb.elec.qmul.ac.uk/category/wie-news), and WISE@QMUL (Women in Science and Engineering, wiseqml.wordpress.com). We actively support all students, undergraduate and postgraduate, who organise networking and training activities for all genders. An innovation of which I am proud to have personally set in place is our systematic proactive encouragement for junior academics to apply for promotion—now a formal element in our annual cycle. Since it is well known that women are less likely to apply for early promotion, I believe that, over time, such proactivity will afford substantially fairer rewards. EECS’ Athena SWAN activities have achieved much since 2012 but there is still a long way to go. Our action plan charts a course that, as Head of School, I will ensure we follow with enthusiasm and commitment. I endorse the plan in full. I confirm that the information presented in this application is an honest, accurate and true representation of the department. Yours sincerely, Geraint A. Wiggins Professor of Computational Creativity & Head of School 500 words (main text) Letter of Endorsement: Page 2 of 2 2. The self-assessment process – max 1000 words Describe the self-assessment process. This should include: a) A description of the self-assessment team: members’ roles (both within the department and as part of the team) and their experiences of work-life balance, parental leave, flexible working etc.; The SAT has 17 members of EECS and the BUPT Joint Programme (JP), representing a range of career stages, family arrangements, home responsibilities, and management eXperiences. Dr. Kat Agres – PDRA in the Cognitive Science group and Computational Creativity and Music Cognition labs. She has eXperience recruiting and mentoring undergraduate / PhD students from her previous US institution. Professor Elaine Chew – Athena SWAN Champion and University Gender Equality SAT member, is Professor of Digital Media and Director of Music Initiatives for the Centre for Digital Music. Moving from the US to the UK in 2011, she is in a dual- career family and is co-primary carer for a 6-year-old child. Sharon Cording – EECS Finance Manager, has served on interview panels for professional staff appointments. In a dual-career family, she works part time (0.6) and is co-primary carer for a 7-year-old child. Dr. Felix Cuadrado – Data Team co-Lead, is Senior Lecturer in Networks, Programme Coordinator of the MSc in Big Data Science, teaches in the BUPT JP, has recruited PhD students and RAs, and been on lectureship interview panels. Professor Paul Curzon – Outreach Projects Lead, has served as School Director of Public Engagement and led recruitment panels for RAs, PhDs, administrative posts, and short-term/part-time jobs. In a dual-career family, he works part time (0.9), is co-primary carer of a 4 and a 16 year old. Ioana Dalca – Data Analyst, is a PhD Candidate in the Music Cognition Laboratory of the Centre for Digital Music. Elizabeth Deacon – JP Operations Manager, manages three administrative staff in London and remotely in Beijing. Sits on recruitment panels for administrative staff. She works fleXibly (0.5) around part-time MSc for CPD. Dr. Dorien Herremans – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Fellow with eXperience in PhD and MSc student recruitment. Her partner is a full time academic. Dr. Andrew McPherson – Senior Lecturer in Digital Media. He is first year curriculum coordinator for the MAT Centre for Doctoral Training, and has been involved PhD Page 6 / 49 and PDRA recruitment. In a dual academic career family, he moved to the UK from the US in 2011. Dr. Mehrnoosh Sadrzadeh – Athena SWAN Website Lead, is a Lecturer and EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow. She has recruited postdocs and PhD students. In a dual- career family, her spouse is also a full-time academic. Dr. Jesus Requena Carrion – Data Team Member, is a Lecturer in Hardware Design teaching in the BUPT JP. He has recruited PhD students. In a dual-career family, he is co-primary carer of 7- and 3-year-old children. Professor Edmund RoBinson – Staff Development and Equality Coordinator, is Head of the Theory Group, and Treasurer and National Committee Member of the Council of Professors and Heads of Computing.