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SAGE at Western Sydney University

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Western Sydney University participated as in Cohort 2 of the SAGE Pilot process. The University submitted its first application for Athena SWAN Bronze Award in March 2019, and was recognised as a Bronze Institutional Award recipient in September of the same year. As part of the application process, Western undertook a thorough self-assessment of organisational data, systems, structure, and culture to draw together an in-depth understanding of how the University promotes and supports gender equity. A comprehensive four-year Athena SWAN Action Plan (2019-2023) specific to our University was developed to provide further platforms of opportunity for women, trans and gender diverse staff within our STEMM disciplines.

The University’s Athena SWAN Bronze Award submission was developed by our SAGE Self-Assessment Team, which comprised of a mix of academic and professional staff from a diversity of personal and professional backgrounds and offered a range of insights to inform the application.

The University aspires to promote a gender-aware, gender-responsive culture across our organisation. We are strongly committed to the SAGE process, and will extend its reach beyond the STEMM disciplines to penetrate the whole of our organisation – including among the non-STEMM fields and across professional staff domains. Our ultimate aim is to embed sustainable structural and cultural change across the University that understands gender equity as a core value.

SAGE Academic Lead, Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright – j.aldrich-wright@westernsydney.edu.au

SAGE Project Coordinator, Dr Kieryn McKay - k.mckay@westernsydney.edu.au.

Western's SAGE Process

Participating in Cohort 2 of the SAGE Pilot process, the University submitted its first application for Athena SWAN Bronze Award in March 2019. As part of this process, we undertook a thorough self-assessment of organisational data, systems, structure, and culture to draw together an in-depth understanding of how the University promotes and supports gender equity. We also developed a comprehensive four-year Athena SWAN Action Plan (2019-2023) that will provide further platforms of opportunity for women, trans and gender diverse staff across the academic work life cycle. It identifies new opportunities to support staff advancement and strategies for targeting existing gender equity policy and initiatives to greater effect.

Western Sydney University’s Athena SWAN Action Plan (2019-2023) highlights:

  • Implementing Equity and Diversity Working Parties in every School, Institute and Division across the University.
  • Additional high school outreach and engagement through new initiatives aimed at increasing girls’ participation in STEMM.
  • Increasing the visibility of role models in areas of STEMM that have low female representation through initiatives such as the Women of Wisdom program in Engineering, and the Western Women Transforming the Built Environment network.
  • Raising the profile of outstanding early-career STEMM women across the University, through programs such as our Network for Emerging Women.
  • Providing additional support and flexibility for staff who are parents and carers, particularly in support of career development.

The University’s Athena SWAN Bronze Award submission was developed by our SAGE Self-Assessment Team, comprising a mix of academic and professional staff with a diverse range of personal and professional backgrounds, and who offered a range of insights to inform the application. The University was notified of the outcome of our Athena SWAN Bronze Award application in August 2019, with results announced at Gender UNLIMITED* #4, Tuesday 22nd October 2019.