The AEL SWAN Self-Assessment Team (SAT) are delighted to report that following an application for an Advance HE Athena SWAN Charter Award in April 2020, we have achieved our goal of attaining a Bronze Award. We are in the process of implementing our Action Plan in preparation for a new submission in 2025 with the goal of securing a Silver Award. 

The SWAN Self-Assessment Team (SAT) comprises Academic and Professional Support Services colleagues from across the school and at all levels. Through school-wide surveys the SAT have identified specific issues to address and has developed an action plan aimed at improving gender equality in a range of areas, from workplace culture to the student experience.  

Recent initiatives that we have supported and acted upon as a school include; providing free period products for students and staff; ensuring a teaching-free semester for colleagues returning from maternity leave; and developing a template for content and trigger warnings to be included in all AEL subject handbooks . We also help organize and run talks, workshops and panel discussions ranging from specific events like the roundtable panel discussion in partnership with the Derry Playhouse on the occasion of International Women’s Day to a newly instituted, recurring reading group to foster a scholarly discussion around gender equality and related issues. 

SWAN is a standing item on all school committees, both to raise the profile of gender equality issues and to ensure that discussions about school business take place with a SWAN representative in attendance. We would encourage all AEL staff to use the Athena SWAN Bronze logo on any communication, including headed paper and e-mail signatures. These, along with the Athena SWAN branding guidelines are available to download on AEL SharePoint.