Psychology

What was the highlight, or any changes, within your department to have the award renewed?  

We were commended on our efforts regarding Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI) matters such as support for women returning from maternity leave, considering all staff promotions annually and, as per our previous action plan, we increased the number of women in senior roles. We are continuing to work on the new action plan and report to the Board of Studies on progress. 

Why does your department feel this is an important agenda to contribute to?  

It is essential to work on equality, diversity and inclusion, and the Athena Swan (AS) programme helps us to keep this constantly in mind. 

How does/has this benefitted your staff?  

The change to Annual Development Reviews means that members of staff who might not have thought of putting themselves forward for promotion are considered in the round. As current AS lead, I am also working on the new Departmental Progression and Promotion Committee process, linking with the wider university work to continually improve the process, reflecting and recognising EDI engagement. 

How does this positively impact current/prospective students and staff?  

EDI has a prominent role to play in the department (e.g. inclusion on the senior management team, inclusion on all agendas, reporting at Board of Studies.) This then flows throughout the department, as it shows we take these matters seriously. 

How does your department plan to build on this for future?  

We are working on the action plan, and various groups that have been identified in the action plan have been given specific points which need to be worked through to ensure that gender equality considerations are embedded in wider departmental activity. 

Using art to engage in issues of equality and diversity 

As part of our Athena Swan effort, we commissioned artists to produce a video about equality, diversity and inclusion. Jewels in the Dark is a multimedia installation combining video art, music and language to encourage reflection on these themes. 

Across a pangram, each letter of the English language is used, signalling inclusivity: “If we exclude a person’s gaze, we view the world with one less heart; an equal betrayed for more jewels in the dark." 

The nature of exclusion is conveyed by showing what is lost when a single view is removed from consideration. The visual, audio and lexical readability is obscured in part, with an increasing deconstruction of the screen, challenging the viewer to question the content and their understanding of it. 

Watch the Jewels in the Dark video and learn more. 

Find our more about Psychology