1. Are charter marks the answer?
Institute of Ophthalmology 
Are charter marks the answer? 
Dr. Tim Levine
Lecturer, Institute of Ophthalmology
Co-chair of departmental Equality Challenge Team
Member of UCL Disability Self Assessment Team (Ally)
1. over others cf “SEA change” in USA (STEM Equity Achievement) 
2. Individuals in the protected group make the commitment; managers take the credit
ALSO: rewards filling in forms and presenting selective evidence
3. Fear of failure creates this problem. Also fake creativity and insubstantial grandstanding
4. (see final slide)
5./6. later

2. Problems with charter marks
Institute of Ophthalmology 
Problems with charter marks 
Prioritising one group
Diverts effort
Conformity, not creativity
Tick box exercise, not culture change
1. [traditionally disadvantaged] over others cf “SEA change” in USA (STEM Equity Achievement) 
2. Individuals in the protected group make the commitment; managers take the credit
ALSO: rewards filling in forms and presenting selective evidence
3. Fear of failure creates this problem. Also fake creativity and insubstantial grandstanding
4. (see final slide)
5./6. later

3. Practical Morality 1993: White paper: Realising our potential in SET
“the UK’s single most under-valued human resource are women”

4. Practical Morality 1993: White paper 1999: Athena Project
2005: Athena SWAN Charter
2011: DoH funding linkage
2015: Charter enlarged
2018: 40% success rate

5. Problems with charter marks
Prioritising one group
Diversion of effort
Conformity, not creativity
Tick box exercise, not culture change
Repeated rejection is demoralising
Would NHS research really be derailed?
1. over others cf “SEA change” in USA (STEM Equity Achievement) 
2. Individuals in the protected group make the commitment; managers take the credit
ALSO: rewards filling in forms and presenting selective evidence
3. Fear of failure creates this problem. Also fake creativity and insubstantial grandstanding
4. (see final slide)
5. …
6. …is it plausible to reject a major arm of health research on this basis?

6. 4. Athena Review 2014
It is not about conspicuous initiatives, achieving some particular numerical target, or being better than the next department. It is about finding where the problems are and working hard to solve them.
Recently, major research funders have adopted the awards as evidence that departments are providing the inclusive environment that will support the best research and research training. Because of this, universities and their departments now feel compelled to embark on the process and Athena SWAN has become mainstream. On the one hand, this is an excellent development, but on the other, there is a danger that the process will simply be absorbed into the prevailing culture. I am disappointed by how often I now hear Athena SWAN discussed in terms of high profile events, counting how many women professors you have, and trying to get a higher award than the next department.
This illustrates perhaps the most important lesson learned from the Athena Project. The forces against which culture change must work mean that constant sustained pressure is essential.
It is not about conspicuous initiatives, achieving some particular numerical target, or being better than the next department. It is about finding where the problems are and working hard to solve them.
Recently, major research funders have adopted the awards as evidence that departments are providing the inclusive environment that will support the best research and research training. Because of this, universities and their departments now feel compelled to embark on the process and Athena SWAN has become mainstream. On the one hand, this is an excellent development, but on the other, there is a danger that the process will simply be absorbed into the prevailing culture. I am disappointed by how often I now hear Athena SWAN discussed in terms of high profile events, counting how many women professors you have, and trying to get a higher award than the next department.
This illustrates perhaps the most important lesson learned from the Athena Project. The forces against which culture change must work mean that constant sustained pressure is essential.