Management School hosts Athena Swan session on academic career pathways
As part of the Management School’s commitment to equality and diversity a workshop was hosted by the School’s Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team to provide insights and guidance to Faculty Staff and Doctoral Students pursuing Teaching and Scholarship or Teaching and Research career pathways.
The event was held at nearby Blackburne House, which provides training, education and consultancy primarily for women.
Following an introduction to Athena Swan by Professor Liz Parsons, Dr Dale Heywood, Professor Caroline Gatrell and Professor Rory Donnelly led sessions and discussions, and included their own experiences and observations.
Dr Matthew Tickle, who attended the session said, "The event really opened my eyes to some of the strategies and issues associated with managing your career; the speakers were very open and honest about how they got to where they are, which was both insightful and refreshing at this is not normally something you would discuss with colleagues. I also felt that the issues raised were going to be fed back and considered at a higher level. The whole feel of the event was very open and approachable."
Dr Laura Menzies commented, "I found the careers event really useful and inspiring. It was interesting to hear about the career progression of some of our more senior academic staff on both Teaching & Scholarship and Teaching & Research contracts, in particular the problems they have faced and how they overcame them. I thought it was a great environment for sharing advice and talking candidly, and I came away with some great tips."
The session was opened by School Director, Professor Julia Balogun, who commented, “We’re delighted that feedback following the session has been very positive and, moving forward, we’re conducting further research around staff development and opportunities.”
Sessions for non-academic staff are also being planned.