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Opportunities Committee

Opportunities Committee We are a team comprised of academics, Professional, Technical and Operational (PTO), learning and teaching and research staff from all departments across the School of Public Health aiming to improve the culture and diversity of SPH to improve opportunities of all staff and students through our Athena SWAN action plan.

The Athena SWAN initiative is a powerful driver to make positive changes. We meet every month to drive our
Athena Swan Action Plan 2018 (PDF)

Data monitoring and consultations

Since 2010 we have monitored and reviewed academic career pathways for women including appointments and promotion. We report to the School Board to leverage change across the School. Data collection and review is on-going but we publish key metrics annually.

We are currently carrying out a comprehensive review of the School with a view to defining how we position ourselves for the next decade. This consists of three working groups:

People and culture
Education
Research and impact

A survey of all staff has been conducted to help shape the strategy. Each working group aims to build on the work of their respective committee to ensure their aims are better embedded in the School mission statement and processes.

Improving career development, communication and culture

We have made our activities more transparent and widened communications through our webpages; termly newsletters and through events aimed at celebrating achievement and developing staff and students.

We run a mentoring scheme open to all staff in the School. Based on feedback we introduced an event for Early Career Researchers highlighting opportunities and resources available within the College. This proved so successful it will now be run annually.

We organise family-friendly events that have included trips to the Natural History Museum, London Zoo, London Aquarium, Kew Gardens and HMS Belfast.

Now that we have moved to the White City campus we offer coffee mornings, lunchtime seminars, and a new SPH Parents/Prospective Parents Support Group.

We aim to attract women to the School and help them develop their potential and provide support and training to encourage fair practice and actively plan for promotion.