Athena Swan SAT and Better Workplace Groups

Athena SWAN self-assessment team

Our department's Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team works to drive forward the development and improvement of practical steps towards the advancement of equality. They are responsible for substantial self-analysis, and will strive to ensure that the principles of Athena Swan are embedded throughout the culture of the Department.

The SAT works together with the Department’s Better Workplace Groups to enhance working life for all staff and students and to encourage engagement and inclusion

To date, the Group has achieved one Athena Swan Bronze, two consecutive Athena Swan Silver Awards and one Athena Swan Gold Award. 

A comprehensive department action plan aims to:

• Support and advance women's careers
• Nurture a department culture that promotes sharing and cooperation, recognises achievements and supports work-life balance for all staff and researchers 
• Encourage personal development including mentorship
• Support new staff, ensuring they feel welcome and integrate quickly

The Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team is chaired by James Sheppard.

Read more about the University of Oxford's participation in Athena SWAN.

View our Gold Application (awarded March 2023).

View the Athena SWAN SAT full terms of reference

Meet the NDPCHS SAT

James Sheppard  Chair of Athena Swan SAT and Data Monitoring Group	Vacant Athena Swan Deputy	Catherine Pope Associate Head for People, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion	Richard Hobbs Head of Department
Nicola Small Head of Administration	Clare Wickings Head of HR	Nicola Webb HR Partner	Jo Gearing Head of Communications
Kamal Mahtani chair Personal Development working group	Stavros Petrou chair Workload Allocation working group	Charlotte Albury a  representative of the E&MCR	Claire Friedemann Smith a representative of the E&MCR
Lucy Goddard a DPhil representative	Michelle Yeung a DPhil representative	Johanna Cook a  representative of the Clinical Trials Unit	Kathryn Ungerer  Engagement and Projects Manager and SAT Secretary

Core’ working groups

To support its work, the SAT will work through a small number of ‘core’ groups. These are:

Core’ groups will:

• Be supported by the Departmental Engagement and Projects Manager.
• Meet termly.
• Ensure effective monitoring and measurement against agreed actions.
• Report progress, successes and challenges to each meeting of the SAT.

Better Workplace and Equality and Diversity Groups

The Better Workplace and Equality and Diversity working groups support the broad aims of a 'better workplace' but are not strictly limited to the limit of the Athena SWAN Charter. We allow and encourage colleagues to identify areas of need and create and run working groups to tackle these areas. 

The working groups will:

• Meet on a cycle determined by their membership.
• Report membership and achievements via the Department newsletter.
• Report annually to the SAT on progress, successes and challenges.
• Liaise informally with the Head of Administration, the Athena Swan Lead and Deputy Leads and the Engagement and Projects Manager as appropriate, for advice on how best to share those successes or overcome any challenges faced.

If you wish to join a group, contact the group lead.

Would you like to start a new group? Contact Kathryn Ungerer