Here we go again…

I remember an email from Siaw-Lynn with that subject line when we had failed in our second attempt to obtain accreditation from Athena Swan. Now we have made it three failed attempts out of three, and as the person who was leading the School for all three bids one might imagine that I would begin to question if the effort was worthwhile. But it is imperative to remember the importance of the equality agenda: far more important than any stamp of approval is that we continue to pursue what is right for all our staff, and continue to work for an environment that we can all feel comfortable in so that we do not let talent slip through our fingers. The agenda is worth the effort, and we should not forget that. The work of WISDOM helps the School tremendously in this regard, and it is exciting to see their plans for the coming year. There is still a job to be done, and I hope that the whole School can focus on the positive steps that we can and should take, and take some pride in what we have done already.

For more information on the Athena Swan award visit: http://www.ecu.ac.uk/equality-charters/athena-swan/

Professor James McKee
Head of Department (Mathematics)