Athena Swan Employee Consultation Survey 2023
Our Athena Swan survey 2023 has now launched.
This survey will focus on key topics linked to Athena Swan, including leadership culture, career progression, workload, dignity and respect, flexible working and family-related leave support.
In order for us to understand the complexity of issues, and the unique challenges and gaps faced by our staff community, we ask that you take part in this important survey and have your voice heard.
This survey is now closed.
Further information on the Athena Swan consultation process can be found below.
The Athena Swan Charter is a framework that works to transform gender equality in higher education and research.
The objective of the Athena Swan Charter framework is to support higher education institutions, academic departments, and professional units in impactful and sustainable gender equality work. Acknowledging intersectional inequalities at play, the charter also supports us in building capacity for evidence-based equality work across all nine equality grounds enshrined in Irish legislation.
More information on the Athena Swan Charter can be viewed on our dedicated webpage, and you can also learn more about DCU's engagement with Athena Swan.
Our Athena Swan journey cannot progress without the engagement of all employees in DCU. Your engagement with our consultation process is necessary to allow us to understand your perceptions, views, and lived experiences, and is required for successful implementation of the charter framework in DCU.
Our staff consultation process commences with the launch of an all-staff Athena Swan survey. This survey will focus on key topics linked to Athena Swan, including leadership culture, career progression, workload, dignity and respect, flexible working and family-related leave support.
Your responses will allow our Self-Assessment Team (SAT) to understand the complexity of issues, and the unique challenges and gaps faced by our staff community. It also provides us the opportunity to develop an action plan that is evidence based and proactive in addressing key issues.
Further employee consultation in the form of focus groups will be facilitated in Autumn 2023.
Participating in this consultation process will provide the opportunity for employees to have their voice heard around areas such as leadership culture, career development, workload, flexible working, family-leave support, and dignity and respect in the workplace.
Sharing your experiences and insights through this survey will provide us the chance to:
- identify and understand key opportunities and challenges faced by our staff community;
- consider how to address the key challenges highlighted by staff;
- develop SMART actions that support in making the necessary changes to enhance the experiences of staff in DCU and ensure a positive and respectable working environment for all employees in DCU.
DCU has a dedicated University Self-Assessment Team (SAT), chaired by Prof. Anne Sinnott, Deputy President and VP for Diversity and Equality. The SAT are representative of the DCU community and are responsible for carrying out a thorough self-assessment of equality, diversity and inclusion in DCU, identifying opportunities and challenges, and creating a four-year action plan to address shortcomings.
Findings from this Athena Swan staff consultation survey will be used by the SAT to understand staff perceptions and experiences across a range of themes. Your responses provide an opportunity for the SAT to identify key areas that need to be addressed through targeted action.
SAT members will have access to the Qualtrics dashboard where findings will be displayed in summarised format.The EDI Unit, who support with the administration of the survey, will have access to the raw data only.
Participants should not disclose personally identifiable information (about themselves or other colleagues) in any part of the survey.
Data collected will be used for the purposes of our self-assessment process which informs our Athena Swan Silver application and our EDI action plan.