Background

The DCU Women in Leadership initiative was launched in 2015 against the backdrop of notable gender imbalance across the Higher Education sector. 2021 saw the initiative enter its sixth year, a year of great achievement for women across DCU as they continued to rise to the challenge of COVID19 while still pursuing excellence as they worked to transform lives and societies. 

The vision for the Women in Leadership initiative at DCU has always been for our University to explicitly value women as leaders and ensure that women at DCU are supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential. In 2021, that vision has expanded to include a wider perspective on equality and it is with great pride that we launch this first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report, encompassing areas including age, sexuality, gender, (dis)ability, and race. DCU’s dedication to Women in Leadership has not changed but rather has been strengthened by applying an intersectional lens to our approach to diversity and inclusion. 

This report spotlights and celebrates many of the different ways that the values of equality, diversity and inclusion are present in the work of teams across DCU. It would not be possible to capture the full extent of DCU staff’s dedication to EDI, but we hope this snapshot serves to demonstrate the positive journey that DCU is on. As our University continues to go from strength to strength, we hope you will keep us informed of the important work that you do and share your stories from 2022 so we can celebrate these in the coming months.

Key Activities and Outcomes

While COVID19 continued to present a significant challenge during 2021, and prevented us from delivering in-person Women in Leadership Lectures and Listening Lunches, the HR EDI Unit facilitated many educational and awareness raising events for staff. We were honoured to welcome exceptional guest speakers in celebration of important events such as International Women’s Day, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), Black History Month and International Men’s Day.

In May, DCU was very proud to celebrate the honorary conferring of two exceptional women leaders; Annette Kennedy, President of the International Council of Nurses, and Vivien Lusted, Health Programme Manager with the International Committee of the Red Cross who both heroically rose the challenge of COVID19 and worked tirelessly to help others.

In September 2021, Bríd Horan was appointed DCU Chancellor. Bríd succeeds Dr Martin McAleese who served two terms as DCU Chancellor since 2011. Bríd has over 30 years’ experience in executive, non-executive, and voluntary roles in leading private and public sector organisations and a distinguished record of service and advocacy in NGOs and the arts.

DCU achieved its first departmental Athena Swan Bronze Award this year with the School of Communications successfully challenging for a departmental Bronze Award. The application process included a rigorous selfassessment, showcasing local commitment to gender equality with an ambitious gender action plan developed to address challenges and gaps at school level.

Lastly, as part of expanding the University’s approach to equality, we achieved a significant milestone early in 2021 when the new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee of the Governing Authority was established. This committee will ensure that DCU continues to develop all areas of equality, diversity and inclusion and strengthen our intersectional agenda.

“The establishment of the EDI subcommittee of the Governing Authority has been an important and exciting development and is further evidence of the importance to the University of EDI. The new Committee has led to a greater awareness at Governing Authority level of the strategies and initiatives across the University to further DCU’s diversity ambitions. The Committee is also very focused on data across various metrics which is a key aspect of monitoring progress in this space.”

Ms. Rachel Hussey, Committee Chair

Having successfully retained our Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2020, DCU was formally presented with the Award in a national ceremony held in October 2021.

Alongside the institutional level award, DCU’s first departmental Bronze Award was also conferred. The School of Communications is the first School to attain a Departmental Bronze Award after going through a rigorous self-assessment, showcasing local commitment to gender equality with an ambitious gender action plan developed to address challenges and gaps at School level.

A number of other Faculties and Schools began their Athena Swan journey in 2021, with the Business School submitting their application for a Bronze Award in the November 2021 round. Five more applications are expected to be submitted throughout 2022.

At an institutional level, a new Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (SAT) was formed in 2021 as DCU continues to implement our current gender action plan and as we progress towards our Athena Swan Silver application due in April 2024. The SAT is led by Prof Anne Sinnott, Deputy President and Vice President for Diversity and Equality, and includes representatives from each faculty and a number of professional support units, each with skills and expertise necessary for developing our Athena Swan work.

In working towards building a clear picture of our staff profile, and understanding the impact of our equality work, the HR team designed and distributed a staff engagement, diversity and inclusion survey in November 2021. Results of this survey will be made available to all staff in mid-2022 and will support our work towards greater equality, diversity and inclusion moving forward.

The Athena Swan Ireland charter underwent a re-development in 2021 in line with the findings of a national consultation and now offers a framework for progressing equality in higher education and research that is unique to Ireland. The objective of the Athena Swan Ireland 2021 charter framework is to support higher education institutions, academic departments and professional units in impactful and sustainable gender equality work while also building capacity for evidence-based equality work across the equality grounds enshrined in Irish legislation. The introduction of the new framework provides the opportunity to take an intersectional approach to equality.

Vista Development Programme for Women 

In December 2020, DCU successfully led a collaboration with NUIG and DkIT and were awarded funding under the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Gender Equality Enhancement Fund to develop Vista - a formal self-development programme for women at mid-career stage, both professional and academic, in the higher education sector. 

During 2021 significant work was undertaken to develop the content of the programme and to establish three modules that will support female staff to develop their leadership skills and prepare them for opportunities to move forward in their career. 

The pilot programme will run from January to May 2022. A total of ten candidates from each of the three institutions will participate.

Aurora Leadership Development Programme

Aurora, a leadership development programme for women, was designed to help address the issue of the under-representation of women in senior posts in the higher education sector. A highly-innovative programme, it was developed and is hosted annually by Advance HE. The objective of the programme is to embed a leadership mindset whereby women identify as leaders and seek appropriate opportunities to develop capabilities, skills and networks to support them in their developing careers.

In 2021 female members of DCU staff up to Associate Professor level and equivalent professional staff were invited to apply for the programme. The 16 successful applicants commenced the programme in January 2022

“Taking part in the PAA programme really got me thinking about the bigger picture of what I do at DCU. At times you can get so caught up in constantly doing, that you forget to take that step back and realise the significance of the various aspects of the work that you do. This programme really helped me to take that step back, and start to identify and capture my various strengths and impacts, but also identify areas where I needed to put more time and energy.”

Measuring Success

Since the establishment of the Women in Leadership initiative in 2015, there has been an increase in female representation across all academic grades, most notably at Full Professor level where female representation has jumped from 21% in 2015 to 35% in 2021. In 2021, we continued to see an increase in female representation at Full Professor (33% to 35%) and Professor (39% to 40%) levels. Although we witnessed a slight drop in female representation at Associate Professor level (-1%), our Academic Promotions Committee (APC) will monitor this annually to ensure an upwards trend.

Female representation at non-academic level (pay scale with maximum point above €70,000) remains very well balanced since 2020.

It is important that we continue to proactively monitor all promotions to ensure that we do not lose the very valuable momentum gathered since 2015. The EDI (formally Women in Leadership) Steering Committee and the APC will continue to review the data and any decisions that may impact progress.

Women on Walls 

International Women’s Day 2021 marked the official unveiling of Accenture’s Women on Walls at DCU. The project recognises five extraordinary female leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They are: mathematician Kathleen (Kay) McNulty; biochemist Dr Marie Maynard Daly; engineer Beatrice Alice Hicks; X-ray crystallographer Dame Kathleen Lonsdale and Nasa scientist Katherine Johnson. The project celebrates these inspirational role models through their portraits which were commissioned from five separate artists. They are: Bríd Higgins Ní Chinnéide; Blaise Smith; Una Sealy; Jim Fitzpatrick and Jackie Hudson Lalor. 

This was followed in October 2021 by the launch of a series of ‘living portraits’ to highlight the contribution of our female academics, from the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and adjacent fields. Drawn from all five faculties, those profiled are Jennifer Bruton, Dr Lorna Fitzsimons, Dr Suzanne Little, Prof Christine Loscher, Dr Stella Vlachou, Dr Jennifer Gaughran, Prof Deirdre Butler, Prof Cliona Murphy, Dr Orla Kelly, Prof Edel Conway, Prof Yseult Freeney, Prof Regina Connolly, Prof Jane Suiter, Prof Maura Conway and Dr Tanya Lokot. Their stories are available on the Women on Walls interactive hub. Each profile gives a real insight into the lives of these gifted academics, demonstrating both their disciplinary leadership and passion. 

In December 2021, led by Cultural Arts Officer Marcella Bannon, the Accenture Women on Walls at DCU project was the winner of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and Education category at this week’s 2021 Women in IT awards.

Senior Academic Leadership Initiative 

The Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI) aims to accelerate progress in achieving gender balance at the senior academic level in higher education. In 2021, DCU was again successful in securing another position as part of the highly competitive initiative. The funding is for a Full Professor in Sustainable Finance, a field in which women are currently underrepresented.

Pride Flags 

June 2021 marked the first time that five DCU campuses; Glasnevin, St Patricks, All Hallows, the Alpha Centre and the DCU Sports Campus had LGBTQ+ Pride flags flying in celebration of Pride month. 

Pronouns 

The DCU EDI unit launched an information guide for all DCU staff on the use of personal pronouns. This was accompanied by two exciting developments on our technology platforms when both Zoom and Loop added pronoun fields to their profile set up. 

Bród sa Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge 

Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge was delighted to host a seminar series on the field of sex and sexuality studies in the Irish language as part of Dublin Pride 2021. The seminars took place on both the 18 and 25 June 2021 and saw themes around gender, queerness, and sexuality in the field of Irish language studies. This series was the first of its kind and brought together researchers from various institutions and has helped build a community of academics who focus on these areas.

LGBTQ+ Pride Lanyards 

In Summer 2021 following feedback from our DCU staff community, we introduced free DCU Pride Lanyards for all staff. These lanyards are still available to all DCU staff and can be collected from the reception areas on Glasnevin, St Patrick’s and All Hallows Campuses.

“My experience is that staff almost always ask for one, whether they are collecting their first staff card, or they’re getting a new card when their contract has been extended, or they’re getting a replacement for a lost card. Also, staff have seen other staff wearing them, and come in to us asking for one for themselves. We’ve never had to ask anyone to take one; they seem to be almost universally popular.”

- Mary Hassett, DCU Glasnevin Reception

In 2021, the HR EDI Team launched a number of new training opportunities for DCU staff. Engagement with these opportunities was extremely positive and throughout 2021, we delivered EDI training to almost 550 attendees. We would like to thank all staff who attended the sessions and engaged with these important topics. We would also like to thank all of our facilitators who brought their expertise and knowledge to the sessions and created safe spaces for discussion.

In 2021, the HR EDI Team launched a number of new training opportunities for DCU staff. Engagement with these opportunities was extremely positive and throughout 2021, we delivered EDI training to almost 550 attendees. We would like to thank all staff who attended the sessions and engaged with these important topics. We would also like to thank all of our facilitators who brought their expertise and knowledge to the sessions and created safe spaces for discussion.

Anti Racism Training 

Participants are empowered with knowledge and skills to identify and correct previously unrecognised patterns which could negatively impact inclusion efforts. With shared language and a clearer understanding of how various dimensions of racism are producing unjust and inequitable outcomes for underrepresented groups, DCU staff will be better equipped to foster an antiracist and inclusive experience within their workplace.

At the end of the session, participants:

• Understand the construction of race and institutional racism within Irish society and Irish workplaces.
• Understand the different dimensions of racism and how they can act together to reinforce inequalities.
• Recognise how white supremacy culture operates and manifests in workplace practice, policies and procedures.
• Understand the complexity and intersectionality of race, gender, class, ability and other identities and their accompanying power or lack of power.
• Know how to apply an anti-racism framework to working relationships, team working, managing, hiring, advising and mentoring.

Trans Awareness Workshop 

This workshop is an opportunity to learn about the unique and complex challenges faced by transgender people. This session explores why respecting a trans person’s identity is important, as well as ‘best practices’ for individuals to ensure that respect is communicated. The workshop provides you with the tools to engage in discussion surrounding trans issues, where you’ll have a chance to ask questions in a supportive environment.

LGBTQ+ Allyship Sessions 

This training, delivered by Certified Proud, supports DCU staff to think about their role as allies to the LGBTQ+ community. This one hour sessions covers:

• What is an Ally?
• Privilege checker
• Why are allies needed?
• Allies as disruptors
• Passive Vs Active allies
• Allyship in the workplace
• How to embed active allyship into our daily lives

Autism Awareness Workshops

As part of the Autism-Friendly University initiative, training is offered to all DCU staff to help them better understand the experiences of students and staff who are on the autism spectrum. 

The workshops provide a foundation of knowledge for staff members who wish to better understand the experience of life on the autism spectrum. It focuses on sensory, communication and social challenges faced by people on the spectrum, and on the unique strengths associated with autism. 

This training is provided by our charity partners, As I Am and in conjunction with Student Support and Development.

In 2021, DCU EDI Unit in partnership with other members of DCU’s Consent Working Group, undertook extensive work in implementing DCU’s consent framework.

This work is guided by DCU’s Action Plan to Tackle Sexual Violence and Harassment and is reflective of the Government’s Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions. This important work will continue in 2022.

DRCC training 

In July 2021, the DCU HR team undertook disclosure training through Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The session provided specialist advice on how to support victims of sexual violence and how to look after your own wellbeing if you receive sensitive information related to any form of sexual misconduct. 

DRCC will deliver further training of this kind to wider groups of DCU staff in 2022.

Consent Framework Staff Training 

In order to support teams to become more familiar with the principles and concepts that underpin the DCU Consent Framework, the HR EDI team were invited to provide tailored training sessions to teams. If you would like to request a session, please contact: edi@dcu.ie.

NUIG Sexual Consent Promotion Module 

From March to June 2021, a number of DCU Staff from the HR EDI Unit and Student Support and Development, undertook a Sexual Consent Promotion Module through NUI Galway in order to upskill in the area of promoting a consent culture across the University community and to bring best practice and latest evidence back to their teams at DCU.

Consent Action Plan 

DCU is committed to tackling sexual assault and harassment and in February 2021, we published our Action Plan to Tackle Sexual Violence and Harassment as part of ensuring that we follow the National Framework for Consent. 

The Plan consists of four areas of focus:

1. Institutional Culture 

2. Institutional Processes: Recording 

3. Institutional Processes: Policy 

4. Targeted Initiatives 

The Action Plan is kept under review by the Framework of Consent Working Group and progress is monitored and discussed at regular meetings.

Speak Out Tool 

The Speak Out Tool enables members of our University community to anonymously disclose incidents of unacceptable behaviour such as bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct in a way that is safe and secure. As Speak Out is completely anonymous, the University will have no way to identify or make contact with any individual who chooses to submit a report.

This reporting tool is part of the Framework for Consent in Higher Education and enables data collection on the incidence rates of sexual misconduct across the sector. Given the intersectional nature of sexual misconduct the tool also collects data on multiple forms of misconduct. The key reasons for collecting this data are to:

• Monitor trends of misconduct both at institutional level and across the country
• Improve institutional and national policies to ensure that they support the needs of all members of the University communities
• Inform educational interventions such as workshops, campaigns etc. to ensure that they reflect the real-life experiences of university communities 

While the tool is anonymous, it also, very importantly, will direct users to the appropriate supports and provides information on what formal reporting procedures are available.

International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021: 8th March 

Celebration video 

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2021, DCU invited all female members of staff to submit their photo for inclusion in #IWD2021 celebration video. There was an overwhelmingly positive response and over 200 colleagues submitted their picture.

 #ChooseToChallenge...Yourself 

Additionally on IWD2021, DCU was delighted to welcome guest speaker Carol O’Kelly who facilitated an inspiring workshop on personal branding and encouraged participants to #ChooseToChallenge...Yourself. 

#ChooseToChallenge ... Your Creativity 

Creativity has never been in higher demand and so as part of IWD2021, DCU HR hosted a highly popular workshop on how to harness your creativity. The workshop was led by DCU’s Peter Robbins and included creative writing, visualisation exercises and rapid-fire brainstorming.

Black History Month

The DCU Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit, in collaboration with the DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion, hosted a virtual event in celebration of Black History Month 2021. Titled ‘Celebrating Black Excellence’, Linda Keitasha from the Centre of Excellence was in conversation with Mr. Bashir Otukoya, Assistant Professor in the School of Law and Government. 

Through the sharing of Bashir’s personal anecdotes and lived experiences, this conversation celebrated Black excellence by exploring what black history month means in the Irish context, the valuable contributions the Black community makes in our workplace, and some of the barriers faced by the Black community in employment. The conversation also touched on the importance of allyship in overcoming these challenges, our progress in combating racism in Ireland, and aspirations for a truly inclusive workplace by looking to the future.

DCU Ability supports young adults with intellectual disabilities. The Project offers a range of practical and learner-centered interventions to enable learners to move towards their work and education goals.

During 2021 DCU Ability provided an online Introduction to Work course. This is an eight week blended learning course and was available to learners across the country. All DCU Ability online learners were provided with our Next Steps Toolkit, a learner resource pack and support person guide alongside individual indications for the use of this toolkit in progressing the learner in the next steps towards employment. An All About Me in Work Resource was created for each learner based on their interests, skills and the work preferences they highlighted during the course. This serves as an accessible document which can be used in place of a CV and allows the learner to self-advocate in their search for work.

Library staff are encouraged to attend and engage with EDI training and workshops.

During the course of 2021 over 25 staff, from all library directorates and across all grades, engaged with the following training / workshops:

• Anti Racism Training
• Trans Awareness Workshop
• LGBTQ and Allyship Training
• Supporting Students with Dyslexia
• Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging for all (via LinkedIn Learning)
• Allyship Training
• Autism Awareness Training

A large number of library staff engaged with DCUs first Accessibility Awareness Week in May 2021. This included strong participation in the Small Changes Workshop: Introduction to Assistive Technologies at DCU, leading to changes in some library supports.

The Trans Awareness training has strengthened our support for initiatives such as pronoun visibility days and prompted library staff to display pronouns in email and on Zoom.

The CONUL (www.conul.ie) libraries Customer Services Group, of which Orla Nic Aodha, Associate Director, Public Services and Outreach in DCU library, is chair organised a show and tell seminar for library staff across the Irish universities during July 2021 entitled Show and Tell: Covid as a Catalyst for Change – Customer Service Initiatives with Impact.

Fiona Early, the DCU Autism Friendly University Coordinator, was invited to present as the keynote speaker to share with the participants the ongoing work in DCU and more specifically the partnership with DCU Library. Mags Lehane, Senior Library Assistant, Research and Teaching, presented at the seminar on her work with automatic subtitles when creating instructional training videos for DCU Library, The title of her presentation was From Chondre to Drumcondra: editing Your Tubes automatic subtitles.

DCU Library staff attended the WHELF (Wales Higher Education Library Forum) Excluded Voices Conference in May 2021. The theme was EDI across academic libraries in Higher Education in the UK and Ireland.

Orla Nic Aodha was invited to speak to colleagues in NUI Galway on customer service initiatives in DCU. The focus was the engagement with the Autism Friendly and Age Friendly University, the sign language training completed by Issue Desk staff to support the deaf students on the IOE programme, exploring how the geographical location on the northside of Dublin is a factor in our customer care initiatives for tackling disadvantage, our work with the access office and finally our engagement with the JAM Card initiative.