Our progress and goals
We continue to build on the work of previous committees and leaders, to ensure Monash BDI is an inclusive and supportive place to work and study.
Gender parity at senior academic level D
Women are under-represented in leadership and decision-making roles across many industries, and there is a strong business case to increase the proportion of women in leadership.
At Monash BDI we have implemented organisational change at many levels, with initiatives designed to reduce bias in recruitment, retainment and career progression at all levels.
These initiatives are starting to pay off. For the first time in the BDI’s history, we have now reached gender parity at Associate Professor level (Academic level D). We value diversity in leadership and will continue to assess and adopt best-practice organisational design principles to help achieve our goals of a workplace where everyone can reach their full potential.
Progress amidst COVID-19
We recognise that in this climate of great uncertainty due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we have the important task of both developing a focussed plan for the future, while preserving the progress we have made to date.
Monash’s Athena SWAN committee has presented a position paper, “Advancing staff equity in STEMM in the face of COVID-19” which assesses likely equity impacts on University staff across a range of areas including:
- Employment security
- Unconscious bias in decision-making
- Risk of further widening the gender gap in STEMM disciplines
- Flexible working
- Increased caring responsibilities for parents and carers
- Long lasting impacts of flexible work practices
- Reduced and uneven participation in career building opportunities
- Impact on student evaluation and SETU scores
As part of an impact study on COVID-19, all staff have been invited to complete a survey that will help the Monash University Athena SWAN committee identify the emerging impacts of the pandemic on Monash staff. It will be periodically administered over the next two years. Findings will help shape the actions we take to support equity and inclusion as the University recovers from the impacts of COVID-19. The first iteration of this survey collected data in August 2020.
Did you know? Monash University has a suite of initiatives to support staff and students impacted by COVID-19. Find the latest information regarding these initiatives here.