February 2016 NUI Galway Announce Appointment of First Ever VP for Equality and Diversity in an Irish University

NUI Galway today announced the appointment of Professor Anne Scott as Vice President for Equality and Diversity. This is the first appointment of its kind in an Irish University.

Professor Scott is currently Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Community in Liverpool John Moores University. She has worked as an academic and academic leader in the Scottish, Irish and currently the English Higher Education Systems. She held the post of Head of the School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University (2000-2006) where she led the development of BSc, MSc and PhD programmes in the school, in addition to founding and developing a vibrant culture of research and scholarship.

In February 2006 Professor Scott was appointed Deputy President and Registrar of DCU, a post which she held until late 2012. During this time she led many initiatives across DCU including a review of the academic promotions process; the development of the e-learning roadmap; and the graduate attributes project for the university. She has a proven track record of transformational leadership in academic environments in both Ireland and the UK, working at senior levels, to bring balance to strategic decision making and insight into the organisational culture and concerns of colleagues.

Professor Scott is an active mentor for the Aurora women only leadership development programme in the UK; she was recognised by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) through the Ireland’s Most Powerful Women: Top 25 Awards for her leadership in public service; she has also mentored emerging women leaders and high potentials via the WXN.

In welcoming the appointment, Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, said: “I am delighted to announce this appointment today at NUI Galway and I very much look forward to welcoming Professor Scott to this new role which will lead on addressing issues of equality and diversity across the University.”

The position of VP for Equality & Diversity has been established by the University following the establishment of a Task Force on Gender Equality by the University’s Governing Body in February 2015 with the remit ‘To consider the University’s present gender mix among staff, including academic and support staff, and advise the University what measures it should take and over what timescale to develop effective gender equality’.

This new post reflects the University’s commitment to transformational change. The Vice President will lead this change to ensure that equality of opportunity is provided to every member of staff as well as developing and implementing a strategy that establishes the University as an exemplar of best practice in the area.

In its first report of June 2015 the Task Force, led by Trinity College Dublin’s former Vice Provost, Professor Jane Grimson, submitted four major recommendations to the University’s Governing Authority.

With the appointment of Professor Anne Scott all of the four recommendations made in June 2015 have now been implemented:

1. The establishment of a new position of Vice President of Equality and Diversity. Professor Anne Scott has been appointed to this role.

2. All major influential committees should be comprised of a minimum of 40% women and 40% men by the end of 2016, including the University Management Team (UMT), Academic Management Team (AMT) and all promotions committees and interview boards. Gender quotas were applied to recent elections to the Governing Authority, and the new Governing Authority will re-constitute its committees to see this cascade to all committees.

3. Ensure mandatory unconscious bias training for all senior staff. Since September over 160 members of the university leadership have completed this training, including President, Registrar and Deputy President, Vice-Presidents, Deans, Heads of School, Chairs of Committees and interview boards and all other senior decision-makers.

4. External review of all promotion and progression policies and procedures within the University for all grades of staff by external expert in respect of gender equality. This review is now complete and its findings will be published shortly.

ENDS

Den chéad uair riamh in ollscoil in Éirinn tá Leas-Uachtarán Comhionannais agus Ilchineálachta fógartha ag OÉ Gaillimh

Fógraíodh in OÉ Gaillimh inniu go bhfuil an tOllamh Anne Scott ceaptha mar Leas-Uachtarán Comhionannais agus Ilchineálachta. Is é seo an chéad cheapachán dá leithéid in ollscoil in Éirinn.

Faoi láthair, tá an tOllamh Scott ina Déan Feidhmiúcháin i nDámh an Oideachais, na Sláinte agus an Phobail in Ollscoil Liverpool John Moores. Tá tréimhsí caite aici ag obair i gCórais Ardoideachais na hAlban, na hÉireann agus anois i Sasana chomh maith. Bhí sí ina Ceann ar Scoil an Altranais agus na nEolaíochtaí Daonna in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath (2000-2006) áit a raibh sí i gceannas ar chláir BSc, MSc agus PhD a fhorbairt sa scoil mar aon le cultúr láidir taighde agus léinn a bhunú agus a fhorbairt.

I mí Feabhra 2006, ceapadh an tOllamh Scott ina hUachtarán Ionaid agus Cláraitheoir ar DCU, post a bhí aici go deireadh 2012. I rith na tréimhse seo, is iomaí tionscnamh a bhí faoina stiúir in DCU, athbhreithniú ar an bpróiseas d'arduithe céime acadúla; forbairt an phlean oibre r-fhoghlama; agus togra tréithe na gcéimithe don ollscoil. Tá teist chruthaithe aici go dtí seo as ceannaireacht bunathraithe i dtimpeallachtaí acadúla in Éirinn agus sa Ríocht Aontaithe, ag obair ag leibhéal sinsearach, chun cothromaíocht a bhaint amach sa chinnteoireacht straitéiseach agus chun léargas a sholáthar ar chultúr eagraíochtúil agus ar imní comhghleacaithe.

Tá an tOllamh Scott ina meantóir don chlár forbartha ceannaireachta do mhná - Aurora - sa Ríocht Aontaithe; d'ainmnigh Líonra Feidhmiúcháin na mBan (WXN) í trí na Gradaim do na Mná is Cumhachtaí in Éirinn: An 25 is fearr as a ceannaireacht sa tseirbhís phoiblí; tá meantóireacht déanta aici chomh maith ar mhná atá nua sa cheannaireacht agus a bhfuil an-mhianach iontu tríd an Líonra WXN.

Agus é ag fáiltiú roimh an gceapachán, dúirt an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh: “Tá ríméad orm an ceapachán seo a fhógairt inniu in OÉ Gaillimh agus táim ag súil go mór le fáilte a chur roimh an Ollamh Scott chuig an ról nua seo a thabharfaidh aghaidh ar cheisteanna comhionannais agus ilchineálachta san Ollscoil.”

Is ann don phost mar Leas-Uachtarán Comhionannais agus Ilchineálachta mar gheall gur bhunaigh Údarás na hOllscoile Tascfhórsa ar Chomhionannas Inscne i Feabhra 2015 leis an sainchúram ‘Breathnú ar mheascán inscne i measc chomhaltaí foirne na hOllscoile, an fhoireann acadúil agus an fhoireann tacaíochta san áireamh, agus comhairle a chur ar an Ollscoil faoin méid atá le déanamh agus faoin tréimhse a ghlacfaidh sé comhionannas inscne a fhorbairt’.

Léiríonn an post nua go bhfuil an Ollscoil dáiríre faoi athrú ó bhun. Beidh an Leas-Uachtarán i bhfeighil an athraithe seo chun a chinntiú go mbeidh comhionannas deiseanna ag gach comhalta foirne agus forbróidh sí straitéis agus cuirfidh sí i bhfeidhm í ar bhealach a chruthóidh an Ollscoil mar eiseamláir dea-chleachtais sa réimse seo.

Sa chéad tuarascáil i mí an Mheithimh 2015 chuir an Tascfhórsa, faoi cheannas an Ollaimh Jane Grimson, a bhí ina Leas-Phropast ar Choláiste na Tríonóide roimhe seo, ceithre phríomh-mholadh faoi bhráid Údarás na hOllscoile.

Anois agus an tOllamh Anne Scott ceaptha tá na ceithre mholadh sin a rinneadh i mí an Mheithimh 2015 curtha i bhfeidhm ar fad:

1. Post nua a chruthú do Leas-Uachtarán Comhionannais agus Ilchineálachta. Tá an tOllamh Anne Scott ceaptha sa ról seo.

2. Go mbeadh ar a laghad 40% mná agus 40% fir ar gach coiste mór le rá faoi dheireadh 2016, ar Fhoireann Bhainistíochta na hOllscoile (UMT), ar an bhFoireann Bhainistíochta Acadúil (AMT) agus ar gach coiste ardaithe céime agus bord agallaimh san áireamh. Cuireadh cuótaí inscne i bhfeidhm sna toghcháin le gairid d'Údarás na hOllscoile, agus cuirfidh an tÚdarás nua na coistí le chéile ionas go gcuirfear na cuótaí céanna i bhfeidhm orthu sin.

3. Oiliúint éigeantach i gclaontacht neamh-chomhfhiosach don fhoireann shinsearach ar fad. Ó Mheán Fómhair, tá an oiliúint seo déanta ag breis is 160 duine ó cheannaireacht na hOllscoile - an tUachtarán, an Meabhránaí agus Uachtarán Ionaid, na Leas-Uachtaráin, na Déin, na Cinn Scoile, Cathaoirligh na gCoistí agus na mbord agallaimh agus gach cinnteoir sinsearach eile.

4. Athbhreithniú seachtrach ar gach polasaí agus nós imeachta a bhaineann le hardú céime agus dul chun cinn san Ollscoil do gach grád ó shaineolaí seachtrach i ndáil le comhionannas inscne. Tá an t-athbhreithniú seo déanta anois agus foilseofar na torthaí go gairid.

CRÍOCH