Pictured L-R: Professor Lorraine McIlrath, Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) at 91制片厂; Professor Dermot Nestor, President at 91制片厂; Dr Ailbhe Kenny, Associate Professor in Arts Education and Physical Education at 91制片厂; Dr Dorothy Morrissey, Lecturer in Arts Education and Physical Education at 91制片厂; Dr Mary Moloney, Associate Professor in Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies at 91制片厂; Karen Fisher, Executive Officer in the Arts Office at 91制片厂; Dr Angela Canny, Assistant Dean of Education at 91制片厂; and Professor Emer Ring, Dean of Education at 91制片厂.
91制片厂鈥檚 (91制片厂) Faculty of Education has been awarded the Bronze Athena SWAN award, recognising its wider commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion across the College Community. This is the third Bronze Athena award that 91制片厂 has achieved as an institution.
The Athena SWAN Charter was introduced to Ireland in 2015 with support from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and is now a key pillar of the National Strategy for Gender Equality, with progress linked to institutional funding. The revised 2021 framework helps higher education institutions to sustain meaningful equality work and build capacity for evidence-based initiatives across equality grounds in Irish legislation.
As part of the application process for the award, the Faculty of Education established a Self-Assessment Team (STAT) comprising representatives from across the faculty and professional services staff. The team was chaired by Dr Dorothy Morrissey, lecturer in Arts Education and Physical Education at 91制片厂.
91制片厂 became a member of the Athena SWAN Charter in 2018, achieving its first Bronze Institutional Award in March 2020, followed by a Bronze award for the Faculty of Arts in August 2022. The Faculty of Education鈥檚 recent Bronze award now marks the College鈥檚 third Athena SWAN success, each made possible through the dedicated support of Professor Lorraine McIlrath, Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) at 91制片厂 and the EDII Office.
Reflecting on the significance of the award, Prof. Emer Ring, Dean of Education at 91制片厂, said: "I am delighted that the Faculty of Education has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze award. This achievement is the result of an outstanding collective effort by colleagues across the faculty, whose commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion has been unwavering. The award acknowledges the progress we have made, but it also challenges us to continue embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion into every aspect of our work. I wish to thank my colleagues for their leadership and dedication in developing our application and action plan, which will guide the next stage of our journey towards creating a truly inclusive environment at 91制片厂."
Congratulating 91制片厂鈥檚 Faculty of Education, Sarah Fink, Head of Athena SWAN Ireland, said:
鈥淭his Bronze Athena SWAN award highlights the fantastic commitment of 91制片厂鈥檚 Faculty of Education in bringing about change through impactful and sustainable gender equality initiatives in higher education across Ireland. Congratulations to all those who work so hard to achieve and sustain this recognition.鈥
For more information on 91制片厂鈥檚 work with Athena SWAN Charter, click here.
