The University of the Sunshine Coast has been recognised for its significant progress in improving gender equity in academic recruitment. 

The Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) organisation has granted UniSC its fourth SAGE Cygnet Award taking the university a step closer to gaining silver status. 

The SAGE awards acknowledge an organisation’s progress in reducing or removing barriers to inclusion and its commitment to creating an equitable workplace.   

UniSC’s latest award reflects the advances made by implementing reforms aimed at improving the experience of women applying for academic roles. 

Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, said the reforms reflected UniSC’s commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable academic workforce. 

“These changes demonstrate UniSC’s determination to remove barriers and ensure that women see a future for themselves in academia,” Professor Bartlett said.  

“Our data show that once women apply, they progress strongly through shortlisting and appointment, so our focus has been on improving attraction, visibility and confidence at the application stage.” 

The work followed UniSC’s earlier findings that women were underrepresented in senior academic positions and were applying for roles at lower rates than men. 

UniSC has since introduced refreshed job ads highlighting flexible work options, a revamped Careers website, stronger recruitment policies and a new online recruitment system. 

The university has also trialled women’s only recruitment in Engineering and embedded Achievement Relative to Opportunity (ARTO) statements in academic applications to ensure fairer assessment of candidates with diverse career paths. 

UniSC Associate Professor Gail Crimmins, an active researcher in gender, inclusivity and diversity in higher education, said ARTO statements had been a standout addition, helping assess applicants more fairly. 

“Embedding achievement relative to opportunity into our recruitment processes ensures that applicants with diverse career pathways, such as those with caring responsibilities or career interruptions, are assessed fairly and transparently,” Dr Crimmins said. 

A review of more than 300 statements has helped to identify ways to further refine the guidance and support provided during the recruitment process. 

While the latest recruitment data shows women continue to be shortlisted and appointed at strong rates, the proportion of women applying for academic roles has remained steady, highlighting the need for a continued focus on attraction strategies. 

Professor Bartlett said gender equity was central to the culture being built at UniSC. 

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made but we also recognise that there’s work still ahead. Gender equity requires continuous attention, transparency and accountability and UniSC is committed to leading that change.” 

Achieving five SAGE Cygnet Awards will qualify UniSC to apply for Athena Swan Silver Award status. 

The university first achieved bronze award status in 2020. 

About SAGE  

Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) is Australasia’s leading advocate and accrediting body for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the education and research sector. Using an evidence-based and impact-focused framework, SAGE helps institutions build systemic, structural, and cultural change. Their world-respected Athena Swan accreditation program drives and measures institutions’ progress against international benchmarks.