The University of Newcastle has become the first Australian University to be awarded two Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Cygnet Awards in recognition of its work to support academic and professional women.
The Cygnet Awards require organisations to demonstrate their commitment to removing or reducing barriers to gender equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The first award recognised the university's career development support for women across the Institution. It took into account the impact of leadership, mentoring and support programs on the progression and retention of women and other underrepresented groups.
The second award focused on the impact of strategies including targeted female and targeted Indigenous recruitment and high-school outreach programs to improve the pipeline of female and under-represented students and staff for the College of Engineering, Science and Environment.
"I am incredibly proud that our institution is the first in Australia to achieve this milestone, and even prouder of the collaboration across multiple teams that has delivered significant improvements to how we support the careers of our female staff and students," Vice chancellor Alex Zelinsky said.
"We know we're a stronger and more successful university if we have a diverse and inclusive workforce and supporting women to reach their full potential is critical to ensuring that."
Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) chief executive Janin Bredehoeft applauded the university's work in the wider community.
"I am delighted that the University of Newcastle's initiatives have led to more women and Indigenous people getting hired and promoted, but what stood out to me was the university's analysis of what made these programs work and how they can be improved. I think other organisations will find these insights very useful for informing their own initiatives."
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