Advance HE has appointed Audrey Linton as new Programme Director for International Women's Leadership Development and Aurora Alumnae to drive the global development of its women’s leadership programmes.
Audrey brings to her newly created role a wealth of experience in leadership and career development, having worked in four central government departments and the NHS. She was instrumental in working on national policy on Women in Enterprise, women returners, the gender pay gap and the Equality Act.
She said, “I am really excited to be joining Advance HE and the Aurora team. The reach of this programme is vast and I look forward to working with so many special colleagues and participants and developing the international and alumnae work.”
Inspiring inclusion
Programme Director for Aurora in the UK, Barbara Bassa, is to join the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women as a UK delegate.
The Commission, also known as CSW, was founded in 1964 and is the biggest global policy making body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Barbara said, “We know we need to change how we work and lead in higher education as the old ways are being challenged by current, tough political and economic realities.
“Women are key to this transformation, provided they tap into the feminine aspects of leadership; namely, the ability to face tough choices, with the spirit of openness, compassion and collaboration.
“This is the largest delegation in the world which gives me a lot of hope about what is possible in women’s leadership.”
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Impact of Aurora
Across the UK and Ireland, more than 10,000 women have completed Aurora since it began 10 years ago and follow-up studies consistently demonstrate the impact the program has on women’s career trajectories.
An alumnae survey on the impact of Aurora since its inception revealed:
- 42% of participants have gone on to propose innovative strategies within their institutions.
- 34% have actively shared their acquired knowledge and insights with colleagues.
- 65% of survey respondents who completed Aurora have applied for promotions, with an impressive 83% successfully securing these advancements.
- Approximately 71% of respondents noted a salary increase, either slight or significant, since completing the programme.
- Feedback from alumnae indicated that their engagement with Aurora played a pivotal role in prompting them to apply for promotions (average score: 3.8/5) and significantly impacted the success of their applications (3.8/5).
International development
Aurora has already helped more than 10,000 women in more than 200 higher education institutions across the UK and Ireland develop their leadership skills and the global community has been extended further in the Middle East and South Africa with a contextualised version of Aurora.
A pilot of Aurora in Australia kicks off in mid-2024 to support tertiary institutions in the country aiming for gender equity at all levels of their organisation. The pilot builds on Advance HE’s long-standing work with universities in Australia which includes its partnership with SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equality) and its own 30 member institutions in the country.
Aurora Australia is specifically aimed at early to mid-career leaders and focuses on academic staff and professional colleagues working on education delivery. A national program aimed at a broader cross-section of women in higher education will be rolled out towards the end of 2024.
Professor Polly Parker and Jennifer Witheriff will lead the pilot which will be tailored to the particular needs of the Australian HE context, working in partnership with those with localised insight and expertise.
“The Australian higher education context creates distinctive challenges for women wanting to progress in leadership roles,” said Jennifer Witheriff.
“Our aim is to bring the insights we have from working within the country’s higher education sector for many years to help tailor Aurora so that it's right for both women and their institutions here.
“The goal is for a bespoke Australian Aurora that will be transformative for the women who take part – and, crucially, help the institutions supporting it to develop a ‘pipeline’ of women leaders.”
Alumnae Network
More than 1,000 higher education professionals have so far joined a new online community for those who have taken part in Aurora in the UK and Ireland.
The network is a way for Aurora alumnae to connect, share ideas and participate on a programme of free, monthly sessions tackling subjects such as resilience and life planning, career management, and communications and influence.
The community is being developed in response to calls from women who have been on Aurora and wanted a way to continue their personal and professional development on the back of what they achieved during Aurora.
"It is wonderful to give them all an opportunity to make new connections and together consider some of the thorny issues that affect women’s leadership journeys.”Claire Burgess, Aurora Alumnae lead