Driving change to organisational culture in higher education and research
Advance HE membership is your route to our accreditation services including the equality charters, Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter.
Find out more about Membership to Advance HE
Advance HE Membership offers Accreditation packages including Charters, making higher education better for everyone.
Athena Swan
The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within HE and research. Established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment, the charter is now being used across the globe to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.
The Athena Swan package not only includes access to the accreditation process that can result in the award of the charter, it also includes a range of support to help institutions both enhance their practice and achieve recognition for their commitment in this area.
Being part of an internationally-recognised gender equality initiative can help your institution meet its equality legislation requirements, as well as the requirements and expectations of some funders and research councils
Benefits of the Athena Swan Charter
Advance HE Members with access to Athena Swan are able to:
- Submit for institutional and departmental level Athena Swan Charter awards
- Access resources and publications to support award submissions
- Attend workshops to help prepare for an award
- Become part of a national and regional peer support and practice-sharing network
- Access Charter-specific advice and guidance
- Use Athena Swan logos to highlight your commitment gender equality.
90% of institutional champions agreed Athena Swan had impacted positively on gender issues
(Evaluating the effectiveness and impact of Athena Swan – 2014)
Race Equality Charter
The Race Equality Charter is one of the services provided by Advance HE that is improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education. It provides a framework through which institutions work to self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students. Member institutions develop initiatives and solutions for action, and can apply for a Bronze or Silver Race Equality Charter award, depending on their level of progress.
The Race Equality Charter package not only includes access to the accreditation process that can result in the award of the charter, it also includes a range of support to help institutions both enhance their practice and achieve recognition for their commitment in this area.
This package evidences an institution’s commitment to equality and diversity, meeting legal and regulatory obligations under equality legislation, as well as the requirements and expectations of some funders and research councils.
Benefits of the Race Equality Charter
Race Equality Charter members are able to:
- Submit for institutional level Race Equality Charter awards.
- Access resources and publications to support award submissions.
- Attend workshop to help prepare for an award.
- Become part of a national and regional peer support and practice-sharing network.
- Access Charter-specific advice and guidance.
- Use Race Equality Charter logos to highlight your commitment to race equality.
