Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2010

Transcription

1 Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2010 Monitoring data Governance 1

2 Published: September 2010 Comments or queries about this report are welcomed and should be sent for the attention of the Head of Equality and Diversity. The Equality and Diversity Office University Secretary s Office The Open University Walton Hall Milton Keynes MK7 6AA Tel / Minicom strategy-equality@open.ac.uk Web Page 2 of 13

3 Contents... 4 General... 4 Age...5 Disability... 6 Ethnicity... 7 Gender... 8 Senate... 9 About Senate... 9 Age Disability Ethnicity Gender Page 3 of 13

4 Purpose General The is established by Charter and is the executive governing body of the University. It is collectively responsible for overseeing the University s activities, determining its future direction and fostering an environment in which the University mission is achieved and the potential of all learners is maximised. The ensures compliance with the statutes, ordinances and provisions regulating the institution and its framework of governance, and complies with the general principles of governance provided by the CUC Guide for Members of Higher Education governing bodies. These include Proper Conduct of Public Business, Strategic Planning, Monitoring Effectiveness and Performance, Finance, Audit, Estate Management, Human Resource Management, Equality and Diversity, Students Union and Health and Safety. Further details can be found in the Statement of Role and Primary Responsibilities. Meetings and Members The normally meets four times each year, with an additional residential meeting. A special meeting may be convened at any time on the written request of ten members of the (Statute 14) or by the decision of the Chair. The has a membership of 25; it includes representatives of the academic and research staff, associate lecturer and non-academic staff, students, and a number of external co-opted members. These latter persons hold a majority of the membership places. They are appointed for their experience and expertise. Subject to the academic powers of the Senate, the exercises general control over conduct of the University's affairs, but is particularly concerned with its finances and property, and with staff matters. It is assisted by a number of specific sub-committees, which deal with matters relating to audit, finance, staffing, estates and membership. All elections within the scope of this Code are conducted by means of a secret ballot. The University Secretary invites nominations from all members of the relevant constituencies, who are regarded as having an equal opportunity to contribute to the work of the Senate. Elections are conducted using the single transferable vote system. External Co-opted Members The Membership Committee is responsible for recommending to the the appointment or reappointment of external co-opted members of the, and membership of Committees. It consults widely both within the University and externally to obtain suggestions and applications for Membership. The Membership Committee advises the on the balance of membership (including committees of the ) and on the experience and skills required to ensure that there are informed and wide-ranging points of view. A list of criteria for membership of the has been agreed, and diversity is amongst the factors considered. Notes on the data The data on the was collected for the first time in 2009 by means of a Governance Equality Monitoring questionnaire. The same questionnaire was used to collect data in There were fewer returns, and as a consequence the percentage figures indicate a greater change from 2009 than may actually be the case. Page 4 of 13

5 Age Table 1 shows the composition by the percentage of members belonging to each age band. The 56 and over age band is the largest grouping at 52.2%. Only 13% of members are aged 45 or less. These figures are comparable with 2009, bearing in mind that the data is unknown for 8.7% of the membership. All of the external co-opted members of the are over 45 years. This may be indicative of the level of skills and experience required of the members, which is more likely to be present in candidates who are well established in their careers. More than half of the external co-opted members are in the 56 and over brackets, a fact that may be explained by the time commitment required by governors, which may be easier to find if the candidate is retired or semi-retired. Table 1: The membership composition by age March 2009 March 2010 Under and over Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Page 5 of 13

6 Disability Table 2 shows the composition of the membership by disability at March 2009 and March Of the known data, disabled members accounted for 5%, although this represents just 1 member where data is known. Table 2: The membership composition by disability March 2009 March 2010 Disabled Non-disabled Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Page 6 of 13

7 Ethnicity Table 3 shows the membership composition by ethnicity at March 2009 and March White ethnic groups account for 95% of known data, with 5% describing their ethnic group as Black. Data is unknown for 13% of the membership. The representation of ethnic minority groups compares well in percentage terms with that on the Senate and with the University workforce as a whole however, there is just 1 member from an ethnic minority group on the. Table 3: The membership composition by ethnicity March 2009 March 2010 Asian Black Chinese & Other Mixed White Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Page 7 of 13

8 Gender Table 4 shows the membership composition by gender at March 2009 and March The percentage of female members has remained constant at 47.8%, compared to 52.2% of males. The difference in actual numbers is just 1. These figures are comparable to those on the Senate with 50% of members being female and 50% male. The overall University staff ratio is approximately two-thirds female to one-third male. Table 4: The membership composition by gender March 2009 March 2010 Male Female Total Page 8 of 13

9 Senate About Senate Purpose The Senate is the academic authority of the University which, subject to the powers of the, is responsible for promoting the academic work of the University both in teaching and research. It oversees the University s academic management, including the curriculum and all aspects of quality and standards associated with the University as a degree-awarding body. It has the power to make Regulations, including those which (subject to the approval of the ) delegate any of its powers. Senate meetings concentrate on major issues of academic strategy, policy, priority and performance. Meetings and Members The Senate meets at least four times each year. A special meeting may be convened at any time on the written request of sufficient members of the Senate to form a quorum, or by the decision of the Chair. The Senate comprises up to 108 members. Co-opted Members Up to eight members, to include one graduate of the University, not undertaking studies in the University and not being in the regular employ of the University and not being elected through another category of the membership, following nomination by the OU Alumni Association, and (if not already included in the elected membership) one member drawn from the University s staff in each of Ireland, Scotland and Wales with specific expertise in HE policy matters. All elections within the scope of this Code are conducted by means of a secret ballot. The University Secretary invites nominations from all members of the relevant constituencies, who are regarded as having an equal opportunity to contribute to the work of the Senate. Elections are conducted using the single transferable vote system. Notes on the data The 2010 reporting period is from 1 April 2009 to 31 March All staff data was provided by Human Resources. Student data is taken from the University s student database (CIRCE). Historical data is also shown from October 2006 (except for age), March 2007, and March In the comparisons to internal staff in tables 6, 8, 10 and 12, please note that a direct comparison is not strictly accurate because Senate is composed of academic, research and academic related staff as well as students and there are no Senate members from the support staff categories. This comparison is therefore a proxy indicator only. Page 9 of 13

10 Senate Age Table 5 shows the Senate composition by the percentage of members belonging to each age band. Data is not available for earlier years. 90% of the Senate members are aged 46 and above, compared to 86.5% in March Table 5: The Senate membership composition by age March 2008 March 2009 March 2010 No % Under and over Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Table 6 shows the Senate membership profile by age in comparison to the profile of OU internal staff, which is used as a proxy indicator (see notes on the data at the beginning of this section). 47% of internal staff are aged 45 and under, whereas only 10.5% of the Senate members are in this category. Table 6: Membership composition of the Senate compared to all University internal staff, by age, 2010 Senate March 2010 All OU Internal Staff 2010 Under and over Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Page 10 of 13

11 Senate Disability Table 7 shows the composition of Senate membership by disability. Of the known data, disabled members of the Senate in 2010 account for 4%, compared with 3% in 2009, but lower than 2006 when disabled members made up 6.7% of the membership. Table 7: The Senate membership composition by disability October 2006 March 2008 March 2009 March 2010 Disabled Non-disabled Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Table 8 shows the composition of Senate membership by disability in comparison to all OU internal staff. This shows there is a greater representation of disabled staff in the Senate membership. Table 8: Membership composition of the Senate compared to all University internal staff, by disability, 2010 Senate March 2010 All OU Internal Staff 2010 Disabled Non-disabled Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Page 11 of 13

12 Senate Ethnicity Table 9 shows the Senate membership composition by ethnicity. Excluding unknown data, White ethnic groups continue to make up 99% of the Senate membership. Table 9: The Senate membership composition by ethnicity October 2006 March 2008 March 2009 March 2010 Asian Black Chinese & Other Mixed White Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Table 10 shows the membership composition of Senate by ethnicity compared to all OU internal staff for This shows that the ethnic diversity of OU internal staff is not reflected in the composition of Senate membership. Considerable efforts have been made by the University in 2010 to encourage more ethnic minority staff to put themselves forward for election and the impact of these initiatives may be seen in future years. Table 10: Membership composition of the Senate compared to all University internal staff, by ethnicity, 2010 Senate March 2010 All OU Internal Staff 2010 Asian Black Chinese & Other Mixed White Known Total Unknown Total Grand Total Page 12 of 13

13 Senate Gender Table 11 shows the Senate membership composition by gender. For the first time in recent years the number of female and male members is the same. Table 11: The Senate membership composition by gender October 2006 March 2008 March 2009 March 2010 Male Female Total Table 12 shows the membership composition of Senate by gender in comparison to OU internal staff for This indicates that in relation to the proportion of female internal staff, women are under-represented in the Senate membership. However, this equal balance of male to female members is appropriate given the population the University serves and seeks to attract and retain. Table 12: Membership composition of the Senate compared to all University internal staff, by gender, 2010 Senate March 2010 All OU Internal Staff 2010 Male Female Total Page 13 of 13