Equality, integration and diversity at UiA

Goal:

• Faculties, departments and all administrative units must achieve gender balance (40/60).
• Units with less than 20 per cent of either gender should set their own target for this period.
• At least 40 per cent of professors/lecturers at UiA should consist of either gender.
• Research groups should aim for gender balance.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• The total gender balance at UiA is 47% men and 53% women.
• The proportion of female professors/dosent was 20.5% in 2021, which is 0.4% lower than in 2020. It is below the target of 40%
• There is variation across the faculties/departments, where the faculty of technology and science, as well as the faculty of health and sports science are below the target for gender balance among employees. There has been a positive trend in health and sports sciences with 4 percentage points more men than in 2020.
• There are 2 percentage points fewer female “stipendiater” and 1 percentage point fewer postdocs in 2021, compared to 2020. The proportion of women in “førstestillinger” has increased by 1.1 percentage points from 2020 to 50.2%.

Total gender balance at UiA, divided into the defined positions:

Goal:

UiA must practise equal pay for equal work.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• The average salary for women in relation to men is 93.2% at UiA in total, an improvement of 0.5% from 2020.

• There is general stability from 2020 to 2021 across the defined positions.

Women's share of men's salary:

Mål: 

UiA must have at least 40 per cent of  both men and women in all management teams, including at faculty level.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• There is a balance, within the target of 40% of each gender, among deans, department heads, University Directors management group and for the Leadership team at the University of Agder.                          
• There is balance or near balance in the management groups at 4 of 7 faculties.

Goal: 

All study programmes must have at least 30 per cent female and male students. Both women and men must be represented in boards, councils and commissions.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• There are still large variations between the study programs when it comes to gender distribution. In total, there are more female students (59%) at UiA. It is only at the Faculty of Technology and Science that we have a predominance of male students (66%), where this proportion increased by 5 percentage points from 2020. The proportion of male students increased in the department of teacher education by 8 percentage points. The Faculty of Health Sciences and sports science was stable at 22% male students from 2020 to 2021.
• A total of 60% of the programs have less than 25% of the underrepresented gender among the students.
• In 2021, the student figures show that 68 study programs have less than 25% male students. 16 study programs have less than 25% female students.

Students and gender balance:

Goal: 

UiA must be an open and diverse working environment where employees with a different origin, background or level of functionality feel they belong, are meaningful members of the community and have the possibility to influence the working environment.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• In cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity, activities have been primarily digital due to the pandemic.
• There is reported a need for better follow-up of language training and clarification of language requirements in recruitment texts. UiA PULS has regular Norwegian courses for employees in both Kristiansand and Grimstad at A1-C1 level.
• There are still challenges with Innaskjærs (websites for employees) where much information is only in Norwegian.
• Action plan for digital and physical universal design and facilitation 2021-2024 was adopted by UiA's board in March 2021. It is emphasized that universal design should take precedence in the university's main solutions.
• International employees were included in the development of the Action Plan for Internationalization with a workshop in June 2021.
• UiA's annual regional gender equality conference broadly invites regional partners who are also involved and raises current gender equality issues. For 2021, the theme EVERY.DAY.RACISM was held, in the wake of the Black Live Matters movement.

Goal: 

Students at UiA, independent of their origin, background and functional ability, have appropriate and equal academic development opportunities during their studies. There is a culture for systematic and fair admission of new students at UiA.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• Students who have been admitted to UiA, who are from countries outside the Nordic region or who have Norwegian as a second language, are offered a course in the Norwegian language.
• To ensure diversity in the selection of boards, councils and committees for both employees and students, UiA will map existing practices during 2022.
• Diversity celebrations are arranged at the start of studies and a diversity week in week 3. The goal is for all students from early studies to feel included and taken care of regardless of identity and challenges.
• Both campuses have an active «Global Lounge» as a meeting point in the internationalization work for both students, staff and guests.

Goal: 

UiA must be an open and diverse university, where students and employees with different sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression feel welcome. Openness, knowledge and inclusion of LGBTIQ people characterise UiA.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• There has been little activity on thematization and dissemination in 2021 within the topic of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, due to the pandemic.
• The Center for Gender Equality has started a survey of the syllabus for a number of professional educations, such as the Child Welfare and Teacher Education, in relation to provide students with adequate knowledge and understanding of the living conditions and rights of LGBTIQ people.
• Rainbow flags and pennants are used as an important symbol of openness and inclusion in and outside UiA.
• Efforts will be made to gain insight into the situation for LGBTIQ people who are part of UiA, as a starting point for ensuring improvements for the groups in 2022. In 2021, a survey of signage and physical facilities was initiated.

Goal: 

• All employees and managers at UiA must be conscious of the effect of their position of power, and of the responsibility that comes with this position.
• All employees must behave according to the sexual etiquette and be aware of UiA’s zero tolerance to bullying and harassment.
• All employees must speak up if they have knowledge of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual attention.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• The theme of power and responsibility will be built into existing modules on power relations in relations planned in the Development Program for administrative employees in 2022, in collaboration with the Center for Gender Equality.
• In the spring of 2021, supervisor training was arranged for new PhD supervisors where this was a theme and the participants were introduced to ethical guidelines.
• An onboarding program has been developed with a focus on, among other things, zero tolerance for bullying and harassment. The program will be launched in 2022. The faculties will inform about zero tolerance at the new employee seminar at the beginning of each semester, as well as through interviews and guidance upon accession.
• Ethical guidelines have been implemented at UiA, where our zero tolerance has been clarified. They are made available to both supervisors and students at UiA. All supervisors and PhD candidates are made aware of ethical guidelines when entering into the PhD agreement. This is also part of the introduction / start-up of the PhD programs.
• All employees must notify if they are made aware of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual attention. The Center for Gender Equality at UiA has offered courses in the prevention of sexual harassment both internally at UiA and externally.
• Information is given about our zero tolerance in our new employee course and in a new e-learning course for new employees that was launched in 2021. "Si-ifra" is easily accessible on the UiA website.

Goal: 

All employees must behave according to the sexual etiquette and be aware of UiA’s zero-tolerance to bullying and harassment.

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• In 2021, a total of 3 cases of sexual harassment and 6 of bullying and harassment have been reported by the units, where all have been dealt with according to internal routines.
• Separate ethical guidelines have been implemented for supervision at UiA. They are made available to both supervisors and students at UiA and clearly highlight our zero tolerance.
• The student ombudsman talks about his role and about Si from the system in the training program for student union representatives. This is also addressed in the course ORG123, where the Student Ombudsman and Director of Education lecture.

Goal:  

All employees and students are familiar with the procedures to report incidents at UiA and know where to find information on their rights and obligations

Status at the turn of the year 2021/22:

• "Si-ifra" is highly promoted on UiA's website, where notification options and rights and obligations are described.
• Different channels are used to inform about notification routines, both when onboarding and via internal websites. Information is given to the students at the start of their studies.
• The Si-ifra system and guidelines will be updated and improved in 2022.

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