University of Portsmouth. Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 Post-REF 2014 Equality Analysis Report

Transcription

1 University of Portsmouth Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 Post-REF 2014 Equality Analysis Report

2 Contents 1. Introduction Selection process Equality Relevance Data, evidence and feedback 4 2. Assessment of impact Gender Ethnicity Age Declared disability Full-time versus part-time Permanent versus fixed-term contract 7 3. REF Application and Disclosure process Application Units of Assessment Output reduction requests Requesting contact Data utilisation 11 Appendices Appendix A: Gender breakdown 12 Appendix B: Ethnicity breakdown 13 Appendix C: Age band breakdown 14 Appendix D: Disability breakdown 15 Appendix E: Circumstances disclosed for reduction 16

3 1. Introduction In accordance with Research Exercise Framework (REF) 2014 guidelines and the University of Portsmouth s (UoP) Code of Practice the UoP has analysed the equality profiles for the cohort of staff submitted to the REF 2014 against the same profiles for all academic and research staff who were potentially eligible for submission on the census date of 31 October Selection process The process for selecting staff for inclusion in the REF 2014 was designed so that the maximum number of staff conducting excellent research had their work submitted following a fair and transparent selection process. In accordance with the agreed Code of Practice, all 2,534 members of staff had the opportunity to complete a REF Application and Disclosure Form if they believed that they had the potential to submit up to four quality research outputs within a REF Unit of Assessment (UoA). However, applications will be assessed against the 1137 eligible academic or research staff employed at UoP on the census date of 31 October 2013, to undertake a more focused equality analysis as they were more likely to submit. 1.2 Equality and Diversity As a key measure to support equality and diversity in research careers, individuals were able to be returned with fewer outputs than the stipulated maximum without penalty, where their individual circumstances, both defined and complex, had significantly constrained their ability to produce four outputs or to work productively throughout the assessment period. The aim of this measure was to ensure that submissions came from all staff that had produced excellent research. This reduction decision procedure was undertaken by the UoP Equality Sub Committee (ESC) following the guidelines from HEFCE (Assessment Framework and Guidance on submissions) and ECU (case study examples). HEFCE also stipulated that the REF process should demonstrate fairness to staff in the submission process by addressing 4 key REF principles: Transparency Consistency Accountability Inclusivity

4 In addition to satisfying the requirements of the UK higher funding bodies, the University has legal obligations with regards to general and specific duties under the Equality Act 2010, namely to: Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation Advance equality of opportunity Foster good relations Publish information demonstrating compliance with the act In addition the UoP Equality and Diversity Policy, Equality Objectives , University strategy and Research Strategy stipulates clear requirements around equality, diversity and inclusion for both staff and students. In order to meet all these requirements a Code Of Practice (CoP) was developed to ensure a fair, transparent and consistent selection process. There was a requirement for the CoP to be scrutinised and approved by HEFCE prior to publication and implementation. 1.3 Data, evidence and feedback This report assesses the equality profiles for the academic and research staff at UoP in relation to the REF 2014 submission across six aspects: 1. Gender 2. Ethnicity 3. Age 4. Declared disability 5. Full-time versus part-time versus status 6. Permanent versus fixed-term contract For the purposes of the analysis, the total population of 1,137 potentially eligible academic and research staff will, when possible, be divided into three population categories as indicated below: Population A Staff applying and included in the UoP REF 2014 submission (298 staff, 26.2%) Population B Staff applying but not included in the UoP REF 2014 submission (182 staff, 16%) Population C Staff who did not apply for REF 2014 submission (657 staff, 57.8%) Note: Since the UoP REF Application and Disclosure From process began in May members of staff had applied for inclusion but later departed the institution before the REF 2014 census deadline, therefore, their details will not form the majority of this analysis.

5 Proportion of total 2. Assessment of impact For each of the population categories specified earlier a full comparison is provided within the appendices and only a summary of the UoP findings will be added within this section. Criteria for selection were made explicit in the UoP REF 2014 Code of Practice and selection processes sought to ensure that there was no discrimination, either direct or indirect, in making decisions in relation to the submission. There is no evidence to suggest any discrimination occurred in the implementation of the selection procedures. No formal grievances were submitted to the Director of Research or complaints supplied to ESC. 2.1 Gender The overall gender profile for academic/research staff employed across the UoP is 57.7% male and 42.3% female. The ratio for staff applying for inclusion in the REF was comparative with 62.7% of applicants male and 37.3% female. When final selection had been made these ratios rose only slightly (see Appendix A) with male academic/research staff included accounting for 67.1% (200 staff) and female 32.9% (98 staff). However, the inclusion of 98 (32.9%) female members of academic/research staff to the REF 2014 staff represented a marginal rise from the 26.9% included in the previous Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) Ethnicity From the overall academic/research staff population of 1,137 ethnicity status is only known for 1052 (Appendix B) and of that cohort, 71.3% (750 staff) defined themselves as White British while the remaining 302 (27.7%) are of Black/Minority Ethnic origin. Those with unknown ethnicity included 28 academic/research staff eventually submitted, therefore, ethnic distribution of the remaining 270 staff was 164 (60.7%) White British and 106 (39.3%) Black/Minority Ethnic origin. 100% Ethnicity of applying staff (447) 80% 60% 40% 20% % Included in final submission (270 staff) Applied but not included (177 staff)

6 Proportion of total 2.3 Age Although the one academic/research staff member 25 or under who applied was not included in the final submission, the ratio is in line with the overall age profile (Appendix C) of the UoP that had just 1% of academic/research staff 25 or under. Age profile of applicants (480 staff) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% % 1 40% 30% 20% 10% % 25 or under 26 to to to to to to to to Included in final submission (298 staff) Applied but not included (182 staff) Across the other age categories there was a far more even distribution of submission percentages averaging around 60% inclusion per category. The 31 to 35 age group displayed the highest submission rate of those applying being included at 75.9%, while the 51 to 55 age group was significantly the lowest at 52.2%. While the proportion of staff selected in each age category generally mirrored that of overall academic staff age profiles, there were some differences between REF 2014 inclusion and overall cohort. In the 31 to 35 and 36 to 40 age categories the UoP witnessed a significant disparity of 8.5% and 6.4% respectively, while those within the 56 to 60 bracket had a presence of only 25 staff (8.4%) in the final submission from 162 (14.2%) for the whole institution. 2.4 Declared disability (full breakdown Appendix D) As with ethnicity some members of staff chose not to divulge their disability status, therefore, from the overall academic/research staff population (1137), disability status was only supplied by 1026 staff and from that cohort very few staff (4%) had declared a disability. From the 111 staff with an unknown disability status, these included 50 academic/research staff that applied for the REF 2014, with 42 of these eventually submitted for the REF 2014.

7 From the remaining 256 academic/research staff submitted to the REF 2014, only 3 members (1.2%) had a known disability, but this is only marginally lower than the overall figure of 4%. 2.5 Full-time versus part-time working The overall academic and research staff population of 1137 is split between 940 (82.7%) in full-time roles and 197 (17.3%) working in a part-time capacity. The divide between the full-time and part-time contracts was also echoed in the 480 staff that applied for the REF 2014 at 87.5% and 12.5% respectively and remained constant upon final submission with 259 (86.9%) holding full-time contracts and the remaining 39 (13.1%) part-time. 2.6 Permanent versus fixed-term contract On the REF 2014 census deadline the UoP employed 929 (81.7%) academic and research staff on permanent contracts and 208 (18.3%) on fixed-term contracts. As with the full-time versus part-time analysis, the application and submission of permanent staff as opposed to those on fixed-term contracts showed a similar divide. In the final submission the percentages seen in the overall staff cohort remained, 239 (80.2%) staff were on permanent contracts and 59 (19.8%) on fixed-term contracts.

8 3. REF Application and Disclosure process 3.1 Application During the REF Application and Disclosure Form process the University of Portsmouth (UoP) received 531 applications from Category A staff. 410 (77%) were received electronically and 121 (23%) by [internal] post. As expected, the Science Faculty submitted the majority with 171 (32.3%) applications. Science 33% Technology 20% Creative and Cultural Industries 11% Portsmouth Business School 21% Humanities and Social Science 15% Following the launch of the application process to all staff, via the UoP intranet pages and direct notification at the beginning of May 2012, there were two peaks in applications. The first was inevitably during the launch stages, the other during the commencement of reminder s. Returned Forms /05/ /06/ /07/ /01/ /04/ /07/ /10/2013

9 3.2 Units of Assessment (UoA) Staff had the opportunity to select the most appropriate UoA for their research discipline and identified 28 of the 36 available UoAs, whilst four members of staff did not allocate themselves to a UoA. This approach allowed the University to assess all potential UoAs and critical mass in a range of areas across the institution. A breakdown follows overleaf; UoA Category A staff 2 - Public Health Services and Primary Care Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience Biological Sciences Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences 36 9 Physics Mathematical Sciences Computer Science and Informatics Aeronautical, Mechanical, Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials Civil and Construction Engineering General Engineering Architecture, Built Environment and Planning Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology Economics and Econometrics Business and Management Studies Law Politics and International Studies Social Work and Social Policy Sociology Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism Area Studies Modern Languages and Linguistics English Language and Literature History Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory Music, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management Information not supplied 4 Total Output reduction requests Of the 480 staff that submitted, 198 staff disclosed 265 circumstances, however, only 136 staff members actively requested a reduction in the number of REF outputs they could submit. Listed overleaf is the division by the number of circumstances submitted per staff member.

10 Category Staff No Circumstances 282 Circumstance(s) disclosed, not requesting output reduction 62 1 circumstance disclosed 52 2 circumstances disclosed 9 3 circumstances disclosed 1 Requesting Reduction circumstance disclosed circumstances disclosed 22 3 circumstances disclosed 9 4 circumstances disclosed 4 5 circumstances disclosed 1 Total 480 The majority of circumstances staff disclosed were for Early Career Researcher (ECR) eligibility at 51% (134), followed by part-time working (17%) and maternity/paternity leave (13%). A full breakdown of circumstances disclosed by faculty and department can be found in Appendix E. Part-time woring 17% Career Break 6% Early Career Researcher 51% Disability 2% Ill Health 4% Maternity 13% 3.4 Requesting contact Exceptional circumstances 2% Other pregnancy related absence 3% Other Caring circumstances 2% Of the 198 staff suggesting they had a eligible individual circumstance(s) for a reduction, whether asking to reduce their output contribution or not, 58 requested further contact from a member of Human Resources to discuss how it affected their role at the University. Application Request Staff Circumstance No Reduction 62 No Contact 54 Requested Contact 8 Requesting Reduction 136 No Contact 86 Requested Contact 50

11 4. Data utilisation The information that has been collected and disseminated for this report will allow the UoP to assess staff response numbers at all levels, overall or in comparison with other faculties, with regard to gender, ethnic origin or disability. Such investigation will raise and maintain the University s awareness of equality and diversity requirements. This activity will ensure a future REF exercise is promoted widely to all groups and any selection process is both fair and transparent. Other data collected purely for the REF Application and Disclosure process will be used to inform future project management tasks and to ensure best practice, hopefully maximising participation and improving data quality.

12 Appendix A Population A - Staff applying and included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Faculty Male Female Total Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Science Faculty of Technology Portsmouth Business School Population B - Staff applying but not included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Faculty Male Female Total Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Science Faculty of Technology Portsmouth Business School Population C - Staff who did not apply for REF 2014 submission Faculty Male Female Total Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Science Faculty of Technology Portsmouth Business School Centre

13 Appendix B Population A - Staff applying and included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Ethnic Origin CCI HUM SCI TEC PBS Centre Total Bangladeshi White British Chinese Indian Irish Pakistani White and Asian White and Black African Any other White background Any other Asian background Any other ethnic group Any other Mixed background Did Not Disclose Population B - Staff applying but not included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Faculty CCI HUM SCI TEC PBS Centre Total African White British Caribbean Chinese Indian Irish Pakistani White and Black African White and Black Caribbean Any other White background Any other Asian background Any other ethnic group Any other Mixed background Did Not Disclose Population C - Staff who did not apply for REF 2014 submission Faculty CCI HUM SCI TEC PBS Centre Total African Bangladeshi White British Caribbean Chinese Indian Irish Pakistani White and Black African Any other White background Any other Asian background Any other ethnic group Any other Mixed background Did Not Disclose

14 Appendix C Population A - Staff applying and included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Age Category CCI HUM SCI TEC PBS Centre Total 25 or under to to to to to to to to Population B - Staff applying but not included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Age Category CCI HUM SCI TEC PBS Centre Total 25 or under to to to to to to to to Population C - Staff who did not apply for REF 2014 submission Age Category CCI HUM SCI TEC PBS Centre Total 25 or under to to to to to to to to

15 Appendix D Faculty Population A - Staff applying and included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Declared Disability No Disability Did Not Disclose Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Science Faculty of Technology Portsmouth Business School Total Faculty Population B - Staff applying but not included in the UoP REF 2014 submission Declared Disability No Disability Did Not Disclose Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Science Faculty of Technology Portsmouth Business School Total Faculty Population C - Staff who did not apply for REF 2014 submission Declared Disability No Disability Did Not Disclose Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Science Faculty of Technology Portsmouth Business School Centre Total

16 ECR PT Career Break Disability Ill Health Maternity Other Pregnancy Other Caring Exceptional circumstances Appendix E Faculty Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries Faculty Office Institute of Industrial Research School of Architecture School of Art & Design School of Creative Arts, Film & Media School of Creative Technologies Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Institute of Criminal Justice Studies School of Languages & Area Studies School of Social, Historical & Literary Studies Faculty of Science Department of Geography Department of Psychology Department of Sport & Exercise Science Faculty Office School of Biological Sciences School of Earth & Environmental Sciences School of Health Sciences & Social Work School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Technology Department of Mathematics Institute of Cosmology & Gravitation School of Civil Engineering & Surveying School of Computing School of Engineering Portsmouth Business School Accounting & Financial Management Economics & Finance Marketing & Sales Operations & Systems Management Organisation Studies & Human Resource Management Postgraduate Programmes School of Law Strategy Enterprise & Innovation Total