Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has been hailed for its commitment to advancing gender equality and inclusivity with a Bronze level Athena Swan award.
SRUC’s award, which is valid until November 2029, was called a 'significant milestone' for the land-based college by principal Wayne Powell.
The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used across the world to support gender equality within higher education and research.
It was established in 2005 to recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine employment.
The charter is used to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.
Mr Powell, who is also SRUC's chief executive, said: “This fantastic achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff and students across SRUC who engaged in this journey at all levels."
He added that it was 'important to remember that this is just the beginning' for the college, which offers numerous agricultural-based courses.
"Addressing gender equality and broader EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] matters is an ongoing, developmental effort," Mr Powell explained.
“Collectively, we will continue to work to make SRUC a more inclusive, supportive, and equitable institution for all.”
Louise Baggott, EDI Lead at SRUC, said: “Our focus throughout the process of developing our Athena Swan submission has been to produce an evidence-based action plan that will deliver measurable change for SRUC’s community.
"It’s fantastic that this approach has resulted in achieving our first Bronze award and I look forward to delivering on our vision with colleagues and students.”
