Swinburne recruits for women-only architecture role

In a bid to increase the number of women in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines, Swinburne has opened recruitment for a Professor/Associate Professor of Architecture role to applicants who identify as female only.

This is the first time the university has advertised a women-only position for architecture.

The role will help the university – and the profession – move forward in terms of gender equity and representation.

Architecture at Swinburne is strongly related to other design professions and is situated within the School of Design. The undergraduate course commenced in 2018, and Swinburne is preparing to launch postgraduate courses in 2019 – including the Master of Architecture, the Master of Urban Design and the joint Master of Architecture and Urban Design.

While the architecture team has successfully brought its first student cohort through the first year of the course, opening the Master of Architecture has created an opportunity for additional staff members – and for the university to take a leadership role in addressing gender equity.

Diversity, creativity, equity

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Innovation & Change) and Professor of Astrophysics Sarah Maddison has been leading the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) program at Swinburne and sees this role as one more step in the university’s gender equity journey.

“As a university we are committed to providing diverse, secure, exciting and rewarding career paths for our future STEMM academic leaders,” says Professor Maddison.

“This leadership role provides a visible commitment to developing women in architecture.

“Women are largely under-represented in architecture; only 31 per cent of architects in Australia are women,” Professor Maddison says.

“This is a pathway issue. While 50 per cent of architecture PhDs are women, we’re not seeing this translate into senior roles within academia or industry.

“Critically, only 20 per cent of senior academics in STEMM disciplines in Australian universities are women, including in architecture and building. Swinburne is not immune, but we’re in a position to do something about it.”

Swinburne’s women-only Professor/Associate Professor position in architecture is open until 16 November. For details or to apply visit the Swinburne careers page at SwinJobs.

Swinburne and gender equity

Swinburne is part of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot program to improve the promotion and retention of women and gender minorities in STEMM.

The university has long been a champion of gender equity and for the past nine consecutive years has been recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Women.

While Swinburne’s overall workforce gender balance is fairly evenly split, only 30 per cent of staff in the university’s STEMM areas are women – and only 31 per cent of these women are academic staff.

The percentages decrease further as women progress up the STEMM academic ladder, with women comprising just 20 per cent of the university’s STEMM academic professoriate.

Offering women-only roles in crucial STEMM areas is part of a wider range of activities undertaken by the university, including broad parental leave and flexible-work options, a STEMM-based school holiday program, and mentoring networks as well as the Vice Chancellor’s women-only research fellowships in STEM.

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