Background

In 2014, the Council of the Learned Society of Wales approved the Report and Recommendations of the Gender Balance Working Group led by Dame Professor Teresa Rees.

This equality focused report and recommendations were published here. In response to this changes were made, including making the election process more visible, making an exception to the cap (of three) on the number of nominations a Fellow can make per year in the case of  female candidates, providing written guidance to the Scrutiny Committee Chairs and heightening the visibility of female Fellows. Since then the proportion of women elected has risen to 35% over the last two election cycles, bringing total female representation in the society up to 18%.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Review 2017-18

Following a recommendation from the Appointments, Governance and Nominations Committee the Council of the LSW in October 2017 approved the remit of a new review titled Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Review of the Society, to be led by Professor Terry Threadgold. The remit paper, which builds on the 2014 report, is available to view here.

In brief, the 2017 Review aims to:

1. consider diversity defined in terms of the 2010 UK Equality Act, but also taking in to consideration the geography and specific nature of Welsh Higher Education Institutions;
2. consider the outward looking face of the LSW (including the constitution and role/s of its Fellowship, its interactions with and support of other stakeholders and its contribution to Welsh Universities and to Wales);
3. consider any of the society’s internal structures, process and practices that impact on the diversity of the fellowship.

Steering Group

A steering group will support the review’s work, involving a wide membership from Council, Scrutiny Committees, Fellowship and external members with relevant expertise:

Chair: Emerita Professor Terry Threadgold, Cardiff University, Communications and Cultural Studies.

Secretariat Staff: Amanda Kirk (Clerk to Council), Philip Jones (Fellowship & Engagement Officer)

Members of Council

Professor David Boucher, Cardiff University, Political Philosophy and International Relations

Professor Ole Peterson, Cardiff University, Biosciences

Professor Nancy Edwards, Bangor University, Medieval Archaeology

Professor, Helen Fulton, University of Bristol, Head of English – Medieval Literature (including Welsh).

Scrutiny Chairs
Professor Alessandra Tanessini, Cardiff University, Philosophy

Professor Rob Beynon, Liverpool University, Biosciences

Professor Gareth Rees, Cardiff University, Social Sciences

Professor Ieuan Hughes, University of Cambridge, Paediatrics

Fellows

Professor Diane Kelly, Swansea University, Medicine

Emeritus Professor Richard Rathbone, SOAS and Aberystwyth University, Modern African History

Professor Maria Goddard, University of York, Health Economics

Professor Claire Gorrara, Cardiff University, French/Modern Languages

Professor Urfan Khaliq, Cardiff University, Public and International Law

Robert Humphreys, formerly Director, Open University in Wales

Professor John Collier, Director, the STFC Central Laser Facility, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

External Members

Karen Cooke, Cardiff University, Organisational and Staff Development Manager

Abyd Quinn-Aziz, Cardiff University,  Senior Lecturer, Social Work

Dr Angharad Thomas, Swansea University, Lecturer, Physics