ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY

ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY - ACTION PLAN

After 1990 UAIC has developed from 9 to 18 faculties and the number of students grew to more than 38,000. In 2010-2011 the ratio of female to male students was 1.93. The graduation statistics by gender keep this trend, with more graduated females than men (total ratio being 1.7). At postgraduate level this same ratio is 2.46. The retention ratio is reversed (0.80) and the downward of females in academic and research positions is strong in the upper levels (ratio C professors/researchers 0.86; B professors/researchers 0.60; A professors/researchers 0.38; leading/managerial positions 0.24). In this framework, UAIC’s participation in the project aims at implementing, through the active transfer of knowledge, experience and good practice from more gender-aware institutions, structural changes to support gender diversity. The activities are targeting nine Faculties, i.e., Physics, Chemistry, ICT, Geography & Geology, Mathematics, Philosophy and Social-Political Sciences, Letters, Biology, Economics, but all will benefit from the different actions. The project starts while the new Law of the National Education System enters into action, which radically changed the internal organisation and managerial structures at all the levels. It also let universities to choose among a managerial or a collegial management system (UAIC chose the latter). To the aim of the project, these changes increased organisational complexity, multiplied the structures and managerial positions involved in key strategic decisions, generated a new system of distribution of power and authority, imposed the widening of the strategies aiming at capturing the support and commitment of top managerial structures.

STRATEGIC AREA	OBJECTIVES	ACTIONS
Women-friendly environment	Actions promoting change in organisational culture and formal/informal behaviours	- Setting up the “UAIC’s Network of Women Academics and Researchers” - Implementing a climate and organisational values evaluation survey - Developing gender-disaggregated statistics and gender-sensitive indicators - Organising a workshop for research results presentation and debate - Drafting and establishing guidelines and policies - Establishing a Senate position for the representatives of the UAIC Network of Women Academics and Researchers - Setting up the Senate’s periodic reporting practice on equal opportunities - Setting up permanent training modules for University’s employees - Setting up permanent training modules for senior managers - Institutionalisation of the “UAIC’s Network of Women Academics and Researchers” - Integrating a special chapter on Equal Opportunities of women and men in the UAIC Charter - Developing national standards for Equal Opportunities of women and men in funded research
	Actions promoting work-life balance	- Improving and developing existing childcare services for academics and researchers - Organising info-days on services and work arrangements for women
	Actions supporting early-stage career-development	- Negotiating with the National Agencies (CNCSIS) to extend the provision of grants to be allocated for women’s professional development - Editing and updating leaflets with advice on career and professional development - Early-career researchers day

Gender-aware science	Actions challenging gender stereotypes and consequent horizontal segregation	- Creating the Compendium of women researchers at UAIC - Setting up the special permanent exhibition on Women and Science at UAIC’s museum - Organising the Annual thematic workshop of UAIC’s Network of Women Academics and Researchers
Gender-aware science	Actions aimed at gendering S&T contents and methods	- Implementing a cross-disciplinary teaching module on gender and science
Women’s leadership of science	Actions promoting women’s leadership in the practice of research	- Carry out a national evaluation survey on women’s participation in funded research - Publication and wide dissemination of the outcomes of the survey - Integration of the National Guidelines for Project Applications with provision encouraging women’s participation
	Actions promoting women’s leadership in the management of research	- Negotiating new transparent rules and procedures for appointing/electing members of high-level boards and commission at University, local and national level
	Actions promoting women’s leadership in scientific communication	- Acknowledging the successful careers of female researchers in S&T and ICT - Documentary “Life and career of outstanding women scientists in Europe” - National Conference “Women and Scientific Research: Outcomes and Future Challenges” - Establishing the “Science and Technology Excellence Awards” for outstanding women in S&T
	Actions promoting women’s leadership in innovation processes and science-society relationships	- Establishing the “Science and Technology Excellence Awards” for outstanding women in S&T