Planning for Success - Good Practice in University Science Departments

'Both men and women benefit from good practice; however, women in particular are adversely affected by bad practice'

In 2004 the RSC and the Athena Project launched the first Good Practice in University (Chemistry) Departments report which presented the good practice found in 25 chemistry departments using questionnaires, telephone interviews and five departmental visits. The intention was to provide models of good practice for use by chemistry departments, and other science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) departments, in universities.

The revised report updates the good practice found in 2004 and using the same methods, has obtained information from 38 chemistry departments. The report has provided the opportunity to respond to feedback from the 2004 report, to take a more generic approach, and to focus more on good practice and less on women specific initiatives.

The 2008 report, although containing examples of good practice drawn almost entirely from chemistry, is deliberately entitled Good Practice in University Science Departments to emphasise that the good practice presented is equally applicable to other disciplines. The 2004 edition became a tool used by other STEM departments aside from chemistry and our hope is that this trend continues and the 2008 edition will prove a valuable reference for all STEM and other non-STEM departments, and that it becomes a standard text for academics thinking about taking up a departmental headship.