Female staff numbers continue to grow

2001/02 Academic staff and finance data published by HESA

The number of female academic staff in UK higher education institutions has increased again this year by 5% compared to just a 1% increase in the number of men according to statistics released today by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Women make up only 38% of all academic staff, although looking at those just employed on a part-time basis shows they account for 55% of the workforce says the report Resources of Higher Education Institutions 2001/02 published by HESA. A summary of academic staff is shown in the table below:

Overall staff numbers grew by 2.3% to 143,150 from 139,940 in 2000/01. Much of this can be accounted for by the growth in the numbers of full time staff from 116,405 in 2000/01 to 119,900 in 2001/02. The HESA data shows that 84% of staff work full-time.

Analysis of staff age¹ shows that nearly half (49%) of staff were aged 45 or over and 18% were aged between 51 and 55. The average age of all staff was 42. More data on staff age and grade² is shown here:

Three quarters of research staff were aged 40 and under in 2001/02 with 42% of senior lecturers & researchers and almost half of professors (48%) aged between 46 and 55.

When looking at the ethnicity of staff who are of UK nationality 5% or 5,460 staff were found to be of non- white ethnicity. Ethnicity data is unknown for 9% of staff and data is calculated on those whose ethnicity is known only. The chart below shows how the breakdown of non-white staff is spilt between different ethnic groups.

Finance data is also analysed in the report - some key points of which follow:

• Tangible assets have increased by £996 million (7%)
• There has been a substantial increase in short-term borrowing (£346 million) and a decrease in short-term investments (£128 million)
• Funding council grants increased by almost £351 million (6.6%)
• The amount of income received from tuition fees & education grants & contracts increased by 9.2%
• UK and EU domiciled students charged full-time HE course standard fees accounted for 37.4% of income from tuition fees & education grants & contracts
• Research councils provided just over a third of research grants & contracts - the largest share of the total.

Notes for Editors

1. Staff age data relates only to full-time non-clinical staff, wholly financed by the institution, unless otherwise stated.
2. Analysis by "staff grade" is only meaningful where institutions have reported their staff within nationally recognised grade structures or within internal grade structures which facilitate differentiation on a similar basis. The Agency therefore advises caution in analysis of staff by grade.
3. The Reference Volume: Resources of Higher Education Institutions 2001/02 provides a statistical reference of academic staff and institutional finance data in the UK for 2001/02.
4. The Reference Volume is available from the Customer Services Team, HESA, 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ, telephone 01242 211155. An electronic version on CD Rom is also available. A list of other available publications can also be obtained from the Customer Services Team.
5. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
6. Press Enquiries should be directed to Press Officer, at HESA, 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone: 01242 211133.

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