Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) is pleased to recognise Charles Sturt University with two SAGE Cygnet Awards, acknowledging sustained, evidence-based action to advance gender equity through academic promotions reform and improved accessibility and inclusion.

SAGE CEO Dr Janin Bredehoeft said the two awards reflect Charles Sturt University’s focus on embedding equity into core institutional systems.

“Charles Sturt University’s work shows what it looks like to take gender equity seriously at a systems level, not just through policies, but through the everyday mechanisms that shape careers and experiences,” Dr Bredehoeft said.

“These Cygnet Awards recognise meaningful progress, while also acknowledging that equity work is ongoing. Sustainable change comes from staying the course, learning from evidence, and continuing to refine what works.”

Turning equity commitments into promotion outcomes

Charles Sturt University’s first Cygnet Award recognises its work to strengthen equity within academic promotions processes, a critical lever for improving gender representation and progression at senior academic levels.

Through a comprehensive review of its promotions framework, the University identified structural barriers that disproportionately affected women and other underrepresented groups, including inconsistent decision-making, unclear criteria, and uneven access to guidance and support.

In response, Charles Sturt implemented a suite of changes designed to improve transparency, consistency, and equity across the process.

A key innovation was the inclusion of an equal employment opportunity (EEO) adviser on promotion committees, ensuring the consideration of equity and unconscious bias is consistently applied throughout decision-making.

These changes have delivered a measurable impact. In 2020, the success rate of applications from women was 22% lower than that of men. By 2021, the success rate for women had increased to 85%, exceeding the success rate for men by 15%.

While the number of women applying for promotion declined between 2020 and 2024, this trend highlights the ongoing need to address broader barriers to progression, including work-life balance, caring responsibilities, and other systemic pressures that disproportionately affect women and were intensified during the pandemic.

Building institutional trust in processes

Staff feedback points to growing confidence in the fairness and clarity of the process. One academic reflected on the focus on equity during proceedings: “This process is such a breath of fresh air, I’ve never seen anything like it before, it’s great having an EEO adviser [on the committee]. I’ve worked at a number of universities, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Another committee member spoke to the further impact of these advisors: “More staff are becoming comfortable with providing EEO statements as we’re building trust.”

While gender gaps in senior academic levels remain a sector-wide challenge, these reforms represent an important step in addressing the systemic drivers of inequity and lay the foundations for more sustainable change over time.

Embedding accessibility into everyday practice

Charles Sturt University’s second Cygnet Award recognises its commitment to strengthening accessibility and inclusion in ways that meaningfully improve the everyday experiences of staff with disability and chronic health conditions.

The University took a coordinated, whole-of-institution approach, embedding accessibility into policies, systems, and day-to-day practices. Clearer and more consistent workplace adjustment processes, alongside targeted education and training, have helped build shared understanding and responsibility for inclusion across the organisation.

At the heart of this work is a deliberate focus on co-creation with staff with disability. By centring lived experience and prioritising safety, autonomy, and dignity in redesigned processes, Charles Sturt University has shifted accessibility from a compliance exercise to a shared institutional commitment.

A culture of belonging and acceptance

Between 2023 and 2025, Charles Sturt University recorded measurable improvements in engagement outcomes for staff with disability, alongside increased willingness among staff to disclose disability status, an important indicator of trust in organisational systems and culture.

The most significant gains were seen in feelings of acceptance and belonging, which increased from 20% in 2023 to 50% in 2025, and in perceptions of an inclusive workplace culture, which rose from 20% to 60% over the same period.

Fewer staff with disability reported uncertainty about available support, dropping from 43% in 2023 to just 10% in 2025.

Staff feedback reflects the human impact behind these shifts. One respondent shared, “My supervisor and Manager were very responsive and supportive of a change in my working conditions to support my recovery,” while another praised their “extremely supportive team leader with whom I can be honest and know that I won’t be judged or unfairly treated.”

Importantly, the work also acknowledged that accessibility is not a one-off fix, but an ongoing commitment requiring continual learning, resourcing, and cultural change.

Sustaining momentum

Together, these two Cygnet Awards underscore how barriers to promotion and accessibility can limit career progression, recognition, and the ability of staff to reach their full potential, often in compounding ways.

Fair and transparent promotion pathways are essential, but they only deliver equitable outcomes when staff are also supported through accessible, inclusive environments that enable full participation.

While challenges remain, this combination of ambition, honesty about what is unfinished, and commitment to continuous improvement is exactly what the SAGE Cygnet Awards are designed to acknowledge.

About the SAGE Cygnet Award

SAGE Cygnet Awards celebrate organisations that have demonstrated progress in making their workplaces more equitable by removing or reducing a barrier to inclusion. They must be able to show that these changes have had a real impact on staff and/or students. 

This builds on Charles Sturt University’s Athena Swan Bronze Award. You can read all about CSU’s actions, outcomes, and impact in their full Cygnet Award applications, or read an overview version in the Progress and Impact Summaries here. 

About SAGE

Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) is Australasia’s leading advocate and accrediting body for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the education and research sector. It is the guide our region’s brightest minds turn to when they want a vibrant workplace where everyone can thrive.

Using an evidence-based and impact-focused framework, SAGE helps institutions build systemic, structural, and cultural change. Their world-respected Athena Swan accreditation program drives and measures institutions’ progress against international benchmarks.