Faculty Members Weigh In on the Gender Divide in Academia

In 2001, a roundtable on gender disparities for female professors in higher education was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The focus of the roundtable was "how best to ensure women professors experience the same opportunities, recognition and rewards as their male counterparts." Some three years later, a few faculty members from various disciplines weigh in with various perspectives on the current state of the gender gap.

Focus on Tenure-related Activities

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, Chair
Industrial, Manufacturing and
Information Engineering Department
School of Engineering
Morgan State University

According to a study by the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), women comprised 8.9 percent of tenure/tenure-track faculty in engineering schools. And for underrepresented minorities, African Americans were 2.1 percent and Hispanics 2.9 percent. America is confronted with not only expanding the technical work force with engineers and scientists for the 21st century, but also with producing educators to train and educate more than 150,000 engineers annually. Many universities have had some success in recruiting more women faculty, but efforts are far more complex for attracting minorities. Especially when women account for approximately 15 percent of doctoral graduates, and minorities less than 4 percent. In 2002, 23 African American women received doctorates in engineering.
Three challenges remain: attract and expand the pipeline or pool in engineering education to produce and increase the nation's work force; encourage women and minorities to pursue graduate study; and encourage women and minorities to pursue academic careers that are rewarding within an environment that ensures their success. The latter appears to have a greater impact on women and minorities when it comes to tenure. 
It will require institutions to make firm commitments to hiring, effective mentoring, faculty development and minimizing "over-exposure" of minority faculty on committees for diversity representation.
It is critical that minority faculty focus only on TVAs (tenure valued activities) the first seven years, and receive the support of department chairs and deans to make it so. Yet (these faculty members) are also challenged to play a role in encouraging students to pursue similar careers. Maintaining meaningful balance is the key.
Minority faculty and women should also develop strong networks for professional and personal support throughout their academic careers. Academic socialization, one's ability to network amongst peers, and cultural advantage, which refers to the somewhat biased nature of the antiquated tenure evaluation process that exists in academia, play a role in faculty sustainability.