IN
MINORITY THE STATUS OF WOMEN AT ACADIA
UNIVERSITY 2005-06
This report is based on data from Human Resources to review the status of women faculty at Acadia University according to gender, rank and salary. The information is accessible to AUFA’s membership in compliance with Article 28.10. The following data is based on October 2005 faculty members:
Table 1
Distribution of full and part-time faculty by gender
Overall 39% of all full and
part-time faculty members are women
32.9% of all faculty are women
53.9% of sessionals are women
48.23% of part-timers are women
Table 2 Distribution of Acadia full-time faculty by rank
18.8% of all full professors are females
32.3% of all associate professor are female
32.2% of all assistant professors are females
57.6% of lecturers are female
88% of librarians are females
57.1% of instructors are female
50% of CLTs are female
33.6% of all tenured faculty members are females
In 1975, 16.9% of all faculty members were women. In 1986 the percentage increased to 17%, and 26% in 1990. Although the increase has been continual, the rate of increase is disturbingly low.
Salaries by rank
With the exception of the associate professor level, where women’s average earnings are similar to that of men, at every other rank women earn considerably less. For example, at the professor level, men’s salaries average is $102,926 compared to women’s - $93,828. At the assistant level, women’s salaries average is $60,253 compared to men’s - $62,603. Similar salary differences are also noted at the instructor rank, where women earn on average $3907.00 less than men. It is difficult to explain why there is a salary difference. Factors to consider include lower placement on the salary grid at the time of hire, fewer years of credit toward tenure at time of hire, older age at time of hire, longer time period at each rank before promotions.
Table 3 Percentage of female students by
faculty and percentage of female faculty by faculty
|
Faculty |
Percentage female student by faculty |
Percentage female faculty by faculty |
|
Arts |
52.8 (n= 1067) |
33.0 (n=88) |
|
Pure and applied science |
56.6 (n= 1167) |
32.0 (n=100) |
|
Professional Studies |
53.5 (n=1110) |
38.0 (n=63) |
|
All faculties |
54.0 |
32.9 |
Female students comprise 54% of all Acadia students, yet only 32.9% of the faculty are women. We should further note that in some departments the disparity is even greater. For example in Biology, 67% of students are female, only 27% of its faculty are female. In History, the female student body is 41%; the female faculty is 18%. There are no female faculty members in Philosophy, Computer Science, and Engineering. Furthermore, these departments attract few female students (23%, 7% and 16% respectively).
Based on the above information, there are numerous areas that need addressing. First, we are concerned about Acadia’s apparent lack of commitment to affirmative action. As stated above, women only represent 39% of Acadia’s faculty member. Further, this percentage is misleading as it is boosted by sessional and part-time faculty, more than half of whom are women. Second, although half of Acadia’s student body are females, we need to draw attention to the lack of female applicants in certain disciplines such as computer science and engineering and reflect on ways to attract young women to complete graduate degrees in these fields. Third, the tenure system at universities may be viewed by potential women academics as being too rigid and unfriendly to those who want families. For many women who are hired in their 30s, the time when women are trying to have children, juggling home and academic life raises professional challenges that male academics typically do not face. Finally, older women who delay their careers to raise families confront a distinct financial disadvantage when hired at the entry level of the salary grid. Not only do they earn considerably less than their male counterpart but their retirement income is seriously compromised.
To complete this report, we are presently awaiting the 2006 data. For a more comprehensive report, information that we need includes a breakdown by sex on: type of initial appointment (with tenure, years toward tenure, etc); placement on the salary grid at time of hire; and years at each respective rank.
AUFA Status of Women Committee