July 27, 2022

Carleton University

Available Studies

In 2015, the association undertook a pay equity study using 2014 data. The study employed regression analysis, regressing salaries in dollars on rank, years at rank, and variables to capture discipline. The study found that for tenure-stream instructors, there was a raw pay gap of $11,275 and a $300 adjusted pay gap. The adjusted pay gap for instructors was about $2,700, but not statistically significant. Librarians were not included in the analysis due to insufficient numbers. Ultimately, gender was not found to be a statistically significant determinant of salaries.

The study highlighted that rank is a substantial determinant of the salaries, and that there are notable differences in rank across genders. The study suggests that structural discrimination with respect to hiring could be a possible driver of the raw gap.

The study also attributes its findings to the fact that Carleton University faculty are paid according to a collective agreement, rather than a "merit pay" system in which pay is determined by department chairs and deans. The author points out that schools where it has been found that statistically significant pay inequalities exist, such as the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, merit pay systems are used. 

In 2018, the association undertook a major update of the gender-salary differential study of 2015. This analysis contained three major methodological changes: exclusion of multicollinearity, inclusion of interaction terms when appropriate, and Blinder-Oaxaca adoption of decomposition of gender differences in wages. Stewart (2015) found no statistically significant differences between female and male salaries at Carleton. By contrast, the 2018 study found statistically significant salary differences between women and men in all faculties except for business.