Available Studies

• Wallace, Jean E.. Faculty Salary Equity Report. University of Calgary. 2005.
• Joldersma, Hermina. Next Steps: Report of the Gender Equity Project. University of Calgary. 2005.
• Kertzer, Adrienne and Godley, Jenny. Faculty Retention and Gender. Advisory Committee on the Status of Women. 2013.
• University of Calgary and the University of Calgary Faculty Association (2019). A Joint Salary Review Committee.

In 2004, the University of Calgary’s Academic Women’s Association commissioned a study to examine gender pay equity and also produced a document with policy recommendations that introduces some supplementary analysis. The report is a follow-up to earlier studies at the University of Calgary that appear to have been conducted, but not widely circulated. Those earlier studies found considerable pay differentials between men and women and recommended ongoing monitoring. In 2013, a follow-up study reviewed the rate of departures of faculty by gender, and is more limited in scope. The main study in this section is the 2005 Faculty Salary Equity Report, and should be regarded as the foundation of the other reports listed.     

The study used human resources data on 1,443 faculty members at the University of Calgary as of April 2004, limited to personnel who hold full-time, continuing academic positions. Limited term sessionals, librarians, archivists, counsellors, curators or non-academic staff were omitted.

The main tool of analysis is a regression where salary was regressed on rank, department, education, prior university experience, absences, marital status and faculty. A regression was first conducted on the entire sample, then on individual faculties. No significance tests are presented, and there is no formal statement of the statistical model. Bivariate mean testing (t-tests) were used to analyse departures in the follow-up 2013 study.      

The regression analysis suggests that men earned $2,643 more than women at the University of Calgary in 2004 and that this gender difference in earnings is statistically significant. Much of the $2,643 gender gap is attributable to imbalance in the non-STEM faculties. In the non-STEM faculties, merit pay increases appear to be driving pay differences. The follow-up study in 2013 found that women were departing the university at a higher rate than men.

In conjunction with the 2005 study, a policy document was produced with a 70 point list of recommendations. The report adopts the view that the gender equity issue is the result of a plethora of biased work practices and cultural norms that are (unintentionally) detrimental to women, and have accumulated over time. The policy report identified three key issues driving equity issues that were used to supplement the main regression study to reach these conclusions: assignment of research and funding, work/life balance, and hiring and retention qualitative analysis. The follow-up study in 2013 was a branch from the main body of work to investigate hiring and retention practices.

In 2019, a joint committee of the employer and the academic staff association undertook a review and found a gap. All Continuing, Contingent, and Limited Term female academic staff members (other than clinical academic staff in the Cumming School of Medicine and academic staff based in Qatar) received an increase of $1,398 to their base pay retroactive to July 1, 2019.