In 2011, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) published a report, “The Ivory Ceiling of Service Work,” which discussed the challenges facing women associate professors attempting to combine scholarly research and the commitments of teaching and service. The results showed serious disparities between men and women faculty.
According to the AAUP, “On average, male associate professors spent 37 percent of their time on research, while women associate professors spent 25 percent of their time on research. While women associate professors spent 27 percent of their time on service, men spent 20 percent of their time on service.”
The report stated that these disparities amounted to roadblocks for women and showed that “men focus more on their research, which earns greater prestige and potential for promotion.”
The report, based on original research as well as other literature, recommended that institutions dedicate more resources to mentoring for women faculty and “workshops that emphasize the ‘pathways’ to full professorship.”
A number of initiatives for women faculty have grown out of the research, including a writing program for women faculty at Indiana University Bloomington (IU) started in 2013 and, subsequently, a similar program in 2015 at Texas Tech University (TTU).
Faculty initiatives
“The Women Faculty Writing program is responding to a need — a need for time, space, connection, and frequent accountability,” Dr. Elizabeth Sharp, TTU associate professor of human development and family studies, tells Diverse. Sharp, one of the co-founders of the writing groups, points out that all faculty need time and space to write and discuss their research with colleagues.
