Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty

Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty presents new and surprising findings about career differences between female and male full-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty in science, engineering, and mathematics at the nation's top research universities. Much of this congressionally mandated book is based on two unique surveys of faculty and departments at major U.S. research universities in six fields: biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics. A departmental survey collected information on departmental policies, recent tenure and promotion cases, and recent hires in almost 500 departments. A faculty survey gathered information from a stratified, random sample of about 1,800 faculty on demographic characteristics, employment experiences, the allocation of institutional resources such as laboratory space, professional activities, and scholarly productivity.This book paints a timely picture of the status of female faculty at top universities, clarifies whether male and female faculty have similar opportunities to advance and succeed in academia, challenges some commonly held views, and poses several questions still in need of answers. This book will be of special interest to university administrators and faculty, graduate students, policy makers, professional and academic societies, federal funding agencies, and others concerned with the vitality of the U.S. research base and economy.Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Status of Women in Academic Science and Engineering in 2004 and 20053 Gender Differences in Academic Hiring4 Professional Activities, Institutional Resources, Climate, and Outcomes5 Gender Differences in Tenure and Promotion6 Key Findings and RecommendationsAppendixesAppendix 1-1: Biographical Information on Committee MembersAppendix 1-2: List of Research I InstitutionsAppendix 1-3: Committee Meeting AgendaAppendix 1-4: The SurveysAppendix 1-5: Survey InstrumentsAppendix 1-6: Departments in SurveyAppendix 2-1: Review of Literature and Relevant ResearchAppendix 2-2: Previous Research on Factors Contributing to Gender Differences Among FacultyAppendix 3-1: Review of Literature and Research on Factors Associated with a Higher Proportion of Female ApplicantsAppendix 3-2: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences for the Probability That There Are No Female ApplicantsAppendix 3-3: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of the Percentage of Applicants That Are FemaleAppendix 3-4: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of at Least One Female Candidate InterviewedAppendix 3-5: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by All Doctoral-Granting Institutions, by Field, Gender, and YearAppendix 3-6: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by Discipline and Gender for Research I Institutions, 1999-2003Appendix 3-7: Marginal Mean and Variance of Transformed Response VariablesAppendix 3-8: Main Considerations for Taking a Position by Number of Respondents Saying "Yes"Appendix 4-1: Distribution of Undergraduate Course Load for Faculty by Gender and DisciplineAppendix 4-2: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Do No Graduate TeachingAppendix 4-3: Percentage of Faculty Members Receiving a Reduced Teaching Load When HiredAppendix 4-4: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Served on an Undergraduate Thesis or Honors CommitteeAppendix 4-5: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Served on and Chaired an Undergraduate Thesis or Honors CommitteeAppendix 4-6: Distribution of Number of Graduate Thesis or Honors Committees for Research I Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty: Men/WomenAppendix 4-7: Percentage of Time Spent in Administration or Committee Work on Campus and Service to the Profession Outside the University for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions: Men/WomenAppendix 4-8: Distribution of Number of Service Committees for Research I Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty: Men/WomenAppendix 4-9: Mean Salary by Gender and Professorial Rank for Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I InstitutionsAppendix 4-10: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Summer SupportAppendix 4-11: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Travel FundsAppendix 4-12: Median Square Footage of Lab Space of Faculty Who Report Doing Experimental WorkAppendix 4-13: Faculty Who Have Received More Lab Space Since Hire (Values Are Percentages)Appendix 4-14: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Sufficient EquipmentAppendix 4-15: Number of Postdoctorate Students for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions (presented by Men and Women)Appendix 4-16: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Sufficient Clerical SupportAppendix 4-17: Percentage of Faculty Members Stating That They Had a MentorAppendix 4-18: Distribution of the Number of Graduate Students for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions (presented by Men and Women)Appendix 4-19: Mean Number of Articles Published in Refereed Journals (sole and co-authored) Over the Past 3 Years for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I InstitutionsAppendix 4-20a: Estimated Probability of Having Grant Funding by Discipline, Gender, and Whether the Faculty Member Has an Assigned Mentor - Assistant Professors OnlyAppendix 4-20b: Estimated Probability of Having Grant Funding by Discipline, Gender, and Whether the Faculty Member Has an Assigned Mentor - Associate Professors OnlyAppendix 4-21: Percentage of Faculty Missing Salary Data by Gender and DisciplineAppendix 4-22: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions That Were Nominated for at Least One AwardAppendix 4-23: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Research I Faculty with Offers to LeaveAppendix 4-24: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions Planning to Leave or RetireAppendix 5-1: Knowledge of Tenure Procedures by Gender, Rank, and Presence of a MentorAppendix 5-2: Detailed Tenure Information from Departmental SurveyAppendix 5-3: Time Spent in Both Assistant and Associate ProfessorshipsAppendix 5-4: Years Between Starting Employment and Achieving Associate Professor Status, by GenderAppendix 5-5: Years Between Starting Employment and Achieving Full Professor Status, by GenderAppendix 5-6: Patterns of Nonresponse for Tenure DecisionsAppendix 5-7: Patterns of Nonresponse for Promotion DecisionsBibliographyIndex