Female Professors Lose Out On Tenure At DePaul
By Anthonia Akitunde in News on Nov 1, 2009 5:15PM
DePaul students and faculty are up in arms, holding protests and sit-ins over alleged gender discrimination in the university's tenure system, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Along with gender discrimination, some supporters suspect anti-gay feelings in the case of Melissa Bradshaw, a professor of women's and gender studies who did not receive tenure. She founded a minor in Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Transgender/Queer Studies Program, a "unique" addition to a Catholic school, the report noted.
The university considered 33 professors for tenure - the equivalent of a guaranteed job for life in higher education. Out of the seven professors turned down for tenure, five were women; 16 out of 18 male professors at DePaul received the honor. However, DePaul says it doesn't "condone gender discrimination" and that all professors are considered under the same standards, the report said.
On Friday afternoon, each woman received an email from DePaul President Dennis Holtschneider denying their appeal to have the decision reversed. Two of the women contacted by the Tribune indicated they planned on taking DePaul to court, the report said. One of the professors said she would not fight the university's decision.
According to the report, the remaining professors call for action highlights problems in the university's system. A faculty task force found flaws in the way professors are evaluated, "leaving the door open for possible discrimination" said Bradshaw supporters.
Professors are evaluated by members of their departments who are familiar with their work, but the ultimate decision lies in the hands of a small tenure review board. Unlike other universities however, this board does not defer to the wisdom of the professor's colleagues.
Each of the women denied received glowing recommendations that were seemingly overlooked when it came time to make a decision, the report said. When the professors appealed the decision separately, two of the appeals boards pointed out the system's flaws as a reason to reverse the tenure denial. But the president upheld the tenure board's decision.
[Tribune]