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 Contents

• Front Matter
• Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Status of Women in Academic Science and Engineering in 2004 and 2005
• 3 Gender Differences in Academic Hiring
• 4 Professional Activities, Institutional Resources, Climate, and Outcomes
• 5 Gender Differences in Tenure and Promotion
• 6 Key Findings and Recommendations
• Appendixes
• Appendix 1-1: Biographical Information on Committee Members
• Appendix 1-2: List of Research I Institutions
• Appendix 1-3: Committee Meeting Agenda
• Appendix 1-4: The Surveys
• Appendix 1-5: Survey Instruments
• Appendix 1-6: Departments in Survey
• Appendix 2-1: Review of Literature and Relevant Research
• Appendix 2-2: Previous Research on Factors Contributing to Gender Differences Among Faculty
• Appendix 3-1: Review of Literature and Research on Factors Associated with a Higher Proportion of Female Applicants
• Appendix 3-2: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences for the Probability That There Are No Female Applicants
• Appendix 3-3: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of the Percentage of Applicants That Are Female
• Appendix 3-4: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of at Least One Female Candidate Interviewed
• Appendix 3-5: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by All Doctoral-Granting Institutions, by Field, Gender, and Year
• Appendix...read more...