Abstract
In this chapter, the author examines the state of women in higher education, including a discussion of roadblocks and deterrents. The author reveals deterrents/roadblocks in common recruitment practices, retainment requirements, and advancement policies. She then focuses on initiatives designed to mitigate those deterrents that act to transform institutions, starting with research and evaluation, identifying and forming pipeline initiatives designed to encourage women to apply for positions in higher education. These initiatives are classified as structures (such as childcare facilities, lactation centers, family resource centers, etc.), pipeline initiatives (equity advisors, ombudspersons/offices, etc.), programs/initiatives (peer networking, mentoring, etc.), policies (tenure clock extensions, etc.), and climate initiatives (addressing unconscious bias, bystander interventions, etc.).
TopIntroduction
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2019) the percentage of university/college female faculty decreases across ranks: 54% of all assistant professors are female, 47% of associate professors are female, and only 33% of full professors are female. In 2013, 48% of all tenure-track positions were occupied by women, but only 37.5% of tenured positions were held by females (IPEDS, 2013). Further, fewer women than men hold leadership positions in academia, including chairs, deans, provosts, and presidents (Bartel, 2018), while only 30% of college presidencies are held by women, and of those, only 5% are held by female minorities (American Council on Education, 2017). One false narrative for this disparity is the notion that men dominate in these positions because there are not enough qualified females to fill them. This is simply not true because the number of women in doctoral programs has outnumbered men since 2006 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). Moreover, many women in academia possess the skills, abilities, and aspirations necessary for these positions, but systemic barriers embedded within the culture and organization of higher education act to impede their access to such positions (Fitzgerald, 2008). This phenomenon clearly reflects a leaking pipeline for women in academia (Ysseldyk et al., 2019). There are multiple reasons for this gender inequity among higher education faculty that can be grouped into three categories: recruitment, retainment, and advancement. In this chapter, the author will provide a literature review synthesis of challenges, barriers, promising practices, and policies regarding women in the academy.