Tenure-Track Jobs in Science and Math Are Open to Women, if They Want Them

Female professors seeking tenure-track positions in science and mathematics have generally found improving opportunities and upward mobility nationwide, according to a report released today by the National Research Council of the National Academies.

The report, “Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty,” says that women fare as well as, if not better than, men in several areas.

Sally Shaywitz, a professor of learning development at Yale University and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, pointed out that, while there wasn’t much evidence of gender inequality, not all women eligible for tenured posts seemed to be actively pursuing them.

“If you look at how many women were potentially eligible because they had received a Ph.D., and how many were applying, there was a real underrepresentation, especially in biology and chemistry,” said Dr. Shaywitz, who is also co-director of the Yale medical school’s Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

While women spent more time as assistant professor than men did, they were more likely to receive tenure upon review, and “no significant gender disparity existed at the stage of promotion to full professor,” the report says.

“I don’t think we would have anticipated that in so many areas that there would have been such a balance in opportunities for men and women,” Dr. Shaywitz said.

One reason cited for an increase in positions held by female professors at some colleges was the presence of women in leadership posts at those institutions, where they play a role in recruiting female professors and serve on hiring committees.

The report provides information updating previous editions. A 2001 report and a 2005 report both showed how women were faring better than in previous years, and what colleges were doing to help further that trend. A 2006 report described biases and difficulties still facing female academics, and some ways to deal with them. —Marc Beja