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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.

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Topics

Suggested Citation

National Research Council. 2010. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12062.

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Publication Info

384 pages |  6 x 9 | 

ISBNs: 
  • Hardcover:  978-0-309-11463-9
  • Ebook:  978-0-309-15586-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/12062
Chapters skim
Front Matter i-xviii
Summary 1-14
1 Introduction 15-30
2 Status of Women in Academic Science and Engineering in 2004 and 2005 31-38
3 Gender Differences in Academic Hiring 39-69
4 Professional Activities, Institutional Resources, Climate, and Outcomes 70-115
5 Gender Differences in Tenure and Promotion 116-152
6 Key Findings and Recommendations 153-168
Appendixes 169-170
Appendix 1-1: Biographical Information on Committee Members 171-177
Appendix 1-2: List of Research I Institutions 178-178
Appendix 1-3: Committee Meeting Agenda 179-180
Appendix 1-4: The Surveys 181-188
Appendix 1-5: Survey Instruments 189-215
Appendix 1-6: Departments in Survey 216-248
Appendix 2-1: Review of Literature and Relevant Research 249-266
Appendix 2-2: Previous Research on Factors Contributing to Gender Differences Among Faculty 267-274
Appendix 3-1: Review of Literature and Research on Factors Associated with a Higher Proportion of Female Applicants 275-283
Appendix 3-2: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences for the Probability That There Are No Female Applicants 284-284
Appendix 3-3: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of the Percentage of Applicants That Are Female 285-286
Appendix 3-4: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of at Least One Female Candidate Interviewed 287-288
Appendix 3-5: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by All Doctoral-Granting Institutions, by Field, Gender, and Year 289-289
Appendix 3-6: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by Discipline and Gender for Research I Institutions, 1999-2003 290-290
Appendix 3-7: Marginal Mean and Variance of Transformed Response Variables 291-294
Appendix 3-8: Main Considerations for Taking a Position by Number of Respondents Saying "Yes" 295-295
Appendix 4-1: Distribution of Undergraduate Course Load for Faculty by Gender and Discipline 296-297
Appendix 4-2: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Do No Graduate Teaching 298-298
Appendix 4-3: Percentage of Faculty Members Receiving a Reduced Teaching Load When Hired 299-299
Appendix 4-4: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Served on an Undergraduate Thesis or Honors Committee 300-300
Appendix 4-5: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Served on and Chaired an Undergraduate Thesis or Honors Committee 301-301
Appendix 4-6: Distribution of Number of Graduate Thesis or Honors Committees for Research I Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty: Men/Women 302-302
Appendix 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/Women 303-303
Appendix 4-8: Distribution of Number of Service Committees for Research I Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty: Men/Women 304-304
Appendix 4-9: Mean Salary by Gender and Professorial Rank for Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions 305-305
Appendix 4-10: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Summer Support 306-306
Appendix 4-11: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Travel Funds 307-307
Appendix 4-12: Median Square Footage of Lab Space of Faculty Who Report Doing Experimental Work 308-308
Appendix 4-13: Faculty Who Have Received More Lab Space Since Hire (Values Are Percentages) 309-309
Appendix 4-14: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Sufficient Equipment 310-310
Appendix 4-15: Number of Postdoctorate Students for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions (presented by Men and Women) 311-311
Appendix 4-16: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Sufficient Clerical Support 312-312
Appendix 4-17: Percentage of Faculty Members Stating That They Had a Mentor 313-313
Appendix 4-18: Distribution of the Number of Graduate Students for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions (presented by Men and Women) 314-314
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 Institutions 315-315
Appendix 4-20a: Estimated Probability of Having Grant Funding by Discipline, Gender, and Whether the Faculty Member Has an Assigned Mentor - Assistant Professors Only 316-316
Appendix 4-20b: Estimated Probability of Having Grant Funding by Discipline, Gender, and Whether the Faculty Member Has an Assigned Mentor - Associate Professors Only 317-317
Appendix 4-21: Percentage of Faculty Missing Salary Data by Gender and Discipline 318-318
Appendix 4-22: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions That Were Nominated for at Least One Award 319-319
Appendix 4-23: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Research I Faculty with Offers to Leave 320-320
Appendix 4-24: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions Planning to Leave or Retire 321-321
Appendix 5-1: Knowledge of Tenure Procedures by Gender, Rank, and Presence of a Mentor 322-323
Appendix 5-2: Detailed Tenure Information from Departmental Survey 324-324
Appendix 5-3: Time Spent in Both Assistant and Associate Professorships 325-325
Appendix 5-4: Years Between Starting Employment and Achieving Associate Professor Status, by Gender 326-326
Appendix 5-5: Years Between Starting Employment and Achieving Full Professor Status, by Gender 327-327
Appendix 5-6: Patterns of Nonresponse for Tenure Decisions 328-328
Appendix 5-7: Patterns of Nonresponse for Promotion Decisions 329-329
Bibliography 330-352
Index 353-366

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