Faculty Members of Color to Hold Forum Charging Institutional Racism at CSU
July 13, 2003, 1-3 p.m.
McCarthy Hall, Room 338
CSU Fullerton
Information: 714 278-7048 or 619 562-5982
Educational politics makes corporate politics look like a sandbox.
by Mary Fox
From the Web site of: Women in Higher Education
A monthly journal for practioners www.wihe.com
Welcome to Newsletter 19 by Mary Singleton Co-coordinator
Because the spring newsletter is coming out after the spring meeting
at the Berkeley campus I have the opportunity of telling our readers
what they missed if they were not there. As usual we were uplifted by
a day spent with other WAGE members. There is something very special
about the biographies and the activities of women who are committed
to fighting for gender equity.
It was particularly exciting to hear from Eloise Rosenblatt,
who has a Ph.D. in theology, has now completed law school,
and is preparing for the bar exam in July. She is interested in helping
other women who are involved in litigation or need help to decide what
course they should take.
Eloise has particular interest in cases that involve Title VII, age
discrimination, and/or church law. As always, Eloise´s presence
added a spirit of caring that remained with each of us at the end of the day.
The update from Tina Murch about her case against UCSF was like "deja vu all over again."
Tina has joined a growing list of WAGE members who have had discrimination cases at this
institution. We were pleased to hear that Tina has gained the attention of two California State
legislators (Assemblywoman Carole Migden and Senator Jackie Speier),
and she is currently working with Speier to focus attention on the problems that persist at UCSF.
WAGE is actively supporting this effort.
In the afternoon session, we heard two excellent presentations by Professor Marty West (UCD)
and by Anne MacLachlan for Professor Angelica Stacy (UCB),
both focused on UC faculty gender equity issues.
In February Senator Jackie Speier chaired the third hearing by the Senate Select
Committee on Government Oversight into issues of UC faculty gender equity.
Both West and Stacy testified at the hearing.
A number of WAGE members were among those who gave testimony from campuses throughout
the UC system, and WAGE members were well-represented in the audience.
The prize goes to Charity Hirsch for coming all the way from Wisconsin
to be there and support the hearings! Thanks, Charity, for your continued
support and for inspiring us to keep on working for gender equity.
And, thanks to Anne for not only speaking at the spring meeting,
but organizing it together with Cathy Kessel.
Collegiality Rejected as Tenure Criterion
Like Gail Gottfried, Carol Stepien, and others (see Fall 2002 Newsletter),
a professor at Brooklyn College in the City of New York (CUNY)
system was denied promotion to tenure for being "uncollegial,"
despite strong research and teaching evaluations. After much public outcry
from students and scholars, the tenure decision was revisited by a committee
composed of CUNY faculty members outside of Brooklyn College.
A mere year later, the decision was reversed and the professor received tenure.
What caused such a speedy reversal? Could it be because the professor was male?
"Although collegiality is a factor that may be considered in connection with
promotion-and-tenure decisions, I did not find compelling and objective
evidence of a major problem in that regard sufficient to trump a truly
outstanding record of scholarship, teaching, and other aspects of
service," the CUNY chancellor told the trustees. "I hope this will be a
lesson to college administrators to respect academic freedom and make
tenure decisions based on scholarship and teaching," said the professor.
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/25/03.
Tips and Tactics for Women Faculty
THE STRATEGIST
National Women´s Studies Association
Academic Discrimination Advisory Board
A valuable resource for academic women
Available from Annis Pratt, Editor
AVPratt@aol.com Web Sites of Interest
In the Talk of the Gown section of the February 2003
California Monthly: "the University of California as a whole is assessing whether it
should adopt a systemwide policy against sexual harassment":
http://209.232.194.53/Alumni/Cal_Monthly/main.asp.