Penn State has the opportunity to become a leader in the role women play in higher education, but it still faces challenges, according to a member of the University's Commission for Women.
In a presentation in September before the Board of Trustees, the past chair of Penn State's Commission for Women said that a commitment of resources is needed to achieve continued success, as well as more communication among the entire University community. The commission regularly reports on the status of women at Penn State.
"Penn State needs to encourage everyone to be active in creating a more equitable working and learning environment," said Tineke Cunning. "Strong and visible leadership at all levels is also required and the commission will keep the lines of communication open as it continues to be an active advocate for sustaining positive change."
The Commission for Women, an advisory group to the president on matters concerning women, has among its many projects been analyzing salary data for employee groups and numerical data on the number of female faculty members on the tenure track. Figures from 1997 show that 83.4 percent of the faculty at University Park who have obtained tenure are men, while 16.6 percent are women. At locations outside of University Park, slightly more than 20 percent or one-fifth of the tenured faculty are women.
In the faculty ranks, 61.5 percent of those currently on the tenure track at University Park are male, while 38.5 percent are female. Outside of University Park, 66.8 percent on the tenure track are male, while 33.2 percent are female. From 1993 to 1997, women faculty who are non-tenured at locations other than University Park experienced a 9.7 percent increase resulting in an equal balance of men and women at this rank in 1997.
Cunning said that when compared against six peer institutions who are part of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation -- the academic arm of the Big Ten -- Penn State ranks in the middle for the number of female faculty members versus its number of males in tenure track and non-tenure track.
An increase in the number of women faculty, Cunning said, expands the opportunities for role modeling and mentoring by women, providing a benefit to all students and the University community.
"We have made slight gains over a three-year period in the number of women faculty on the tenure track," Cunning said. "But we must be diligent about encouraging our female faculty, removing obstacles and monitoring their progress."
"With the increasing pools of women candidates and the formal and informal support systems in place within the University, the number of women faculty and administrators slowly increases but it still continues to be an area of serious concern," she said. "We continue to make progress but we still face challenges."