1. GENDER EQUITY AT TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
REPORT OF THE TTU GENDER ISSUES COMMITTEE
APRIL 2004

2. COMMITTEE CHARGE
To analyze the interaction between gender and the Texas Tech University environment for students, faculty and staff,
To make recommendations for changes or additions to existing policies through the appropriate vice president or provost,
To ensure that all policies and procedures are fair and in accordance with state and federal law,
To assure that Texas Tech University is gender- and family-friendly, with the goal of attracting and retaining a qualified, diverse workforce and student body.

3. REPORT CONTENTS HIRING AND SALARY ISSUES FOR FACULTY AND STAFF,
CLIMATE ISSUES FOR GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION FOR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

4. DATA SOURCES Dowling Report on Salary Equity at TTU. 2002
Student, Staff, and Faculty Perceptions of Campus Climate at Texas Tech University: A Report Prepared for the Diversity Strategic Planning Committee and StudentFIRST Committee.
Brian Cannon
Office of Institutional Research. 2002
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Faculty and Staff and Student Focus Group Analysis.
Stacey Moore, Karen Meaney
Women’s Studies Exit Interview Analysis.
Marjean Purinton

5. DATA SOURCES
Report of the Texas Tech Child Care Exploratory Committee.
Annual Report. Athletic Council’s Standing Committee on Equity.

6. Salary Analysis
Women faculty make less than men at all academic ranks.
Women staff make less than male staff, in all but one job category.

7. WOMEN STAFF’S AVERAGE SALARIES ARE LOWER THAN MEN’S
1=Technical/Paraprofessional
2=Clerical/Secretarial
3=Skilled Crafts
4=Service/Maintenance
5=Other Professionals
6=Executive/Managerial

8. GENERALLY, THE HIGHER THE FACULTY RANK, THE LARGER THE GENDER GAP

9. WHY DO W0MEN MAKE LESS MONEY?
Women are clustered in lower academic ranks.
Women are underrepresented in administrative positions.
Women are underrepresented in higher paid disciplines.
Gender Bias?

10. WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN LOWER ACADEMIC RANKS.

11. THERE ARE FEW WOMEN AT THE LEVEL OF DEAN-ASS’T OR ASSOC.

12. AND FEWER FEMALE DEPT. CHAIRS

13. WOMEN ARE NOT EVENLY REPRESENTED IN ALL COLLEGES

14. HIGHER NUMBERS OF WOMEN LOWER SALARIES

15. CLASSROOM CLIMATE
FEMALE STUDENTS THRIVE WHERE THERE ARE LARGER NUMBERS OF FEMALES.

16. FEMALE STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN COLLEGES

17. GENDER BIAS?
There are cases where women, even within disciplines and within rank, and after controlling for time in grade, made less than would be predicted.
Could be explained by merit.
Could be explained by gender bias.

18. CLIMATE
FEMALE FACULTY ARE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT OBSERVING AND EXPERIENCING PREJUDICIAL REMARKS TOWARD FACULTY BASED ON RACE, AGE, GENDER, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR DISABILITY THAN MEN.

19. HAVE YOU OBSERVED PREJUDICIAL REMARKS?

20. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED PREJUDICIAL REMARKS?

21. WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY WOMEN FACULTY?
An analysis of exit interviews has shown problems experienced by female faculty.

22. Lack of resources… low salaries, high teaching loads,
and inadequate research or travel resources;

23. SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES…
being given heavy responsibilities, such as supervising teaching assistants early in their careers, which puts tenure and promotion in jeopardy;

24. INADEQUATE COMMUNITY AND FAMILY SUPPORTS…
lack of good quality child care,
ambivalent maternity and family leave policies, and
inadequate opportunities for spousal employment.

25. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
BASED ON THESE FINDINGS THE COMMITTEE MADE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE:

26. ESTABLISH FACULTY MENTORING PROGRAMS…
Faculty mentoring programs, such as the one in the College of Arts and Sciences, are useful in helping women to prepare for tenure by helping them to understand and reach university expectations

27. INVESTIGATE SALARIES OF UNDERPAID WOMEN…
Investigate the salaries of women paid more than one standard deviation lower than expected for their time at Texas Tech.

28. HIRE MORE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERUTILIZED POSITIONS…
Departments and academic units should be encouraged to fill underutilized positions in order to achieve gender balance in faculty representation.
(Based on a nation-wide number of graduates each year, EEO establishes underutilized positions.)

29. EQUALIZE SALARIES AMONG THE DISCIPLINES…
Differences in salaries by gender should be reduced by equalizing the salaries of male and female dominated specialties.

30. RECRUIT WOMEN TO ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS…
Our analysis has found a lack of women in administrative positions in most disciplines and at most levels of the university.

31. FOLLOW AAUP POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS…
Provide a family friendly work environment by implementing the AAUP recommendations for the academic work place.

32. RECOGNIZE PAID FAMILY LEAVE…
“Paid leaves should be provided for pregnancy, family care, and emergencies with the option of longer-term unpaid leaves depending upon the circumstances.”

33. STOP THE TENURE CLOCK…
Make provisions for stopping the tenure clock in case of family needs, such as the birth of a child.

34. INSTITUTE REDUCED WORK LOAD…
Allow faculty to substitute family leave with a status of active service with modified duties.

35. CREATE FLEXIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT…
Make it possible for employees to adjust work schedule and work setting to meet family needs.

36. USE BENEFITS WITHOUT PREJUDICE…
Establish clear expectations that any employee taking advantage of these programs can do so without prejudice.

37. ESTABLISH A CHILD CARE CENTER…
Follow up on the recommendation of the TTU Child Care Exploratory Committee and provide the financial resources to establish a university child care center.

38. PROVIDE PARTNER BENEFITS…
Provide for partner benefits for LGBT members of the university community.

39. CLIMATE ISSUES SPECIAL ISSUES OF CONCERN
Climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender members of the university community
Climate for gender equity in sports for women

40. SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND CLIMATE
Problems feeling safe and accepted on the TTU Campus.
Problems in the academic setting.
Problems in other university settings.

41. FOCUS GROUPS Focus group participants requested that
The university improve education about LGBT issues,
bring more visibility to LGBT issues and
create a resource center for LGBT members of the university community

42. RECOMMENDATION
Include sexual orientation in the antidiscrimination statement
Included in the policies of most Big XII schools.
Necessary to promote tolerance on campus.

43. GENDER EQUITY IN ATHLETICS
Gender equity in athletics has declined in several areas since 1995.
Coaches’ salaries
Game-day expenses
Number of women participants
Follow recommendations of committee on equity and gender in athletics

44. CONCLUSION
Hire more women. Women are underrepresented, especially in higher paid specialties.
Recruit more women for administrative positions.
Equalize salaries among disciplines.
Investigate individual salary inequities.
Implement family-friendly policies. This includes accepting and supporting all types of families.

45. CONCLUSION
Create and support a climate that is unbiased for all its members, including clearly communicating that discrimination against any group will not be tolerated.
Follow up is critical.