[omen profs. still. placed in traditional positions

Halifax (CUP) — uni- ersities ‘are ‘still *hiring ” omen mainly’‘to’ “fill ‘po-’ itions in “traditional”: fe!)

nale faculties, such as nurs- |

ng and education, ‘says he chair of ‘the Status Lf Women committee of he Canadian Association Lf University Teachers.

“On the surface, it ooks as if universities haye een hiring more women,” aid Jane Gordon, a soci-

logy. professor ” at Mount

bait “Vincent | University.

‘But they ‘are, Probably | hir- :

ing fewer women in main- tream faculties.”

In most Nova Scotia niversities, the percentage f faculty positions filled by omen runs between 14 to 0 per cent. At Mount aint Vincent, where 85 per ent of students are women, he figure is 60 per cent. But at the Technical Uni- ersity of Nova Scotia, the gure drops to just two per lent.

Paula Chegwidden, a ociology, professor: at, Acar. Lis, University in. INpLNIeis aid,,, only y fit aperiiecentti f Acadia’s: science profes- ors are female. Chegwid- en said more women are eeded in

scientific areas

to “provide role “modicle’ for — women. Not having women in the sciences may discour- age women going into the sciences.”

Gordon is — concerned that the number of female faculty at Mount Saint Vin- cent has declined from 100 per cent 20 years ago to 60 per cent today.

“There are more women being Sard out. of graduate } programs,” but not all are being hired as professors, she said.

Gordon said universi- ties seem “to value men’s credentials highly than women’s.” She said many women often take time off after finishing graduate school, and _ this may hinder their chances for academic employment.

more

that “are reluctant to hire older women,” pre- ferring to hire “someone fresh out of.graduate school who goes directly into the

Gordon suggests universities

system.”

% oa‘ Bhrarabtie ie! conscious nt détsiow! a : not to hire women,” Chegwidden. “But ple like to hire people like

says peo-

themselves,” she said, not-

‘ing hiring committees are often made up of men.

Although Acadia has had an affirma- tive action policy for two years, Chegwidden said it’s just “a motherhood state- ment.” There's no way to enforce the hiring of women,she said.

Dalhousie philosophy professor Sue Sherwin said Dal’s “very weak” affirma- tive action policy states that a woman is to be hired only if there is no better qualified male. Sherwin thinks universities should hire well-qualified women even if a is perceived to have higher qualifications.

male candidate

What people consider to be ‘qualified’ is subjective,”

“very said Sherwin. “A department head may prefer a person because she or he fits into the of the department.

style That works. against women be- cause departments are usu- ally male dominated.”

If hiring committees re- lied solely on grades and publications, the system would be fairer to women, said Sherwin. .

Sherwin also said that most women professors at Dalhousie are in the ju- and very few

“There

nior ranks, head departments.

Calgary committee plans for Olympic housing worries

CALGARY (CUP) - ommittee of University of valgary amd municipal offi- ials is working on plans to ccommidate the 900 stu- lents who will be in res- dence when athletes de- scend on the campus for he 1988 Winter Olympic

saimes.

chair ~ Olympic

Theresa Goulet, of the

Liason Committee of the

Aniversity’s ation,

alumni. associ- is confident lodging for more than 400 students Will be found with vol- inteers reached through a mail-out recruitment cam- Paign in the city.

However, planners are 1 i , ot being too confident, fol- Owl t ; wing the experience of

Sinilar alumni project

the inn” nizers avoid 400 to 500

during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Ange- les. Only one-third of the

projected participants pro- vided space in their homes because unexpected rela- tives and friends showed up

as the Games started.

Besides “no room at

scenarios, orga- are also trying to problems for the

students who

start school January 1988. These students may not find guaranteed accomoda- tion, or could be victims of suddenly escalated rental rates. “There is

for high rates,”

a potential said Peter

Fraser, university housing manager. Students’ dent Dave Hoff suggests a “buddy system” be estab- lished so that:no students are left lugging their lug- gage about Calgary when the Games begin. “oT think students would (pro- they knew

union presi-

vide space) if there was a need and they Hoff

knew where to go,” said.

are 13 female full profes- sors compared to 237 male full professors, and there is only one woman in senior administration, she said. Gordon said these fig- ures are similar for most universities across Canada. “The only way to change these statis- tics is to hire more women,” said Sherwin. But because many universities are suf- fering budget restraints, it is unlikely women faculty will be hired in great num- bers in the near future. Women faculty also earn less than their male colleagues. Oni average, women: professors make 12 per cent less than men. Gordon says salary disparity “is attributed not to gender, but to the initial salary the professor negoti- ates with administration.” At the Nova Scotia Col- lege of Art Design, differences in initial salary

and

negotiations accounted for “as much as a $5,000 dif-

ference” in the salaries of

equally qualified men and women, says college envi- ronmental planning profes- sor Jill Grant.

Mivison ?

Grant said the wage disparity has been reduced because of a collec- tive agreement reached this fall between administration and faculty. “Now about half as many women as be- fore are being underpaid.”

NSCAD professor Wilma Needham thinks men negotiate for

bigger salaries because they

are more money,” Need-

ham Said. Gordon said universi-

ties should become - more flexible to better meet the needs of female faculty. || Noting’ that married women -{O-t" fessors are still largely re- sponsible for housekeeping and childbearing duties at home, Gordon said univer- sities need to develop more support facilities adequate daycare. She want to should without “Being part-time means you're marginal at

such as

also said women

who work

time

part- be able to do so ‘being pe-

nalized.

a university,” Part-time faculty lose ben- efits and most possibilities of promotion, she said.

says Gordon.

NOW IZZA!

flursday, March 19th 1987 ———————