The Observer, February 16, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 17
Forum discusses gender, leadership
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Last Friday, the Share the Vision committee held a community hour event titled, "The University in Transition: What Does It Mean To Have a Woman Leading Us?"
The real underlying question at this forum was whether gender is relevant in today's society. As both Case and Harvard are welcoming their first female presidents, the question seems especially compelling.
The panelists for the forum were Interim President Gregory Eastwood; Richard Baznik, the director of The Institute for the Study of the University in Society; May Wykle, dean of the School of Nursing; Liz Woyczynski, the director of undergraduate admission; and Jacqueline Greene, a senior student. Each presented his or her thoughts on a particular aspect of the new president's coming to Case. Sue Hinze, associate professor of sociology, moderated.
Eastwood discussed his experience at Case, and provided some advice to Barbara Snyder: address all your constituents and maximize interaction by letting the rest of your staff do their jobs – don't micromanage. He testified to the competence of Snyder, who perfectly fit the bill of the search committee's ideal presidential candidate.
Woyczynski talked about the changing nature of the student body and enrollment at Case. Changing national trends have resulted in more women going to college, and accordingly, Case has seen an increase in the admission of women (43 percent of the 2006 freshman class are women). Also, fewer incoming students have declared an interest in engineering (a traditionally male field), and the university has seen an increase in the percentages of humanities and social science students (13 percent; up from 8 percent in fall 2003).
One of the few minority women in top leadership positions at the university, Wykle described the difficulties of being "the only one who is different" as a task often fraught with anxiety.
Baznik reminded the attendees that there have been innumerate influential women in the history of the University. He noted that the university population changes about 20 percent each year, with graduation, new faculty and staff, and now, a new president.
"It's tempting to think that out of all the new people, the president will be the most influential person," said Baznik.
While there is some historical basis for this belief (a look around the campus shows buildings adorned with the names of past benefactors and others who changed the university), it is hard to tell whether Snyder will have an equivalently momentous impact.
Greene represented the student body's perspective on the transition. She noted that this is a progressive move for Case, and "by choosing Ms. Snyder, the university is asserting that women are equally capable of leading…but it's a shame that it's taken the university this long to recognize women in the administration."
Forum panelists and audience members grappled with what Hinze termed the paradox of gender – that gender does and does not matter.
Gender matters statistically, because women are underrepresented in positions of power. Historically, women have been marginalized and subjugated, to put it nicely. Gender also matters legally, as discrimination on the basis of gender is formally punishable by law. But, when we look around us, we see women in all aspects of society in a variety of roles and at various levels of power and responsibility. Few Western women are barred from opportunities on the basis of gender, and women have virtually the same rights as men.
One audience member said, "I am amazed at the number of conversations we have over the appointment of a competent person – especially a minority or a woman. Case would never hire someone because they are a woman. Conversations in the past (among presidential/other search committees) have wondered whether Case was ready for a woman president. We don't have those kinds of conversations about white men."
Gender is quite similar to "race" in that the popular and largely ahistorical conception of their relative equality in society has been internalized.
This mindset obscures the very real difficulties each faces, as well as the statistics on women and minorities in the workplace. On average, women still make less than men.
While one can argue that accurate statistics on wages are hard to come by (and they are – one must account for educational level, experience, consecutive years of work/ time not spent at work, continuing education, and many other factors), even at comparable levels, women are still paid less then men.
According to the National Science Foundation, the wage gap between male and female college and university teachers is $10,500; for mechanical engineers the gap is $17,000; for chemical engineers $7000.
In the academic world, women earned 4-6 percent less than men, even in studies that control for experience, educational attainment, field, rank, institution type, and self-reported productivity. This small percentage makes a large difference over the 20 plus years a woman may be working, and impacts not only earnings, but retirement benefits as well.
Coupled with the general receptiveness of the public to women in leadership roles, the prognosis is favorable for future success. The university will hopefully continue to work towards not simply gender-blind evaluations, but gender-blind opportunities, education, and life experiences as well, because a level practicing field is just as important as a level playing field.
