Gender and Campus Service: Leaning Toward Change

• In Event: 18.064 - Waves of Change in Institutional Transformation: The Role of Feminism

Abstract

Many studies have shown women faculty perceive they do more service than their male peers in research universities (Acker & Feuerverger, 1996; Misra et al, 2011; Stout, Staiger & Jennings, 2007). This perception is important because faculty perceptions of unfair workload contribute to lack of job satisfaction, which in turn impacts intent to leave (Johnsrud & Rosser, 2002; Rosser, 2004). It is also important because if women are indeed carrying a heavier service load, this puts them at a systemic disadvantage compared to their male peers for career advancement (Creamer, 1998). Research universities are well-known to value research over teaching and service (Fairweather, 1996). Therefore, if women are doing more service, they are likely to have less time for research, which is the key activity rewarded in promotion and tenure and other academic recognitions (Misra et al, 2011; O’Meara, 2011). Beyond advancement, differential service obligations have implications for morale and organizational commitment. Acker and Feuerverger’s (1996) work showed women faculty “working harder” on service in their universities for the good of their programs and universities but resenting it because they felt their male colleagues were less invested. Unfair and seemingly invisible campus service loads can thereby damage faculty members’ relationships with their institution.

The University of Maryland ADVANCE program has undertaken a multi-layered study of on-campus service including interviews, analysis of annual faculty report data and representation of women in key service roles. Results indicated no significant differences by gender in key service roles in 2013. However, women and men faculty indicated different orientations to campus service in interviews. Also, analysis of annual faculty report data revealed significant differences between men and women in the total amount of on-campus service activities reported.

Building on this analysis, we have used Acker’s (1990, 2006) research on gendered organizations. For example, we sponsored workshops on “saying no” to service for women faculty. We designed a publicly available “service dashboard” that provides college specific data on the average amount of service faculty complete at different ranks. Finally, we created “briefs” from annual faculty report data showing the areas where there are gender issues and sharing them publicly with campus leaders.

Interventions related to individual career planning and professional development place the greatest onus on the women faculty member, and assume a major reason there is gender inequality is that she says yes more often to service requests. Interventions related to studying workload place more onus on department chairs and leaders to not ask women to participate in service more than men and to be accountable for fair service workloads. At the same time, interventions that rely on transparency to solve gender inequality assume that if everyone knows an unfair practice is occurring, they will work to correct it, which is not always the case. In this presentation, I use Acker’s work to consider which interventions are more likely to benefit women, and to benefit the entire campus. Also, I consider whether there are any conflicts between those goals, and suggest new strategies to address gender inequality.

Author

• Kerry Ann O' Meara, University of Maryland - College Park