Bill has an excellent point that some seem to have missed. If I am out on paid sick leave or parental leave, my department has no salary savings so can't hire someone to replace me. Big departments can sometimes absorb these costs on their own, but small departments struggle terribly, resulting in resentment. Some universities are doing just what Bill suggests, offering financial assistance to departments in this situation. I encourage interested ecologgers to investigate universities funded through NSF's Advance program which is helping universities across the country find creative ways to develop more family-friendly policies. I don't know any place where the programs are perfect, but there are definitely improvements. Compare these policies (modified duties, stop-the-clock, parental leave, dual career hires, etc.) at different institutions when you are on the job market.
The issue of exploitation of part-time or temporary instructors in academia is another very real and serious topic, but hiring someone to fill in for a semester is not necessarily exploitative. At a research university, it is usually possible to hire a current doctoral student to take over teaching duties temporarily, and that can be great experience for the student as long as there are funds to properly compensate the student. I agree that if men are encouraged to and regularly do take paternity leaves, women won't be seen as having greater probability of becoming liabilities. And eventually as some expressed, the idea of having employees who are parts of happy families will be seen not as a liability but as a strength. In response to the question about whether stopping the tenure clock is a benefit or a punishment, it is definitely a benefit. If your mandatory date is two years away and you feel ready, you can always ask to go up for tenure early. But if your mandatory date is now and you don't feel ready, it's too bad. It's a good idea to take the option and then can forgo if you don't need it. Thanks to all you women and men out there working to succeed in an academic career without giving up your life outside of work. We need to keep our passions for both intact and to assist each other as best we can. It is doable, so I hope you won't give up! =Carola >Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:43:02 +0000 >From: William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: gender issues in ecology >Sender: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" > <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Reply-to: William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-Junkmail-Status: score=10/50, host=vivi.cc.vt.edu >X-Junkmail-SD-Raw: score=unknown, > refid=str=0001.0A090204.454A2634.015E:SCGEO112044,ss=1,fgs=0, > ip=128.8.10.60, > so=2006-09-22 03:48:54, dmn=5.2.121/2006-09-27 >X-Mirapoint-RAPID-Raw: score=unknown(0), > refid=str=0001.0A090204.454A2634.015E:SCGEO112044,ss=1,fgs=0, > ip=128.8.10.60, > so=2006-09-22 03:48:54, dmn=5.2.121/2006-09-27 >X-Mirapoint-Loop-Id: f8a8173ab3592955c342fb77a2fd2cd6 >List-Owner: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >List-Archive: <http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LIST=ECOLOG-L> >List-Help: <http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LIST=ECOLOG-L>, > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ECOLOG-L> > >While I cannot comment on whether discrimination exists, I would like to >address the issue of preventing it. Many institutions have adopted equal >opportunity policies, but have not removed the incentive to discriminate, >which puts hiring committees in a very difficult situation. Specifically, it >is not enough to ensure equal pay, maternity benefits and the like -- it is >also necessary that institutions takes steps to avoid punishing departments >which avoid discrimination. > >I have taught in academic departments where the faculty had to assume an >overload, including teaching courses for which no one had the proper >background, because the professor in that specialty was on maternity leave. >I have also seen work in a government laboratory grind to a halt when an >essential secretary or administrator went on maternity leave. There are >clearly grounds for concern when a critical employee may suddenly leave >because of pregnancy. > >The solutiion to this problem is for universities and other institutions to >take steps to ensure that any affected departments are covered if staff go >on leave (including paternity leave if that is the practice). When a >university says that you have to be an equal opportunity employer, but if >you hire a woman and she goes off on maternity leave you have to do without, >then there is a lot of pressure on the people who do the hiring to try to >get a man. > >The bottom line is that maternity leave costs money. If the government or >university administration is willing to pay the costs, then there is no >reason for departments to discriminate. But if a department is told to >implment a policy that could have negative impacts on it, it provides an >incentive to cheat. So we need to put pressure on the people who control the >budgets, not on those caught in the middle. > >Bill Silvert >Peral, Portugal > >"No good deed goes unpunished." > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Kristina Pendergrass" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 2:21 PM >Subject: Re: gender issues in ecology > > >> As someone with an MS, who hopes to still get her doctorate, I find there >> is either a real or perceived stigma against women with regard to >> beginning a family. Since a woman has to spend some number of months >> incapacitated due to the late stages of pregnancy and the early stages of >> childcare, it seems her only choice is to pursue a doctorate first (and >> have kids possibly late in life) or to begin a family before beginning a >> doctorate. >> >> Because my husband is 7 years older than I am, and because I finished my >> MS when I was 26, I am opting to start a family now, when the risk of >> Down's syndrome and other age-related complications is reduced. >> >> What I would like to ask the group is whether, in your experience, older >> women (e.g. age 40) are less likely to be accepted into PhD programs than >> students having just finished their BS or MS? I would dearly like to >> pursue a PhD (ecology is my passion!!), but I worry that my age at the >> time will prove a hindrance. >> >> Please feel free to email me at my email address (vs. replies to the >> group); I can compile results for anyone interested. >> >> Thank you. Sincerely, >> >> Kristina Pendergrass >> Research Associate, >> Scott-Ritchey Research Center >> College of Veterinary Medicine >> Auburn University, AL 36849 >> 334.844.5574 >> >> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "David Inouye" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: Career advice for scientists: the X-gals alliance >>> Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:36:07 -0500 >>> >>> >>> I'm hoping that women in ecology aren't facing all the >>> gender-specific barriers mentioned here: >>> >>> http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/10/2006100201c/careers.html >> >>> >> >> -- Carola A. Haas Associate Professor, Wildlife Ecology Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences (MC 0321) Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9269 ph, 540-231-7580 fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.fw.vt.edu/fisheries/haas.htm
