Part II - Thoughts on Challenges of Women Leaders
The Chronicle of Higher Education's ADVANCING WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION piece titled "Women Do Higher Ed's Chores. That Must Change." discussed the impact of service work placed on and expected of women and the damaging effects on women and their careers. COVID stripped away any facade that may have masked the uneven distribution and unrewarded work.
It was why, while provost, I resisted the common remedy for the COVID impact on untenured faculty of adding a year to the tenure clock.
I was unconvinced that the solution needed to be more equitable. This remedy of treating everyone the same did not benefit everyone the same. The time spent in remote isolation impacted women differently than men, so I was committed to creating rectifications that addressed those circumstances.
I knew that short of this approach, a year delay of the tenure clock benefited some (primarily men) and, at best, had little benefit for women and, at most, harmed them. Moreover, a year's delay is costly regarding salary and timing to one's next promotion and needs careful consideration.
In short, as COVID's impact was complex and differently affected the careers of men and women, the college's response in support of all faculty should have reflected this complexity.
Finally, what we learned during COVID about gendered faculty work and the possible ways to address it, must inform the future if we get past this inequitable solution.
