Iowa Academe
Spring 1997
Spring
conference meeting to feature AAUP president and hot topics
Women’s issues: The perils
of pay equity by Maita Levine
From the president by Warren Zemke
PROGRAM; Spring Meeting of the Iowa Conference AAUP
Spring conference meeting to feature AAUP president and hot topics
A University of Iowa panel on post-tenure review and an address by AAUP president James E. Perley head the program for the spring meeting of the Iowa Conference of the AAUP. The meeting will be held in the Iowa Memorial Union on the campus of the University of Iowa on Satur-day, April 5 (see conference program in box).
In his key-note address, "Adelphi and Minnesota: Case Studies in How Not to Manage," Perley will talk about recent threats to tenure and shared governance at the institutions named in his title. Perley believes there are valuable lessons to be learned from both cases.
Perley, a professor of biology at the College of Wooster in Ohio, is currently serving his second term as AAUP president.
Perley will also join UI faculty in the panel discussion on post-tenure review. Post-tenure review has become an issue of interest to University of Iowa faculty since an ad hoc committee on post-tenure review was appointed in response to a request from the Iowa Board of Regents.
Other panelists are James Andrews, professor of mechanical engineering and chair of UI Committee A; Sheldon Kurtz, professor of law, president of the faculty senate, and a member of the ad hoc committee on post-tenure review; and Jon Whitmore, professor of theater and university provost.
Ruth Wachtel, associate professor of anesthesia and president of UI AAUP, will moderate the discussion.
According to Wachtel, the UI panelists represent a variety of opinions and have "passionate views" on the subject.
For conference-goers unfamiliar with the UI campus, we offer the following directions to the conference site:
From I-380, take Exit 244. Go south on North Dubuque St. Turn right onto Market Street
(follow sign to Old Capitol Area). At the bottom of hill, turn left onto Madison Street.
Park in ramp a half block on the left. The Iowa Memorial Union is on the right.
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Women’s
issues: The perils of pay equity
by Maita Levine
Professor Levine teaches mathematics at the University of Cincinnati and chairs Committee W on the Status of Women in the Academic Profession.
Yes, we're still talking about academic salary inequities between male and female faculty members. Has there been progress? Is there still a significant problem? These are some of the questions that Committee W on the Status of Women in the Academic Profession has been addressing during the past year.
I'd like to present a summary of what Committee W has done, what has worked, what you can do to identify and correct inequities at your institution, and what barriers you're likely to encounter in your attempts to do so.
Bob Johnson, associate profes-sor of sociology at Kent State University and a member of Committee W, has developed a new set of procedures for flagging inequities. As in previously developed packages, he uses statistical regression techniques to analyze salary differentials. But unlike previous studies, he also focuses on inequities in rates of achieving tenure and promotions. Clearly, rank is one of the variables that affects salaries. And, since it's usually the same group of people who make the decisions in both areas, there is no reason to believe that there is less bias in retention-promotion-tenure decisions than in salary determinations. Directions for using Bob's inequities package are available from Bob or Committee W.
Unfortunately, thus far, we can report moral victories but not financial gain as a result of implementing Bob Johnson's study. At Kent State University, in spite of a positive recommendation by the regional office of the Department of Labor in Cleveland, the administration has refused to recognize the existence of inequities. And at the University of Cincinnati, where Bob Johnson's study and the Columbus office of the Department of Labor independently flagged salary inequities, a class action lawsuit is awaiting the federal judge's decision on certifying the class. A judge magistrate has already recommended against the certification.
So, is it worth attempting to gain equity? What is the strategy? What are the pitfalls?
Yes, faculty women who perceive inequities in salary and rates of promotion should certainly try to correct the problem. The first step, of course, is to identify and document the individual women whose compensation and/or rank are below those of their male colleagues. The next step—the more difficult one—is planning a strategy to gain equity.
What works? Different methods are successful on different campuses. The support of male colleagues, the threat of embarrassing publicity, proposals at the table in formal collective bargaining, faculty senate or university senate recommendations, lawsuits, and the power of rational arguments are among the possible roads to a remedy.
The pitfalls? A considerable commitment of time and effort are necessary and there's
often a significant emotional drain that requires both strength and solidarity.
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From the president
Warren Zemke
Two and one-half years ago, AAUP president Jim Perley spoke at the fall meeting of the Iowa Conference. The title of his address was "Tenure: An Outmoded Con-cept?" In a few weeks President Perley returns to Iowa to keynote our spring meeting in Iowa City and, once again, speak on the issue of tenure and attacks on it.
In addition, a panel consisting of an administrator and three faculty from the University of Iowa will examine a new twist to the tenure issue—post-tenure review (see front-page article).
The business portion of the meeting includes elections: four members of the executive committee and two officers—the president and the treasurer. If you wish to nominate a colleague (or yourself), contact Ed Kottick, chair of the nominating committee (edward-kottick@uiowa.edu or 319-337- 3770).
We must also decide upon who will represent us at the AAUP national meeting and the Association of State Conferences meeting, both to be held June 11-15 in Oakland, CA. The meeting will be at The Claremont hotel, less than one mile from the University of California-Berkeley campus. More-over, the Bay Area in June is delightful to visit! If you are interested, please let me know ASAP (zemke@wartburg or 319-352-8367).
Another very important op-portunity arises just two weeks after the spring meeting. On April 18-20, there is a regional Leadership Training Institute in Chicago.
Chapters in Iowa, particularly those within easy driving distance, should take advantage of this valuable and inexpensive training institute.
The Institute sessions will include the following: (1) chapter building (John Hopper, ASC chair), (2) communications (Iris Molotsky, national office staff), (3) workings of Committee A (Jim Perley, AAUP president), (4) membership recruitment, and (5) lobbying and legislative activity.
John Hopper, ASC chair, has assured me that ASC could provide scholarships up to $250 each for six chapter leaders from Iowa. This amount would effectively cover hotel room and food costs for the three-day meeting (Friday evening through Sunday noon, Saturday evening free). The Iowa Conference is able to support travel expenses, capped at $100 a person.
This institute is a great opportunity to learn how to help your chapter grow and become more effective. I have participated in two of them in the past three years and found them both very beneficial. It is imperative that I know the names of those interested in going to Chicago as soon as possible. For further information, contact me at the numbers noted above.
Finally, please consider atten-ding the Iowa City spring meeting on April 5. Not only
will you have a chance to hear informed speakers address critical issues affecting all of
us, but you will have a chance to discuss professional concerns with colleagues from
around the state.
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PROGRAM
Spring Meeting of the Iowa Conference AAUP
April 5, 1997
The University of Iowa
9:15 Registration (free of charge) in Illinois Room, Iowa Memorial Union
10:00 Keynote Address: "Adelphi and Minnesota: Case Studies in How Not to Manage."
James E. Perley, President, AAUP
11:00 Panel Discussion on Post-Tenure Review
Panelists: James Andrews, Sheldon Kurtz, James E. Perley, Ruth Wachtel (moderator), and Jon Whitmore
12:00 Lunch Break and Committee Meetings
1:30 Business Meeting
•President's Report
•Treasurer's Report
•Elections
•Committee Reports
•Chapter Reports
2:30 Adjournment
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