Report on the status of women at Ohio University, 1972

              REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
AT
OHIO UNIVERSITY
I
Beverly J•. Price
AprilS I 1972
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS •• • • • • • •.• • • • • • • i
I. INTRODUCTION •••..•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1
II. WOMEN AS EM · PLOYEES
Fa culty •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••'. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3
Part- Time Instructors ................................... ~ . 11
Women on Contract ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 14
Civil Service Personnel •••.••• ~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 19
III. WOMEN STUDENTS
Undergraduates ••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24
Graduate Students. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 36
Mature and Married. Women. • • • • • • • • • • • • • •.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 42
IV. AFTERWORD •••••••••••• ~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 46
APPENDIX I. Faculty Salary Survey •••••••••••••••• • •••••• ~ • • • • • • • 48
APPENDIX II. Departmental Employment Policies Regarding
Staff Members on Presidential Contract. • • • • • • • • • • • • 52
APPENDIX III. Proportion of Women · at Each Faculty Rank by
Type of University or Departmental Anti-
Nepotism Regulation ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 55
APPENDIX IV. Unrevised Part- Time Instructors Proposal. • • • • • • • • • • • •• 56
APPENDIX V. Proportion of Doctorates Earned by Women I
By Area and Field, · 1960- 1969 ••••••••••••••••••••• 60
APPENDIX VI. Salaries of 12 - Month Contract Personnel 62
APPENDIX VII: Findings and Recommendations of the
ProfesSional Women's Committee .................. 63
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APPENDIX VIII: Major Civil Service Classifications ••••••••••••••••• 64
APPENDIX IX: Additional Student Information •••••••••••••••••••••• 66
APPENDIX X: A Guide to Current Female Studies. • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • 68
APPENDIX XI: Enrollment Information ••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 77
APPENDIX XII: Graduate Student Information. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 80
APPENDlX XIII: Equal Opportunity Policy of Ohio University •••••••••• 84
APPENDIX XIV: Physical Education Facilities ••••••••••••••••••••••• 85
APPENDIX XV: Fa. culty Tenure Status. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • •• • • 87
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FINDING: Women are underemployed and underpaid within the faculty
and staff of the University. This not only limits the professional opportunities
of female employees and potential employees, but also deprives female students
of needed role models.
RECOMMENDATION # 1: That each dean, department head, and vice
president establish numerical goals for the recruitment of women in his area,
in accordance with the guidelines of the Office of Contract Compliance of the
United States Department of labor. In determining goals I each shall take into
account the pool of available women within the professional field. ( See
APPENDIX V)
RECOMMENDATION # 2: That each dean, academic department head, and
. vice president establish numerical goals for the promotion of women in his area.
RECOMMENDATION # 3: That the Vice President and Dean of Faculties
conduct annual studies of the status of women within all academic departments,
focusing particularly upon hiring, tenure and promotion patterns; and that where
discriminatory patterns are found, he work with the appropriate deans and
department heads to develop goals for changing the patterns. .
RECOMMENDATION # 4: That the Vice President and Dean of Faculties
continue his current investigation of the Ohio University employment history of
all women faculty members; and that each other senior officer undertake a similar
investigation of all women on his contract staff, focusing particular attention on
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salaries; and that the senior officers rectify all cases of salary inequity.
FINDING: The Faculty Senate regulation regarding the appointment of
spouse teams, listed as C. 6. b. in the Ohio University Faculty Handbook, is
vague and can be interpreted too freely by department heads. It has the effect
of unfairly limiting the career opportunities of wives of male faculty, and thus
limits opportunities for the employment of women in academic departments.
RECOMMENDATION # 5: That the Faculty Senate revoke regulation C" 6. b.
FINDING: Neither part- time Civil Service personnel, part- time
instructional personnel, nor other part- time contract staff members receive the
same benefits as are received by full- time Civil Service and contract employees.
The percentage of part- time employees who ~ re women is higher than the per­centage
of full- time employees who are women.
RECOMMENDATION # 6: That the Faculty Senate approve the proposal of
the Professional Relations Committee granting faculty status to part- time
instructors.
RECOMMENm TION # 7: That all permanent part- time employees receive
compensation, including both salary and benefits, that is proportional to the
hours they work as a fraction of full- time workloads.
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FINDING: The pool of local professional women, including women who
are wives of University employees, is not fully recognized by the institution.
Professional women of the Athens community probably are underemployed by
Ohio University, partly because they are unaware of job opportunities and be­cause
they are not known to University officials.
RECOMMENDATION # 8: That each department head « when recruiting new
staff members I include in that process recruitment in the Athens community; and
that the University establish a central placement information service for contract
positions. This service I which might be established in the office of the existing
Student Placement and Internship Service, should act as an agency to which
departments would submit announcements of staff openings and through which
they could obtain information about potential applicants. It also should be an
agency to which those seeking professional jobs could submit their resumes and
through which they could find information about current openings. The Professional
Women I s Committee now is working on a roster and file of resumes of about 30
currently unemployed or underemployed professional women, and their work could
provide an initial file for the service.
FINDING: Many women administrators and women in Civil Service jobs,
particularly clerical jobs, perceive of themselves as not being fairly considered
for promotions. There are no women in top administrative jobs, and a lower per­centage
of women than men hold middle- paying than hold low- paying adminis­trative
positions. This is an indication of limited vertical mobiIity for women.
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RECOMMENDATION # 9: That on a continuing basis, for every vacant
administrative position, each department head review the department's female
personnel, including Civil Service employees, before hiring a new staff member.
FINDING: There is a pattern of women Civil Service employees hired
to do maintenance housekeeping work automatically being classified first as
Domestic Workers I I while men hired to similar work generally are classified
first as Custodial Workers II. Custodial Workers II are paid at a higher rate
and are expected to perform " heavy" manual duties, while Domestic Workers,
with their lower wages, are expected to perform " lightll manual duties. Although
there is justification for paying a higher wage to those who are doing heavier
and harder work, the past practice of channeling women to " light" work and men
to the better paying " heavy" work has discriminated against women.
RECOMMENDATION # 10: That all Domestic Workers I and II be granted
immediate wage increases bringing them to levels comparable to what they would
be earning had they first been classified as Custodial Workers IIi and that those
Domestic Workers and Custodial Workers who are capable of doing necessary
" heayy" manual tasks be considered for additional wage increases or reclassifi­cation.
The intent of the recommendation is to put men and women maintenance
workers on an equal level and to then have the University administration select,
-- according to ability and in accordance with any procedures outlined in the
institution's agreement with Local 1699 of the A. F• S. C. M. E. -- as many
employees as are needed to be promoted to do heavy manual work.
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FINDING: For contract personnel there is no clear policy regarding
maternity leave. Women on Civil Service are allowed up to six months of unpaid
leave for pregnancy and child bearing I and they are permitted to take paid sick
leave for illness related to pregnancy I but they are not permitted to take paid
sick leave for childbirth.
RECOMMENDATION # 11: That the University adopt as its own policy the
following Statement of Principles of the Citizens I Advisory Council on the Status
of Women:
Childbirth and complications of pregnancy are I for all job- related
purposes I temporary disabilities and should be treated as such
. under any health insurance I temporary disability insurance I or sick
leave plan of an employer I union," or fraternal society. Any policies
or practices of an employer or union, written or unwritten I applied
to instances of temporary disability other than pregnancy should
be applied to incapacity due to pregnancy or childbirth I including
policies or practices relating to leave of absence I restoration or
recall to duty I and seniority.
No additional or different benefits " or restrictions should be applied
to disability because of pregnancy or childbirth I and no pregnant
woman employee should be in a better position in relation to job­related
practices or benefits than an employee similarly situated
suffering from other disability.
Any regulations providing special treatment of pregnancy tend to dis-criminate
either against men and unpregnant women or against pregnant women;
and, as has been the case with much " protective legislation I II tend to become
p~ rriers to the employment of all women. The recommended policy should not
be construed as a reduction of maternity benefits. Rather I present policies re-garding
leaves of absence or" special maternity benefits to women should be
· expanded to include leaves of absence and benefits to men and women suffering
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any temporary physical disabilities.
RECOMMENDATION # 12: That the present University policy which
guarantees a six month leave of absence to pregnant female Civil Service
employees be expanded to include all other pregnant women employees « as well
as all other University personnel suffering from temporary disabilities.
FINDING: The data required to show clearly whether or not there is a
pattern of discrimination against women in the granting of student financial aids
and the awarding of graduate student assistantships are not available.
RECOMMENDATION # 13: That the Office of Student Financial Aids be
provided with the support necessary to prepare annual reports · of financial aid I
including data presented according to categories and amounts of aid « - and the
sex of recipients.
RECOMMENDATION # 14: That the Graduate College coordinate annual
studies · of graduate student assistantships within all departmental graduate
programs. Each study should include information regarding master's and doctoral
candidates I assistantships, fellowships I and the sex and full- time or part- time
status of all students.
FINDING: A higher percentage of men than of women students are being
placed success~ lly in University and off- campus jobs by the Office of Student
Financial Aids. Men tend to find traditional " male" jobs, while women tend to
find traditional " female" jobs.
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RECOMMENDATION # 15: That the Office of Student Financial Aids
inform all University departments « as well as any local employers expressing
interest in hiring stude'nts « that it will neither advertise iobs as being " male"
or II female I II nor agree to refer only men or only women applicants to any
employer.
FINDING: Although tnere . are some University bands integrated by sex,
the marching band-- which is most clearly identified with school pride-- excludes
women.
RECOMMENDATION # 16: That students not be excluded from the band
on the basis of their sex.
FINDING.: The more than $ 1 million Intercolle · giate Athletics budget, in­eluding
about $ 288, 000 in grants- in- aid to male athletes, plus other scholarships I
represents a large portion of University funds providing few benefits to women
students.
RECOMMENDATION # 17; That the University commit itself to drastically
reducing aid to male athletes within the Mid- American Conference.
RECOMMENDATION # 18: That the Women1s Intercollegiate Athletics
program be granted a significantly higher share of the total rCA budget.
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FINDING: The special · problems and achievements of women seldom
are focused upon within the University curriculum. This hinders the education
of women students by providing little with which they can identify and by en-forcing
negative and weak social stereotypeS of women.
RECOMMENDATION # 19: That a women's studies fund of $ 10,000 be
e" stablished for the 1972- 73 academic year, and that the fund be used to provide
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grants to academic departments enabling them to provide womens studies courses.
The intent of the recommendation is to encourage courses focusing on women
throughout the Unive. rsity curriculum, rather than creating an isolated women's
studies program.
FINDING: Although the University' s cqunse1i~ g and advising agencies
do not actively discriminate against women students, they are not sufficient to
meet women's special needs. Furthermore, most of those agencies are designed
primarily to . meet the needs of single, unmarried students.
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RECOMMENDATION # 20: That a'woman with professional expertise in
guidance and counseling b · e. hired for the 1973- 74 academic year to evaluate the
advising and counseling needs of women students, and to work with existing
agencies to develop additional programs to meet those needs •. Programs should
be directed particularly toward serving mature and married women students and
freshmen women.
RECOMMENDATION # 21: That all University planning and policy com-mittees
« including the Committee for the Extended University « consider the special
needs and problems of mature and married students.
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I. INTRODUCTION
Defining the status of women at Ohio University is not much easier
than de'fining the status of all the people at the University.' There are
thousands of women with a variety of problems, views, needs I and aspirations,
and many' factors of their II status" cannot be easily quantified. Furthermore I
it is impossible to understand the status of women at this institution without
looking at the position of women in American higher education generally and at
the changing role of women in the total American society.
I began by attempting to identify likely proble'm areas within the Uni­versity.
This meant studying reports and research from other schools I reading
the views of experts _..: educators, psychologists I and sociologists -- and
spending many hours reading and , listening to other women. At first I contacted
women . within the University I told them what I was doing I and formally inter­viewed
them. As time wen~ on and the proj ectbecame more wide ly known I
women from tp. roughout the University began contacting me I eager to help and
to share their views.
There seems to be widespread interest, and tremendous co. p. cem about
the status of women within'the University community. Everyplace I've gone in
the last few months -- from offices and classrooms to parties and gro'cery
stores -- I've found people who were interested in discussing women and their
problems. As my work progressed and I began investigating possible problem
, areas I people were almost uniformly cooperative. In several areas where I had'
expected to have difficulty in obtaining information, I found people to be
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particularly helpful. Many men and women have contributed to this report,
either formally or informally, and 11m grateful to them all.
In attempting to define some aspects of the status of women, I have
been · able to rely upon employment and enrollment statistics and other data.
However, describing other areas, such as the stereotyping of women, has
been more difficult. At times I simply have been able to summarize the views
of the women I interviewed and relate them to data gathered on a national
basis. In all my reporting I've focused primarily on the University's Athens
campus and, unless otheIWise noted, all figures refer to this campus.
Because the subject is so vast, I am presenting . this report only as a
summary analysis of the status of women within Ohio University. In order to
limit the length of the report and to focus primarily upon the areas which seem
to be in most pressing need of attention, I have chosen to omit much detail
and not to mention certain possible areas of concern.. I have no doubt that
there also are some areas which I have overlooked.
In addition to this analysis, I have presented recommendations for
change -- recommendations which were developed through discussion with
persons throughout the University. Since I received the asignment to prepare
thiS report, the O~ fice of Contract Compliance of the U. S. D · epartment of Labor
has issued a set of affirmative action regulations ~ hich the University must
follow if it is to maintain its over two million dollars in federal funds. Many
of the recommendations are designed in accordance with those guidelines.