English prof alleges female professors still face discrimination

"It's a problem across the board, especially Research-One institutions," said Naomi Miller, president of UA's Association for Women Faculty. "We can look at our own fact book and say 'whoa, what's going on here?'"

Miller, an associate English professor, said female professors continue to suffer from discrimination within their own fields.

"It's subtle, but it's actually very significant," Miller said. "Sure, there are laws, but there is a lot of discrimination that exists through misconceptions."

A recent study by the American Association of University Professors revealed that although the percentage of women in the profession has increased by about 10 percent in the last 20 years, the number of women in tenured faculty positions has been cut almost in half.

In addition, female professors tend to get less-preferable course assignments, making it more difficult to move up the ranks and often leaving them discouraged, Miller said.

"You could be really isolated in the department, without the support of other women," she said.

But women at the UA are not taking the issues lightly.

Organizations such as the Commission on the Status of Women and the AWF strive to improve conditions for women in the university system, Miller said.

During her involvement with the AWF, Miller has seen several actions taken which have significantly changed the situation.

"Yes, it has improved, but it has improved in very finite steps," she said. "It has taken concrete efforts by women."

Some of the steps included a 1990 policy which allowed women faculty to stop the tenure clock for one year upon the birth of a child, Miller said.

Also, the establishment of the Office for Child Care and Family Care Resources in 1994 was a move in the right direction, she said.

"We don't just sit there and complain- we recommend possible solutions and help implement them," Miller said. "That's the only way work gets done in a system."

Miller said she has been very pleased with the efforts of the current university administration, especially UA President Peter Likins, Provost Paul Sypherd and Richard Powell, vice president for research.

"It's really encouraging," she said. "We've had really great interaction."

A permanent solution to the problem of discrimination toward women faculty is still in the future, Miller said, although the AWF will continue to increase awareness of women's issues.

"We need to reach out to assistant professors and graduate students," she said. "We need to help educate those who are moving up in the profession. I feel like (through AWF), I've really been able to make a difference."

There are others, however, who aren't so optimistic about the future. Mary Koss, UA public health professor, says she still feels frustrated.

"I'm getting really tired of being one of the few women on my level," said Koss, who has been at the UA for 13 years. "I expected that there would be more progress by now."

Koss was instrumental in developing UA's Commission on the Status of Women, but said fewer women than ever are choosing to remain in science-related positions.

"I'm concerned with how many women are in non-faculty positions," Koss said. "My colleagues are leaving. It doesn't help me when they hire assistant professors to replace them."

Faculty positions are very demanding, and women tend to stretch themselves too thin to get ahead, Koss said.

"I don't want to compare (my salary) because I don't want to get upset," she said. "It's very important to keep fighting these battles."