Participants Urgently Needed for a Unique Research Study!

Recent stories indicate that BW are experiencing gains in employment and benefiting positively from an apparent shift in workplace dynamics. Yet, despite this good news, some professions hold the reputation of perpetually presenting inequities in women’s advancement and earnings. Higher education is one such profession.

Historically women professors in higher education contend with documented inequities in areas such as pay, attainment of tenure, and leadership opportunities.  Gender disparities in women’s pay and tenure attainment in comparison to men are also documented in seminal studies conducted by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Whereas obtaining greater credentials helped to push women in other sectors higher up the career ladder, women at post-secondary institutions possessing similar or better educational credentials than their male counterparts still earned less. Information contained in the AAUP Faculty Gender Equity Indicators 2006 Report revealed that faculty women earned 81% of what men earned. Women’s ability to achieve tenure was just as disproportionate: Women held only 31% of tenured positions in comparison to men’s 69% of tenured positions.

Unfortunately, the numbers get worse. Research indicated 51% of earned doctorates by United States’ citizens were awarded to women; however, women were 20% less likely to achieve tenure than male counterparts entering the workplace at the same time. Particularly disturbing (yet probably not surprising) is the fact that these reports showed that women of color faced more significant challenges – and disparities – in pay, tenure, and leadership, particularly at premier institutions. Also startling is the fact that though studies document these and other problems faced by women of color in the professoriate, few studies explore the career trajectory of those women who also compose the unique demographic of being interracially married.

Here’s where you can let your voice be heard and share your story: Participants are being sought for a research study entitled “A Qualitative Phenomenological Study of the Tenure Pursuit of Interracially Married Faculty Women of Color.” Faculty women qualifying for the study must be considered an ethnic minority (Asian, Biracial or Multi-racial, Black, Indian, Latina, Native American, etc.) and married to a man of a different ethnicity. Participation in the study involves answering six short, open-ended questions and should require no more than 10 – 15 minutes. Participants’ anonymity is guaranteed and no names will be used.

Participation in this study presents a unique opportunity to learn more about the experiences encountered by women academics that are interracially married. If you (or someone you know) qualifies for the study, please call 337.303.7556 or send an email to [email protected]. It’s time to tell about your unique experiences on the tenure track!

Sources: Bobbitt-Zeher, 2010; Bonsiewich, 2005; Ferreira, 2006; Grybaitė, 2006; Marchant, 2007; Moody, 2004; Patterson, 2006; West & Curtis, 2006.