Women Surviving

1
Women Surviving Thriving in Academia
Advancing your Career After Tenure

• Sandra A. Slaughter
• Professor of Information Technology Management
  Costley Chair
• College of Management
• Georgia Institute of Technology

2
What is the Status of Women in Academia?

• Women by Academic Track
• 25.8 of tenured faculty
• 40.9 of untenured (tenure track) faculty
• 52.2 of non-tenure track faculty
• Women by Rank
• 24 of full professors
• 38 of associate professors
• 46 of assistant professors
• 57 of lecturers and instructors
• Women faculty earn 81 of mens salary

Sources AAUP Chronicle of Higher Education
3
What is the Status of Women in Academia (Contd)?

• Women by Administrative Role
• 23 of College Presidents (overall)
• 27 at public institutions
• 19 at private institutions
• 50 of the 8 Ivy League schools
• 14 at doctorate-granting institutions
• 29 at associate-degree granting institutions
• 45 of senior administrators
• 38 of chief academic officers
• Women by Degree Earned
• 45 of graduate degrees
• 27 of doctorates in physical sciences
• 18 of doctorates in engineering
• 60 of undergraduate degrees

Sources AAUP Chronicle of Higher Education
4
Some observations

• The pipeline of women in academia is very
  impressive
• But despite the healthy pipeline, women are
  over-represented in
• non-tenure track jobs
• jobs at lower ranks of the ladder
• jobs at non-doctoral granting institutions

5
How can women get there

• First, you must get tenure (or have the record
  for tenure)
• tenure is a pre-requisite even for senior-level
  administrative jobs

6
How can women get there

• After tenure, the career landscape is murkier
  and much more challenging to navigate
• Tenure is relatively structured and with some
  safeguards for women
• After tenure, the process to advancement is more
  complex, unstructured and political

7
How can women get there

• Decide which path you wish to pursue and tailor
  your strategies accordingly
• Traditional Academic
• Administrative
• Note that following one path does not necessarily
  preclude the other

8
Academic Careers after Tenure

• Full/Chaired Professor
• Continue to publish, teach and be a good citizen
• But, you will need to do more if you wish to be
  promoted
• Lobby! This is a very political process

9
Administrative Careers After Tenure

• There are many options
• Department Chair
• Associate Dean
• Dean
• Associate Provost
• Provost
• President
• Etc.

10
Some CSFs to Career Advancement after Tenure

• Good mentors
• Ability to build a reputation
• Leadership, negotiation and communication skills
• Networking
• Positive Attitude
• Being able to know when and how to say yes and
  no
• Understanding politics
• Being proactive and willing to take risks when
  necessary

11
Some observations

• Different skills may be more important for
  success in the different tracks
• There are more opportunities to advance in the
  administrative track
• But keep options open to switch between tracks

12
Final Thoughts

• Academia can offer great career options
• And, women have great potential to be successful
  in academia
• But, we need to be savvy if we wish to rise to
  the top

13
Resources

• American Association of University Professors
  (AAUP, www.aaup.org)
• American Association of University Women (AAUW,
  www.aauw.org)
• Ms. Mentor's Impeccable Advice for Women in
  Academia by Emily Toth
• Career Strategies for Women in Academia Arming
  Athena by Lynn H. Collins
• Lifting a Ton of Feathers A Woman's Guide to
  Surviving in the Academic World by Paula J. Caplan