UBC Increases Salaries of Faculty Women Across the Board
Hi friends of women in science,
Back on February 4, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, which has 880 tenure-track or tenured women on its faculty, said it would raise the salaries of every woman faculty member in these categories by 2%. They noted an average difference in salary between men and women faculty members of $14,000. According to Inside Higher Ed online news service, UBC found part of the discrepancy came from a larger percentage of men in the higher ranks (in itself a problem) and part came from a concentration of men among the faculty at the better paying schools of the university, such as business, also a problem in its own right. However, part of the difference could not be attributed to either of these explanations and they said it didn't appear to be "legitimate" and could be from gender bias. This pay raise is retroactive to July, 2010, and is a striking contrast to the approaches of other universities, partly because of budget contraints as the US recovers from recession.
The Globe and Mail quoted mathematics professor and advisor to the provost on gender issues, Rachel Kuske, to say that UBC takes women's pay equity "quite seriously as part of their strategic plan." Inside Higher Ed speculated that they may have acted so quickly and comprehensively to head off any threat of a lawsuit based on the results of their salary analyses. The raises will cost the university two million dollars in the first year. Kuske notes that this one-time adjustment will help, but unless comprehensive plans to address the issue in the future are developed, the patch will not have a lasting effect.
What do you think, should more universities consider this across the board raise for women to address gender inequity in salaries where it exists? Has your institution released comparative salary data for women and men?
Cheers,
Laura
Congratulations to UBC! I wish universities would clean their own house more often.
It was very interesting to read in Jill Ker Conway's book on her time at the University of Toronto that all Canadian universities collect such information. But a dean or provost has to ask for such an analysis to be conducted to use it. When she did that, she had to do a much broader salary correction for women professors at her institution, regardless of their department.
Without incentives , you're relying on a strong ethical bent to have such studies conducted. No one wants to spend more money. There is still the mindset of "getting the same brains for half-price" by hiring women. I am pessimistic in thinking universities will change without outside pressure!
Helen
Wow, this is amazing. Not only are they adjusting, they are adjusting rertroactively to 2010. What a great example to set, to encourage the same self scrutiny among American universities.
Hi Anuska and Livi,
As far as I know, it's rare for universities and colleges to publicize the sort of salary comparisons that UBC did and released. Anyone know this happens at their own institution or ones they know about? I think administrations used to be more open about this information but have decided they get more freedom by keeping it all under wraps.
cheers,
Laura
Laura--
I think this is great. I wish more places would do a study like this comparing their own data and respond with an across-the-board raise if they need to do it. I might even look to see if they have jobs up at UBC. I love Vancouver!
Livi
Dear Laura,
I think this is a good, fair approach when there is a systematic underpaying of women. We can see by the data released every year on Equal Pay Day that women still are consistently underpaid for the same work. The AAUW data showing that starts RIGHT AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION is tragic for anyone who hopes someday we will be paid fairly. So for UBC to take the discrepancy so seriously they'd pay two million to adjust up the women's pay is awesome.
AR
