Dive Brief:
- The number of women holding administrative positions in higher ed has increased over the last 15 years, but salary disparities between men and women in these positions have remained steady over the same period, a new study from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources reveals.
- Women serving as department chairs, administrative officers, assistant and permanent deans and presidents earn about 80 cents for every dollar earned by a male counterpart; roughly a 3-cents improvement since 2001 and just over the national industrial earnings average for female employees in the workforce.
- Women remain underrepresented in the highest levels of administration. According to the study, 50% of department chairs nationally are women, but less than 20% of top executive posts are held by females.
Dive Insight:
The data on administrative hiring and compensation is consistent with research on college faculty, and it suggests that higher education still has a long way to go in addressing equity along racial and gender-based lines. To counter the culture, college leaders must commit to establishing a pipeline of leadership for underrepresented groups, and to provide basic metric standards of pay and promotion for faculty and administrators to accept diversity as a part of hiring and leadership culture.
Much like the process of tenure review and promotion, there can be metrics of leadership that should be promoted to women and minorities and pathways in all divisions to ensure that these groups are at minimum considered in talent development pools.