Dive Brief:
- A new study examining the earnings of full-time political science faculty members shows that race, gender and geography are among several factors which play considerable roles in compensation distribution.
- Inside Higher Ed profiles a study from PS: Political Science and Politics, which says that annual earnings for female professors are $3,500 less than male counterparts, professors with children earn $3,423 less, and minorities earn $4,770 less than white peers.
- Professors who earned Ph.Ds from institutions in the Northeast or Western parts of the country were also likely to earn more.
Dive Insight:
There is no question that bias exists against women and minorities in most industries, and that even for a culture as liberal as higher education, these basic ideas flourish in hiring and promotion practices. But for leaders to effectively take a stand against the behaviors, they have to first acknowledge disparities and charge entire faculty bodies to address them.
Presidents and chancellors can do their campuses and administrations justice by consistently asking faculty to do more to address these biases and push diversity in all aspects of academe. This means considering ways to be less homogenous in research considerations, in faculty promotion and in student recruitment and support.