Females are making major decisions as administrators, and they do not feel their gender has hindered them.
Academic Affairs Vice Provost Pauline Rankin and graduate school Associate Dean Pamela Monroe are only two examples of the many women who hold administrative positions on campus.
Rankin said she does not feel her gender has played a major role in her career.
“Since I was 18 years old, I have practiced getting up in the morning, putting on clothes and doing the job I have to do,” Rankin said.
Rankin, who has been with the University for 20 years, said her work environment always has been pleasant.
She said even though there were more men then women, everyone was still cordial.
According to a report by the office of budget and planning, of the 1,344 instructional faculty members only 445 are females.
The office reports there are 1,857 female members of 3,459 staff workers.
Experience, respect for and of faculty members, good relations with people on campus and job performance have contributed to her success, Rankin said.
She said she does not feel she had to face difficult barriers to get to her position.
Rankin, who has a doctorate in educational technology, said she worked in the Center for Surveillance of Learning and Teaching when the position of Vice Provost was offered to her.
Getting the position was about being there when the opportunity presented itself, Rankin said.
Like Rankin, Monroe said for her opportunities had fallen into place.
Before taking her position, Monroe said she was content with her job as a professor in the Department of Human Ecology.
She said she was teaching a class she loved and had a very active research agenda dealing with women and childhood development.
The only job she was interested in for the long-term was a position for dean of the graduate school, Monroe said.
Monroe said she applied for the position in August 2002 when former graduate school Associate Dean John Larkin retired.
She said she does not feel her gender was an impediment to her career.
Both women said they have never experience the “glass ceiling” – a term used to describe social barriers blocking women from reaching administrative and executive positions.
Monroe said just because it has not happened to her does not imply that other women on campus have not experienced discrimination in the workplace.
She said spending 14 years in an environment mainly made up of women made the glass ceiling irrelevant.
“I think it is a theory, which may be true to some degree,” Rankin said. “But you can find remarkable women who have had great careers.”
Both women said administrative positions on campus are open to men as well as women.
“We have a chancellor who is gender blind.” Rankin said.
Rankin said hiring a women as Provost and having women in other administrative positions proves that gender is not an issue.
Administrative positions are open, but the question is rather some women will actively pursue them said Rankin.
Yet, Rankin said women working on campus still receives less money than men doing the same job.
Despite this issue, both women said they love their jobs.
“This is my position and as long as I am here, I’m going to do it well,” said Rankin.