Trouble in Ivy League Paradise

Accord to a recent study by Harvard University, there’s been a decline in their Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ senior jobs to women within the past couple of years. Boston.com News reports that it seems the dilemma began when Lawrence H. Summers became president of the university.
During the last term of former president Neil L. Rudenstine’s of 2000-2001, 36 percent of Harvard’s offers of tenured jobs were to women. Yet last year, women received only 13 percent of offers. Yeah, that number went down just a wee bit! Out of a total of 32 offers of tenure last year, only 4 were made to women. Only one female candidate accepted the offer.
“When you see statistics like that, you have to wonder whether the president of the university takes women scholars seriously,” said Ingrid Monson, a music professor. Yet Summers claims that a lot of responsibility lies in the university’s departments. They review and nominate the candidates for senior positions, but still need the okay from Summers.
Regardless of how this happend or who is responsible, something obviously has to be done about this. it’s good to know that 26 professors have signed and sent a letter to the president stating that the school will suffer a continuing decline of female professors if action is not taken. Summers and the professors are scheduled for a meeting on October 6, so hopefully they’ll be able to do something about this. After all, this is Harvard!