Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 14:27:46 -0500 (EST)
Subject: CSWA Newsletter of 11/1/2000
To: AASMAIL: ;
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
weekly issues of 11/01/2000, ed. by Priscilla Benson
*** send submissions and subscription info to
aaswomen
wellesley.edu ***
This week's issues:
1. Why Women Drop Out
2. Fellowship for Women
3. Good Article on women and tenure track
4. Jobs
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1. Why Women Drop Out
From: ai13sternwarte.uni-erlangen.de
This is an excerpt from a mail I sent to Grace Wolf-Chase.
It describes the situation in Germany under some of the
aspects she mentions - maybe it's interesting for other
readers as well.
I always thought that Germany was leading the western
countries in their "wife belongs to the house"-attitude, but
it seems that US suburbs are at least a close contender...
Concerning the attitude towards work in academia, however, I
think the expectations are similar in Germany and the US (I
can't judge other European countries - things may be
different in Italy or France, where there are many more
female astronomers). Also in Germany you are expected to
work (or at least be at the institute) at least 50 hours a
week, better 60.
With respect to being "Mrs. Fill-In-Your-Husband's-Name" let
me give you a short "anecdote". My husband and I married 8
years ago when the German law had recently allowed married
people to keep their last names if "they cannot agree on a
common family name". This was exactly what we wanted to do
and the comment of the administrative official handling the
necessary documents was: "If you can't agree on one name I
fail to see why you marry at all"
Coming to the question of parents' treatment I agree that
raising kids to be responsible, informed adults is something
you should be commended for - it is certainly in the
interest of the whole society. I was very disappointed when
after the German reunification the Federal Republic decided
that it could not afford (!) to keep up the comprehensive
child care system of the former Democratic German Republic.
For that reason many German women lost their jobs because
they could no longer afford child care. German schools (at
least for kids younger than about 16) end at 1pm,
Kindergardens often are open only 8am-noon. However, being a
woman who never wanted kids I want to add that this is also
a position not well liked. You are right that as a working
mother (at least in Germany) you are considered a bad mother
in general. As a woman who does not want to have kids at
all, you are considered an "unnatural", egoistic, career-
greedy, etc. woman. So this is another case - IMO - of
"damned if you do, damned if you don't".
Sabine Moehler
moehlersternwarte.uni-erlangen.de
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2. Fellowship for Women
From: jobrienmso.anu.edu.au
AAUW Charles and June Ross International Fellowship -
American Association of University Women Educational
Foundation The sponsor administers fellowships to Australian
women scientists working in the fields of natural and
physical sciences. The fellowship stipend is US$16,860 and
is awarded each year. The applicant must intend to devote
herself full time to graduate/postgraduate work during the
academic year. Deadline(s): 15/12/2000
Program URL: http://www.aauw.org
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3. Good Article on women and tenure track
From: kayastro.columbia.edu
http://chronicle.com/jobs/2000/10/2000102703c.htm
-Laura Kay-
Barnard College
Editor's Comments:
I quote below from the article mentioned above:
"Part-time tenure track. Why not let people stay on the
tenure track, but work half time when they need to, letting
them return to full time when they can? Given the princely
level of academic salaries (sarcasm intended), such a part-
time position would be used sparingly by most employees, but
would be helpful in families which, say, had two toddlers or
faced a serious childhood (or parental) illness. How would
it work? A part-timer would teach half of the normal
teaching load, take on half as many committee assignments,
and be expected to produce scholarship at half the rate. In
return, he or she would be paid half the salary, get a
benefits package worth half as much, and proceed toward
tenure at half the rate. My colleague Robert W. Drago, a
professor of labor studies at Pennsylvania State
University's main campus, and I are proposing in a
forthcoming issue of Change magazine that academe create a
"half-time tenure track."
How many colleges already have such a position?
For over 20 years, Wellesley College has had a formal
program allowing Regular Part Time Tenure Track and Tenured
faculty. I am in one of those positions, and am now a Full
Professor. The person must be at least half time. The pay
is exactly half that of a full time person with the same
years of experience; the teaching load is exactly half that
of a full time person; the benefits are the SAME as a full
time person (of course retirement benefits are based on
dollars earned!); however, committee assignments do not seem
to be different from those of full-time faculty, and
although it isn't explicitly stated, my "feeling" is that
research expectations are comparable.
Priscilla Benson
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4. Jobs
From: coolquark.sfsu.edu
TENURE TRACK FACULTY POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
We solicit applications for a tenure-track Asst. Prof.
position in computational physics (possibly higher rank for
truly outstanding candidates). Applicants must have
postdoctoral experience, with research specialization in any
subfield, e.g. lattice gauge theory, gravitation/cosmology,
or biophysics, which makes extensive use of numerical
simulations.
SFSU is a member of the California State University system,
serving a diverse student body of 27,000, and offers
undergraduate and Master's degree programs. While teaching
is the primary mission of the California State system, our
department considers research activity to be an essential
component of that mission. We are seeking candidates who
are able to involve Master's level students in research, and
to attract external funding.
Send by Jan. 15, 2001 a curriculum vitae, publication list,
statement of interests, and names of three references (with
postal and email addresses) to: Prof. Jeff Greensite,
Physics and Astronomy Dept., San Francisco State University,
1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco CA 94132. SFSU is an Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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End of CSWA Newsletter of 11/1/2000