UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 17, Page 4
January 23, 1992
Women's equity; Institutions provide varying range of commitment

     How do academic institutions nationally view and support women
and equity issues? Do they pay lip service to equity but then fail
to follow through?
     Do they place a few women in visible positions, more for show
than for substance? Do they have women's programs and support
groups in place? Is there an appreciation of women's contributions
to academic life?
     Laura O'Toole, assistant professor of sociology, has been
examining the role of women in academia for her doctoral
dissertation, "Gender and Culture in Higher Educational
Institutions: A Cross-Organizational Analysis."
     Her interest in gender issues was sparked while working for a
number of non-profit organizations, including the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, the Leukemia Society, the Diabetes Association and,
later, the Delaware Food Bank, she said.
     "I was a woman in the workplace, dealing with both sexes.
Although women made up the majority of the work force, they tended
to be in the lesser jobs. We have all heard about the glass
ceiling, the invisible barrier that prevents women from attaining
positions of higher responsibility. While working, I became
interested in how organizations dealt with equity and gender
issues, their support for women and the role of women in
organizations. For my dissertation, I decided to concentrate my
research on universities," she said.
     "My hypothesis was that the academic world was becoming more
hospitable to women, but the findings of my survey did not confirm
that was totally true," O'Toole said.
     O'Toole used a computer to select a random group of 30
institutions granting advanced degrees.
     They were large and small, public and private and in different
regions of the country. The University of Delaware did not appear
among those chosen by this method.
     O'Toole sent questionnaires to academic deans and support
staff and developed a cultural index for respondents to determine
how women were regarded at their own institutions. More than 85
percent of the women and less than 30 percent of the men responded
to her survey.
     Her questions ranged from asking if the school had a women's
center or women's studies program to whether senior officials
consistently expressed commitment to sex equity in education and
employment, in public addresses and in annual reports.
     She also make queries about workshops on women's issues,
awards to women and how often women were invited to make major
speeches.
     Institutions rating higher on the cultural index had women's
centers and studies in place, were vigilant about promoting women's
equity and affirmative action programs, had concrete, established
policies about sexual harassment, and other issues. They also had
women's networks in place and groups working on gender issues. The
activism factor was significant at these schools, according to
O'Toole.
     One unexpected finding was that some other institutions, which
had women in high, visible positions, were rated lower in the
cultural index. The number of women was still relatively small at
these institutions, and indications were that the women were
isolated, not interacting with other women or acting as mentors,
O'Toole said.
     In general, institutions receiving public support rated higher
than private institutions, she said.
     O'Toole said she is cautiously optimistic about the future.
"Where there is vigilance, networking and activism, there can be
change. Although there is some backlash as women play larger roles
in business and the academic worlds, there also is more interest
and a healthy understanding of women's contributions," she said.
     A native Delawarean, O'Toole has been a University student
from her first freshman class to her Ph.D. degree, with time out
for experience in the workplace.
     She left the University before graduating, then returned. She
received her bachelor's degree in 1981, her master's degree in 1987
and capped her academic career with a doctorate at Winter
Commencement, Jan. 4.
                                        - Sue Swyers Moncure