The United States government recently enacted a number of policies designed to increase the number of American born students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), especially among women and racial and ethnic minorities. This study examines how the earnings benefits of choosing a STEM major vary both by…

There have been numerous lawsuits within higher education brought by females over pay inequity and many articles have been written on the topic. Although not as prevalent, there have been some recent instances where male faculty have claimed--with some degree of success--that the process used by their institutions to make salary adjustments for…

The hypothesis of a direct link between institutional pay scales and faculty sex ratios is examined based on HEGIS and AAUP data. Results suggest that eliminating sex bias in faculty pay within individual institutions will not achieve parity for women until higher-paying institutions recruit more women or those with more women upgrade pay scales.…

Review of 19 case studies of gender inequity in faculty salaries found inappropriate application of statistical procedures. An alternative, seven-step procedure for salary modeling and testing allegations of salary discrimination is outlined and applied in a case study of 725 faculty. (MSE)

A study explored two distinct methods of calculating a precise measure of gender-based wage differentials among college faculty. The first estimation considered wage differences using a formula based on human capital; the second included compensation for past discriminatory practices. Both measures were used to predict three specific aspects of…

The increasing concern with equity issues in higher education, along with litigation, has prompted institutions to undertake salary prediction studies. Four models were compared: (1) entering all variables, (2) excluding rank and tenure, (3) using predicted rank and tenure, and (4) using only "objective" variables. (Author/MLW)

Used data from the 1993 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty to examine the status (employment status, salary, rank, tenure) of women and minorities among faculty employed at public 2-year colleges. Found that human capital, structural, and market characteristics appear to explain the observed differences between women and men and some…

In this study, we use data from the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:99) to measure the unexplained wage gap between men and women in academe. We pay particular attention to how these unexplained wage gaps have changed over time by comparing the results from the 1999 survey to published results from previous national surveys and…

What transpires when an institution of higher education is the defendant in a class action suit charging prejudicial treatment of a minority group is summarized. A demonstration of how the plaintiffs can use the institution's own data to establish a prima facie case for disparate treatment is presented. (Author/MLW)

Faculty promotion and salary policies at the University of Texas at Austin are analyzed to determine whether male and female faculty members are rewarded equally for equal academic qualifications and performances. This regression analysis tends to support the discrimination hypothesis with respect to both promotion and salary policies. (Author/LBH)

Using data from a national survey of faculty, a study examined the role of male/female wage differentials in a model of job satisfaction for full-time female faculty. Results indicated that as gender-based wage differentials increased, females' global job satisfaction decreased, with the effect mainly in faculty perceptions of the institution.…

A study of employment patterns and starting salary gaps among male and female business graduates during the 1980s found that while both employment conditions and earnings improved for women, the gender gap in starting salaries increased during the decade. Of college-acquired student characteristics, only academic achievement persisted as a…