Schreider, Judith, interviewed by Desiree Shayer on January 21, 2010: Audio Recording

Some themes discussed are: • Colby—admissions (2-3) • Colby—dorms (3-4) • Colby—social life (4) • Marriage (4) • Colby—professors (7) • Colby—Dean Runnals (12) • Food—kosher (5) • Dating—rules at Colby (4-5, 6) • Dating—townies (6) • Military service—(8) • Occupation—furniture (8) • Occupation—education (10)

Schreider, Judith, interviewed by Desiree Shayer on January 21, 2010: Audio Part Two

Some themes discussed are: • Colby—admissions (2-3) • Colby—dorms (3-4) • Colby—social life (4) • Marriage (4) • Colby—professors (7) • Colby—Dean Runnals (12) • Food—kosher (5) • Dating—rules at Colby (4-5, 6) • Dating—townies (6) • Military service—(8) • Occupation—furniture (8) • Occupation—education (10)

Schreider, Judith, interviewed by Desiree Shayer on January 21, 2010: Transcript

Some themes discussed are: • Colby—admissions (2-3) • Colby—dorms (3-4) • Colby—social life (4) • Marriage (4) • Colby—professors (7) • Colby—Dean Runnals (12) • Food—kosher (5) • Dating—rules at Colby (4-5, 6) • Dating—townies (6) • Military service—(8) • Occupation—furniture (8) • Occupation—education (10)

Gender equity in the professoriate : a cohort study of new women professors in Australia

According to statistics and trend data, women continue to be substantially under- represented in the Australian professoriate, and growth in their representation has been slow despite the plethora of equity programs. While not disputing these facts, we propose that examining gender equity by cohort provides a complementary perspective on the status of gender equity in the professoriate. Based on over 500 survey responses, we detected substantial similarities between women and men who were appointed as professors or associate professors between 2005 and 2008. There were similar proportions of women and men appointed via external or internal processes or by invitation. Additionally, similar proportions of women and men professors expressed a marked preference for research over teaching. Furthermore, there were similar distributions between the genders in the age of appointment to the professoriate. However, a notable gender difference was that women were appointed to the professoriate on average 1.9 years later than mens. This later appointment provides one reason for the lower representation of women compared to men in the professoriate. It also raises questions of the typical length of time that women and men remain in the (paid) professoriate and reasons why they might leave it. A further similarity between women and men in this cohort was their identification of motivation and circumstances as key factors in their career orientation. However, substantially more women identified motivation than circumstances and the situation was reversed for men. The open-ended survey responses also provided confirmation that affirmative action initiatives make a difference to women’s careers.

It really is black and white when you look at it like this : reporting on a study into Australian professors' research and teaching priorities

Despite optimistic claims about the research-teaching nexus, Australian academics still face tension between research and teaching. The teaching and research priorities, beliefs and behaviours of 70 Professorial and Associate Professorial academics in Science, Information Technology and Engineering were examined in this study. The academics from 4 faculties in 3 Australian universities, were asked to rank 16 research activities and 16 matched learning and teaching (L&T) activities from each of three perspectives: job satisfaction, leadership behaviour, and perceptions of professional importance. The findings, which were remarkably consistent across the three universities, were unequivocally in favour of Research. The only L&T activity that was ranked consistently well was “Improving student satisfaction ratings for Teaching”. The data demonstrates that Australian government and university initiatives to raise the status of L&T activity are not impacting significantly on Australia’s future leaders of university learning.

The Australian story : catalysts and inhibitors in the achievement of new women professors

Women are substantially under-represented in the professoriate in Australia with a ratio of one female professor to every three male professors. This gender imbalance has been an ongoing concern with various affirmative action programs implemented in universities but to limited effect. Hence, there is a need to investigate the catalysts for and inhibitors to women’s ascent to the professoriate. This investigation focussed on women appointed to the professoriate between 2005, when a research quality assessment was first proposed, and 2008. Henceforth, these women are referred to as “New Women Professors”. The catalysts and inhibitors in these women’s careers were investigated through an electronic survey and focus group interviews. The survey was administered to new women professors (n=255) and new men professors (n=240) to enable a comparison of responses. However, only women participated in focus group discussions (n=21). An analysis of the survey and interview data revealed that the most critical catalysts for women’s advancement to the professoriate were equal employment opportunities and mentoring. Equal opportunity initiatives provided women with access to traditionally male-dominated forums. Mentoring gave women an insider perspective on the complexity of academia and the politics of the academy. The key inhibitors to women’s career advancement were negative discrimination, the culture of the boys’ club, the tension between personal and professional life, and isolation. Negative discrimination and the boys’ club are problematic because they favour men and marginalise women. The tension between personal and professional life is a particular concern for women who bear children and typically assume the major role in a family for child rearing. Isolation was a concern for both women and men with isolation appearing to increase after ascent to the professoriate. Knowledge of the significant catalysts and inhibitors provides a pragmatic way to orient universities towards redressing the gender balance in the professoriate.

Australian story : catalysts and inhibitors in the achievement of new women professors

Women are substantially under-represented in the professoriate in Australia with a ratio of one female professor to every three male professors. This gender imbalance has been an ongoing concern with various affirmative action programs implemented in universities but to limited effect. Hence, there is a need to investigate the catalysts for and inhibitors to women’s ascent to the professoriate. This investigation focussed on women appointed to the professoriate between 2005, when a research quality assessment was first proposed, and 2008. Henceforth, these women are referred to as “New Women Professors”. The catalysts and inhibitors in these women’s careers were investigated through an electronic survey and focus group interviews. The survey was administered to new women professors (n=255) and new men professors (n=240) to enable a comparison of responses. However, only women participated in focus group discussions (n=21). An analysis of the survey and interview data revealed that the most critical catalysts for women’s advancement to the professoriate were equal employment opportunities and mentoring. Equal opportunity initiatives provided women with access to traditionally male-dominated forums. Mentoring gave women an insider perspective on the complexity of academia and the politics of the academy. The key inhibitors to women’s career advancement were negative discrimination, the culture of the boys’ club, the tension between personal and professional life, and isolation. Negative discrimination and the boys’ club are problematic because they favour men and marginalise women. The tension between personal and professional life is a particular concern for women who bear children and typically assume the major role in a family for child rearing. Isolation was a concern for both women and men with isolation appearing to increase after ascent to the professoriate. Knowledge of the significant catalysts and inhibitors provides a pragmatic way to orient universities towards redressing the gender balance in the professoriate.

Gender equity in the professoriate : a cohort study of new women professors in Australia

According to statistics and trend data, women continue to be substantially under- represented in the Australian professoriate, and growth in their representation has been slow despite the plethora of equity programs. While not disputing these facts, we propose that examining gender equity by cohort provides a complementary perspective on the status of gender equity in the professoriate. Based on over 500 survey responses, we detected substantial similarities between women and men who were appointed as professors or associate professors between 2005 and 2008. There were similar proportions of women and men appointed via external or internal processes or by invitation. Additionally, similar proportions of women and men professors expressed a marked preference for research over teaching. Furthermore, there were similar distributions between the genders in the age of appointment to the professoriate. However, a notable gender difference was that women were appointed to the professoriate on average 1.9 years later than mens. This later appointment provides one reason for the lower representation of women compared to men in the professoriate. It also raises questions of the typical length of time that women and men remain in the (paid) professoriate and reasons why they might leave it. A further similarity between women and men in this cohort was their identification of motivation and circumstances as key factors in their career orientation. However, substantially more women identified motivation than circumstances and the situation was reversed for men. The open-ended survey responses also provided confirmation that affirmative action initiatives make a difference to women’s careers.

Changing the culture of teaching and learning in ICT and engineering : facilitating research professors to be teaching and learning leaders

This is the project report of a leadership project undertaken jointly by the Queensland University of Technology, University of Technology Sydney, and Monash University. Specific project objectives were to: -To build leadership capacity in teaching and learning, and to improve teaching quality in ICT and Engineering disciplines at three leading Australian universities, and -To facilitate the transference of research leadership to T&L leadership, and disseminate this transference model developed through the project within the Engineering and ICT domains to other disciplines and universities.

Research and/or learning and teaching : a study of Australian professors' priorities, beliefs and behaviours

This paper presents findings from an empirical study of key aspects of the teaching and research priorities, beliefs and behaviours of 72 professorial and associate professorial academics in Science, Information Technology and Engineering across four faculties in three Australian universities. The academics ranked 16 research activities and 16 matched learning and teaching (L&T) activities from three perspectives: job satisfaction, role model behaviour and perceptions of professional importance. The findings were unequivocally in favour of research in all three areas and remarkably consistent across the universities. The only L&T activity that was ranked consistently well was 'improving student satisfaction ratings for teaching', an area in which academics are increasingly held accountable. Respondents also indicated that their seniors encourage research efforts more than L&T efforts. Recommendations include that higher education rewards for quality L&T are maintained or improved and that recognition of L&T research domains is further strengthened.

Improving bilingual higher education: Training university professors in content and language integrated learning

With increasing international mobility, higher education must cater to the varying linguistic and cultural needs of students. Successful delivery of courses through English as the vehicular language is essential to encourage international enrollment. However, this cannot be achieved without preparing university professors in the many intricacies delivering their subjects in English may pose. This paper aims to: share preliminary data concerning Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at Laureate Network Universities worldwide as few studies have been conducted at the tertiary level, reflect upon data regarding student and teacher satisfaction with CLIL at the Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM), and to propose improvements in English-taught subjects.

The influence of experience on the research competencies of university professors

Implementation of EHEA, among others, motivates a transforming process in universities and promotes changes in the professor’s tasks. This events, promote changes to which the university professor has to adapt, meaning this to acquire and to develop new competencies to respond correctly to new professional tasks that are demanded. To design training plans in accordance to the new training needs, and to establish referents in accreditation, selection and promotion protocols appear to be necessary to define the new competences profile professors have to face in order to develop their teaching, research and management tasks suitably, and according to their professional settings and professional development stage. A qualitative research was developed to define the emerging competence profile. Quantitative and qualitative methods were mixed as well as different tools (questionnaires, interviews and focus groups) and sources (faculty, experts and students). This article only shows the results obtained from professors (expert and novice) in the 4 research competencies analyzed (design, development and assessment of projects; organization and management of scientific events; development of scientific material; communication and dissemination of scientific knowledges) and the most significant dates of the 30 competency units that compose them. Results show significant differences of self-perception of current competency domain level between novice faculty and expert faculty. These results help us to establish the priority training areas to the faculty according to their professional development stage.