CONCERNS OF CANADIAN WOMEN ACADEMICS: WILL FACULTY SHORTAGES MAKE THINGS BETTER OR WORSE?, THE

McGill Journal of Education, Fall 2003 by Acker, Sandra

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this article is to apply a gender analysis to a predicted trend in Canadian academic life, the expected decline in faculty numbers over the coming decades as new faculty numbers do not keep pace with retirements of the baby-boom generation. The first section develops the notion of a gender analysis and gives a brief summary of my own research on Canadian women academics. The next section describes the "faculty shortage problem" and its likely impact on Canadian higher education. Then the two topics are brought together by questioning how the shortages might impact upon the concerns of women academics. Here I imagine three scenarios based on different ways governments and universities might respond to the issue. The article concludes with a consideration of what a gender analysis has told us about the predicted faculty shortage problem.

LES INQUIETUDES DES FEMMES CANADIENNES POSSEDANT DES DIPLOMES UNIVERSITAIRES : LA PENURIE DANS LES FACULTeS AMELIORERA-T-ELLE OU AGGRAVERA-T-ELLE LES CHOSES?

RESUME. Le but de cet article est d'appliquer une analyse des questions de parite a une tendance prevue dans la vie universitaire, soit le declin attendu dans les facultes au cours des prochaines decennies en raison des departs a la retraite de la generation des baby-boomers. La premiere section explore en detail l'idee d'une analyse des donnees en fonction du sexe et contient un bref sommaire de ma propre recherche sur les femmes universitaires canadiennes. La section suivante decrit le « probleme de penurie dans les facultes » et ses repercussions possibles sur l'enseignement superieur au Canada. Les deux sujets sont ensuite reunis afin d'analyser de quelle facon la penurie peut se repercuter sur les preoccupations des femmes universitaires. J'elabore trois scenarios fondes sur differentes solutions que peuvent envisager les gouvernements et les universites pour resoudre ce probleme. Dans sa conclusion, l'article se concentre sur ce qu'une analyse des questions de parite nous renseigne sur la penurie prevue dans les facultes.

There have been dire predictions of insufficient numbers of academics in Canada as the baby-boom generation who largely staff universities will come to retirement age in a decade or so, while not enough new doctorates are being prepared to take their place. At the same time issues of gender and race equity in appointments have been only partially addressed. The background paper for a conference on "The Faculty Shortage Crisis in Ontario Universities" (Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, 2001), in its conclusion, notes that equity-seeking groups are still greatly under-represented in faculty ranks in Canada and that it is time for universities to "pursue hiring policies that are sensitive to the need for greater equity and diversity in their faculty complements," We are left to wonder, however, whether the faculty shortage situation that has been predicted will make matters better or worse for these groups, not only in terms of hiring but in working conditions as well. In this article, I take the opportunity to reflect on this question in the light of research I have been doing over the past eight years on women academics in Canada.

Details about Canadian academics are found throughout the article. It might be helpful at this juncture, however, to rehearse a few pertinent points. It is difficult to speak of "Canadian higher education," as control over education rests with the ten individual provinces and three territories, although the federal government has an important indirect role in providing funds to the provinces. Although Canadian universities resemble American ones in many ways - e.g., students generally attend for four years to get a bachelor's degree and participation rates are among the highest in the world - there are some important differences. The Canadian universities are nearly all public, while United States institutions are a mixture of public and private. United States universities are known for an extreme variation in quality and purpose that does not happen in Canada. The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada claims that there are 93 "institutions of higher learning that make up the Canadian university community" (AUCC, 2002a, p. 1). This figure does not include community colleges (institutions that specialize in vocational training and do not generally give bachelor's degrees, although credits may be transferable in some provinces). The figure does count separately individual colleges affiliated with universities and some religious institutions. More usual ways of counting put the figure of "universities" at around 75 (Jones, 1997), with slightly under 35,000 faculty members (AUCC, 2002b, p. 21).

The main designations for faculty are assistant professor, associate professor and full professor. A new, "junior" academic on the so-called "tenure track" (in line for a permanent appointment) will begin at assistant professor rank, and will generally be promoted to associate professor at the point of receiving tenure. Some years later, an academic can apply to be considered for promotion to full professor. At each promotion stage, there is a full review of the person's scholarship, teaching and service to the institution, usually involving external assessors. In addition, many universities have "merit" procedures whereby work is assessed by peers or department heads, usually on an annual basis, and there is a monetary award for degrees of "merit." In some cases, the amount is added to base salary, in others it is a one-time only bonus.