But I also have some disagreements with the article. At times it equates "single" with "childless" and "married" with "having children". Single people do have tuition benefits for their children, just like married people, at schools that offer that benefit. It's whether or not you have children that is the issue, not whether or not you are married. A bigger issue might be whether schools that offer benefits to married couples offer those same benefits to gay couples (domestic partners, for example), but the article doesn't address that much.

1. Using health insurance for any second adult benefits everyone including married couples where both work. Also health insurance buyouts ($3000 not to use the insurance) may help singles who could get cheaper insurance using their single status.

2. Encouraging parents not to mention their families when negotiating their schedules. Just anyone say, I won't teach at such and such a time but am flexible about these times and/or couses. Untenured faculty who mention their kids too much don't get tenure. It looks unprofessional.

3. Calling for half-time half-pay years and unpaid leaves for childcare. Very few people are getting paid leaves anyway and I agree that is unfair. I get annoyed since I've taken unpaid leaves. The half leave would be more affordable and more people would take it rather than struggling to keep their 50 hour weeks going when they have small kids. In fact, more tenure track parents would have time with their kids. They don't get tenured when they fail to keep up the intense tenure track jobload. I think the stop the clock system is not perfect because it just ends up making people stop research and just do service and teaching, and then they have difficulty restarting their research.

4. Calling for half-time half-pay years and unpaid leaves for any reason. Perhaps you want to write a novel or a symphony (even though you're a mathematician) or try out finance or industry. I think these activities make better faculty.

5. Posting vitas of all faculty and current service, current teaching and recent papers on webpages can boost a department's reputation and stop a lot of the resentment between faculty. Sometimes people are doing extensive service on university committees and are less visably active in the department. If people keep a record of past service and evening teaching online, the current evening and off hour workers may feel less resentful when putting in their time. I started posting all my credentials when I was accused of getting a job for being a woman.

Please comment since I plan to write to the AWM about the matter.

Christina