I don't think that we can get anything done to benefit academics by dividing the community. So I'd like to ask single academics to make suggestions that all academics can fight for
which benefit singles. Here are some I've come up with in response to the article:
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
PS I am moderating an AWM forum on this topic at
http://comet.lehman.cuny.edu/sormani/AWM/forum2004.html
