Is the Climate Still Chilly?

1. Is the Climate Still Chilly? Jodye Selco California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 19th BCCE, August 2006

2. A personal “diary” of comments as a function of time. • Comments reflect attitudes of others • Beginning with my years as an undergraduate student continuing through present day • Geographically represented are California, Indiana, Mississippi, as well as from others I met at scientific conferences

3. From the 1970’s Conversation with the undergraduate advisor: • “So you want to be a chemistry major? Why?” • “I like chemistry” • “But are you any good at it?” • “I like it, so I enjoy spending time learning it” • “Come on back after your first midterm and I’ll sign your drop slip and change of major form. You see, chemistry is not a field for women.”

4. 1970’s Potential graduate advisor: • “You’re not big enough, strong enough, nor male enough to work in my laboratory.”

5. 1970’s After calling a vendor to order a part, vendor returned my phone call: • “Can I speak with Mr. Selco?” • “He’s not in right now, I believe that he has just stepped out to the Ladies’ Room.” (office mate)

6. 1980’s • “You must be questioning my competence because it is “that time of the month.” • “You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about such complicated things.” (when I was a graduate student)

7. 1980’s From student evaluations: • “You would be a better, more competent teacher if your clothes weren’t so boring, and if you would wear make-up.”

8. 1980’s From 2 colleagues at work on the same day: • “Don’t you ever wear hose and heals like a real lady?” • We can get you on morals charges for wearing those sexy low cut dresses with slits up to your waist.”

9. 1980’s • “Just how single are you?” (job interview) • “You couldn’t possibly be a competent colleague; you’re not ugly enough!”

10. 1980’s NSF proposal reviewer to a colleague of mine during site visit: • “She couldn’t possibly succeed with this physical chemistry project because as a female, she would not be able to work with the necessary equipment.” He apparently changed his mind after a chance lunchtime conversation with me about fixing old VWs.

11. 1980’s A faculty colleague: • “You will put my name on all of your papers.” • “Not if you do not contribute to the project.” • “Then I’ll come into the lab while the experiment is running and have you suck me off; that’ll be my contribution.”

12. 1980’s • A hot house “English” cucumber clad in a condom was left on my desk while I was teaching. The office was locked, but all science faculty had keys. • My male colleagues could not understand why I thought this was “sexual”, let alone sexual harassment.

13. 1980’s Faculty colleague who had been the dean that hired me: • “If you are having trouble with this male colleague, why don’t you just phone his wife and see how she deals with him.”

14. 1980’s When complaining about sexual harassment from a male colleague to the head of the Women’s Caucus and the current EEO officer: • “What do you expect when you work over in the ‘Men’s Corner’?”

15. 1990’s Asked of me at an international spectroscopy conference: • “Are you a real spectroscopist, or just somebody’s wife?”

16. 1990’s During a faculty meeting while discussing including into a new faculty handbook a prohibition on intimate relations with students: • “How dare you take away one of the few remaining “perks” of the job.”

17. 2000’s • During a “Breaking Down the Barriers in Chemical Education” symposium at an ACS meeting, a male presenter saved the best student comment for last: • “I never thought that I’d be able to learn both thermodynamics and how to work with women in the same class.” • The saddest thing is that this got a big laugh from the audience.

18. 2000’s Students after visiting prospective graduate schools: • “I was real surprised! Did you know that most of these schools had male physical chemistry faculty members?”

19. Overall Impressions • It is getting better. Younger female colleagues have not experienced the same type, let alone level, of harassment. (Consistent with recent findings from UW Madison http:///www.news.wisc.edu/11412.htm) • Males younger than about 50 tend to assume competence unless proven otherwise. • Retirement is fast approaching for those with antiquated attitudes; in many institutions they are loosing their majority.

20. Best comeback line: • “It is Dr. Baby to you!” Thanks to Professor Patricia Reiff.

21. Acknowledgements: With no thanks at all to my colleagues at: • University of California, Irvine • Rice University • Indiana University • Mississippi State University • University of Redlands • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona • And all of the other scientific colleagues I’ve met in my professional career.

22. References/Resources • http://www.news.wisc.edu/11412.html • http://www.cic.uiuc.edu/groups/WISEPanel/archive/BestPractice/Best1Guidebook/chilly_climate.htm • http://dynamic/uoregon.edu/~jjf/chillyclimate.html • http://www.aacu-edu.org/liberaleducation/le-sufa05/le-sufa05perspective.cfm • NSF-ADVANCE program to promote institutional change to warm the academic climate for women in STEM fields.