ACADEMIC LIFE
Women in Historically Male Fields
Women in Historically Female Fields
Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
A “C” at Cornell means you’re only an average genius.
—Engineering
By becoming Cornellians, we have already proven our capabilities, but upon our arrival we find that there remains an academic mountain to climb. Classes can be a source of motivation and inspiration, but also sources of frustration and stress. Regardless, the academic world at Cornell will shape our experiences for the next four years.
Despite the University’s claims of gender equity, Cornell women may encounter subtle barriers attributable to sexism. Gender bias still exists, for example, in the under-representation of women in traditionally male fields. Yet women have at least made a dent in the system, as illustrated in the strength and growth of the Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Department and the increase in female faculty members.
Believe in yourself. Have high self-esteem. Make sure you get what you are entitled. Take responsibility for your own future. Don’t expect the University or professors to do it for you. Always pursue your own self-interests.
—Cathy Enz, associate professor, Hotel Administration
The following provides an overview of the important aspects of academic life for women at Cornell. By being informed of the various influences present in our scholastic world, we become better equipped to meet the high standards of work and more confident of the intelligence, ability, and talent that got us here.
I don’t feel women’s issues are addressed adequately outside Women’s Studies Classes.
-- Human Ecology ’96
Cornell University Enrollments by College
Ithaca Campus
Fall 2001
Undergraduate Women (%) Men Total
Architecture, Art, & Planning 284 (52%) 261 545
Arts & Sciences 2303 (52%) 2114 4417
Engineering 648 (23%) 2161 2809
Hotel Administration 390 (50%) 384 774
Internal Transfer Division 19 (45%) 23 42
Agriculture & Life Sciences 1674 (55%) 1387 3061
Human Ecology 992 (71%) 407 1399
Industrial & Labor Relations 338 (45%) 416 754
Total Undergraduate 6648 (48%) 7153 13801
Source: Annual Report on the Status of Women, American Indians, Asian Americans, Black Americans, and Hispanic Americans
Go see your professors during office hours. If you get to know them and they get to know you, you will probably find the classroom experience less intimidating; you’ll find it easier to participate. And if professors are more likely to call on male students than female students, this is one way to change those odds.
—Nancy Hirschmann, associate professor, Government
Speak up in class and don’t be shy about approaching professors in general and female faculty in particular. We tend to be very interested in nurturing the intellectual (and other) aspirations of our students- that’s why we chose teaching as a career- but when we have large classes it is hard to get to know each individual. Take the first step- ask questions about course materials or related topics, ask advice about other courses or career possibilities. Too often I see my advisees only during preregistration and my students only when they want to complain about grades.
—Mary Beth Norton, M.D. Alger Professor of American History
The best advice we can give here is for you to seek out your teaching assistants and professors at office hours. For some classes, like physics, biology, and math, you can take a one credit class which provides review sessions and new perspectives on lecture material. The Center for Learning and Teaching is an excellent source of academic support. As well, there are several writing workshops where other undergraduates will help you improve your writing. Finally, some subject areas have tutoring/support centers accessible to all students; this is particularly true for large science classes. Several sources of academic support are listed at the end of this chapter.
Each college has an advising office which can provide helpful information. Each student is also assigned a faculty advisor who helps in choosing classes and making sure you meet requirements for graduation. There is a huge amount of variation in student’s relationships to their advisors. The quality of this relationship depends largely on the student and the effort she puts into establishing this relationship. Make it a point to visit your advisor regularly during office hours. The Director of Undergraduate Studies for your department is also a valuable resource, especially when you have questions about requirements or about which courses to take.
First, seek out individual faculty who are interested in the things you are, and work with them if at all possible. The best learning is hands-on apprenticeship, not from a book! Also, the best advice I ever got on attending school: two key resources are a good friend and a good filing system. Finally, don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know.
-Phyllis Moen, professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Learning Disabilities
Cornell University uses the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities definition of a learning disability as it is inclusive of college-age students with learning disabilities. “Learning disability is a general term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, writing, reading, and mathematical ability. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual, presumed to be due to a central nervous system dysfunction, and occur across the life span.”
Reports from clinics and schools show that four times as many males than females are identified as having learning disabilities. However, recent longitudinal and epidemiological studies suggest that actually there may be as many females with learning disabilities as males. It is suspected that many of these women are not being identified and therefore represent an underserved group of students who are at significant risk for long-term academic, social, and emotional difficulties. The research shows some interesting gender differences - males exhibit more difficulties in visual-motor ability, spelling, and written language mechanics, whereas females exhibit more problems in the cognitive, language, reading, and math. Currently 40% of the students who are registered with Student Disability Services are women compared to 60% who are men.
Students with learning disabilities must register with Student Disability Services (SDS) to become eligible for reasonable academic accommodations. Students that suspect that they have an undiagnosed learning disability should contact SDS to arrange an educational screening. The educational screening examines the various factors that may affect their scholastic performance, and provides information to help make decisions about appropriate referrals. Several Cornell students each year are diagnosed with learning disabilities due to this process.
Cornell University is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to all university programs and activities. Policy and procedures have been developed to provide students with as much independence as possible, to preserve confidentiality, and to provide students with disabilities the same exceptional opportunities available to all Cornell students. Student Disability Services (SDS), in concert with the Center for Learning and Teaching, provides a unique, integrated model to serve the needs of students with disabilities. SDS will arrange for the provision of auxiliary aids, assistive technology, and reasonable accommodations for all qualified students with documented disabilities including: academic accomodations, accessible campus housing, and transportation and parking.
WOMEN IN HISTORICALLY MALE FIELDS
In 1895, Cornell awarded the first Doctor of Science degree earned by an American woman. Since that time, women have steadily become more involved in traditionally male fields at Cornell. Throughout the last century, Cornell women have struggled to find a respected place for themselves in this institution. Despite Ezra Cornell’s wish “to have girls educated in the university, as well as boys, so that they may have the same opportunity to become wise and useful to society that boys have” (from Women at Cornell: The Myth of Equal Education, by Charlotte Conable), the gender disparity in traditionally male fields, such as engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences, remains heavily imbalanced in favor of men.
I believe that the vast majority of men in the College of Engineering (students and faculty) want to treat women equally. Still, engineering has traditionally been a field dominated by men and some of its old habits die hard. It is probably very easy for men who have been around in the field for a while to mistreat women. I think that most of the bias is unintentional and stems from carelessness but there must be a few men who do it consciously.
— Engineering (male) ‘97
Many women students in these fields express that they do not often experience blatant sexism in the classroom from either instructors or their male counterparts. Nevertheless, some do feel intimidated by the sheer overwhelming majority of men in their classes. As one civil engineering major remarked, “You’re surrounded by men. It’s like a sea of men with a few women buoys scattered here and there.” Yet, another woman replied, “you don’t really think about it. It’s just a fact that it’s mostly men.” These statements accurately reflect the composition of the College of Engineering, where women make up only 23% of the undergraduate population.
Although women in male-dominated fields struggle against more obstacles than do their male counterparts and other women, many women on the faculty and students in these fields are noticing an evolution towards a woman-friendly environment. The hope of change in the composition of the faculty and student population in these areas can produce a snowball effect, enabling women to reach further heights in science and mathematics.
Freshman year I entered Cornell as a Chemical Engineer. I enjoyed the challenge of being one of the few women in a male dominated field and I knew that I could do it just as well, if not better, than all of them. I took Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. I also took two writing seminars that dealt with women and gender issues.
Those classes spoke to me in a way that science didn’t, and I thrived on discovering rather than deriving. When I sat down to pick my classes for sophomore year, I realized that I had no desire or interest in continuing with engineering, but I felt as if I couldn’t give up on it. I had always felt that for an education to be real, it had to include some sort of science and number crunching.
If I transferred out of Engineering, I would be giving up on myself and admitting that I could not handle it. But what I also realized was that I could do it and had done it very well for a year. I knew that the potential was there, but my heart wasn’t. I could not rationalize devoting the rest of my life to something which I did not enjoy. So, I decided to transfer and become a Women’s Studies major.
I still think that completing an Engineering major would have been a personal triumph for me and I could hold myself up as a role model for other women and as an example to all those people who think women can’t succeed in the male professions. I should also add that I have great respect and admiration for women who do complete an engineering degree, because I know what they are struggling against and what they are struggling for. What I have learned is that the struggle for women’s recognition and rights must take place in many different ways and in many different forums. Women’s Studies has given me a broader forum to understand the motivations that placed me in the Engineering College in the first place and the desire to create a world where the gendered motivations I experienced would no longer exist.
—Art & Sciences
WOMEN IN HISTORICALLY FEMALE FIELDS
Just as being in a classroom with mostly men is an issue for many women at Cornell, so is being in a classroom or field of study where there are mostly women. The College of Human Ecology (which began as the College of Home Economics) has a long history of being dominated by women. In Fall 2001, 71% of the students in this school were female. The Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies program (formerly the Women’s Studies Program) in Arts & Sciences is also predominately female, averaging approximately 15% male enrollment.
Being in a mostly female field can be both liberating and limiting. In classes where women are the majority, women often feel more comfortable speaking out in class. In female-dominated fields, the men are more likely to have to prove their ability and understanding in these classes, while women are assumed to relate to the material.
This atmosphere often allows women to excel and challenge themselves academically without having to deal with the many gender issues that sometimes inhibit their success. At the same time, women in female-dominated fields have to deal with the stigmas that often accompany their areas of study. Some view these fields as less respected or not as academically rigorous because of the very fact that they deal with issues traditionally important to women.
As a student in Human Ecology, I often feel as though there is a stigma attached to my academic work because my major is mostly female. It is as though the entire study of human development is demeaned just because women are the majority in the field.
—Human Ecology
Women should remember that these fields are not less important than traditionally male fields, but that the curriculum had long been based on the experience of males. While these female-dominated areas of study are beginning to be taken seriously, much progress must still be made in terms of the status of these subjects.
THE FEMINIST, GENDER, & SEXUALITY STUDIES PROGRAM (formerly Women’s Studies)
A historical note: Established in 1972 as one of the by-products of the Women’s Liberation Movment, the Cornell Feminst, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program was initially called Women’s Studies. Women’s Studies was chosen to explicitly name the group rendered invisible by the “patriarchy” - and also to highlight the fact that it would be speaking from the perspective of the traditionally marginalized “other” rather than from the perspective of the group presumed by the dominant paradigm to neutrally represent humankind (i.e., men). The name quickly became controversial, not only because it suggested that the objects of study, as well as those undertaking the studies were exclusively women, but also because it did nothing to discourage the common assumption that the women in question were white, middle-class, and heterosexual.
To expand and institutionalize the sexuality component of the Women’s Studies Program, a minor in Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay Studies was established at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in the early 1990s. To shift the emphasis of the program even further toward the intertwining of gender and sexuality with structures of power and inequality, the program changed its name from Women’s Studies to Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in 2002.
The Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program (FGSS) is an interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts & Sciences that seeks to deepen our understanding of how gender and sexuality are ubiquitously woven with structures of power and inequality. Central to the curriculum are the following overarching assumptions:
•That definitions of sex, gender, and sexuality are neither universal nor immutable, but are instead social constructions that vary across time and place, serve political ends, and have ideological underpinnings.
•That gender and sexuality are best understood when examined in relation to one another, in relation to the oppression of women and sexual minorities (e.g., lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered, and transsexual people), and in relation to other structures of privilege and oppression, especially racism and class exploitation.
•That even the most current knowledge derived from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences is not as impartial, objective, or neutral as has traditionally been thought, but emerges instead out of particular historical and political events.
Contact the FGSS office at 255-6480 or 391 Uris Hall for a list of courses and more detailed descriptions of course offerings.
I didn’t consider myself a feminist when I arrived on campus, but by enrolling in a course that was cross-listed with Women’s Studies, I realized that there was an entire perspective being left out of my other classes. I would recommend that every female student make an effort to take at least one Women’s Studies course in a field that interests them.
—Arts & Sciences
As of the 2001-2002 academic year, women comprised 23.1% of the total academic faculty throughout the University. Although these statistics demonstrate an improvement of 7% in the past ten years, issues of gender imbalance remain prominent. The disparity between individual colleges, the rank of women on the faculty, and family-related issues keep the women on the faculty from attaining equal status.
Most of the women in tenure-track positions carry the rank of associate or assistant professors. Only 129 of the 889 full professors (14.5%) are women (2001-02 academic year). This is a significant increase from the 1987-88 academic year, when only 5.5% of full professors were women. Women faculty, however, are still a minority.
Many women on the faculty express the need for a support network, especially a university-wide group which could help to eliminate the feelings of isolation sometimes experienced by women on the faculty.
Women Faculty By College 2001-2002
College/School Women/Total Percent
Architecture, Art & Planning 17/57 30%
Arts & Sciences 131/516 25%
Agriculture & Life Sciences 74/385 19%
Engineering 24/212 11%
Hotel 9/39 23%
Human Ecology 47/89 53%
Industrial & Labor Relations 10/47 21%
JGSM 11/48 23%
Law 8/32 25%
Vet. Medicine 25/116 21.5%
Total 356/1541 23%
Note: Faculty include part-time and acting appointments but exclude courtesy, visiting, adjunct, emeritus, Health Services and ROTC appointments. Faculty at the Medical Division, in New York City, are excluded.
Source: Annual Report on the Status of Women, American Indians, Asian Americans, Black Americans, and Hispanic Americans
Women Professors by Rank
Year Full Associate Assistant
#/Total % #/Total % #/Total %
1991-92 73/853 8.6 98/438 22.4 85/302 28.1
1997-98 102/876 11.6 113/415 27.2 89/241 36.9
2001-02 129/889 14.5 128/381 33.6 101/280 36.1
Note: Faculty are defined as the 3 professorial ranks including part-time and acting. Adjunct, visiting, courtesy, and emeritus appointments are excluded.
Source: Academic Personnel Database
Courtesy of the Office of Institutional Planning and Research
In the classroom, women faculty report the desire to be supportive and encouraging towards female students, especially those in traditionally male fields. This translates specifically into such assistance as monitoring the academic progress of women in their classes, consciously recruiting women for research or work-related assignments, and providing a classroom atmosphere in which women feel comfortable participating. Overall, these faculty members are all willing and dedicated to facilitating the education and experiences of women students at Cornell.
Arts & Sciences Academic Advising Center 255-5004
55 Goldwin Smith Hall
Students in the college of Arts & Sciences can seek academic advice relating to majors, special programs, etc.
Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) 255-8990
124 Cornell Computing Center
CIT provides various computer consulting support and referral.
Continuing Education and Summer Sessions 255-4987
B20 Day Hall
Provides information and assistance regarding summer sessions and continuing education programs for non-traditional students.
Learning Skills Center 255-6310
130 Sage Hall
The learning Skills Center offers classes in study skills and other academic support skills.
Mathematics Support Center 255-4658
B-15 White Hall
Office of Workforce, Diversity, 255-3976 or 255-7665
Equity, and Life Quality
234 Day Hall
Provides support, information, and referral regarding all issues of equal opportunity as defined by race, ethnicity, gender, ability, etc.
Women’s Programs in Engineering 255-5227
167 Olin Hall
Coordinates targeted forums, recruitment, and events for women in the College of Engineering.
Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program 255-6480
391 Uris Hall
Writing Workshop 255-6349
174 Rockefeller Hall
Will critique writing samples and assist in improving writing skills.