If you want to teach at SMU, here’s some advice: Be male. And teach in the Cox School of Business, the Dedman School of Law or engineering.
An investigation by The Daily Campus found that men dominate the ranks of tenured professors at SMU. Take those who have attained the rank of “full professor,” the highest-paid teaching position on campus. University records show that men account for nearly 86 percent of those holding the full professor rank at SMU.
Gender is not the only disparity among the SMU faculty. There also is a significant disparity in salaries. Professors in Cox, engineering and the law school-who also happen to be overwhelmingly male-make significantly more money than those in Dedman College, the Meadows School of the Arts and the Perkins School of Theology, according to the 2005 figures provided to the Faculty Senate by the Office of Institutional Research.
For example, the average salary in 2005 for a male associate professor in Meadows was $61,469 (the 2005 salary figures are listed by gender). The average salary for a man holding the same position in Cox was $131,000, or more than twice as much.
Robert Blocker, SMU’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, said he is concerned by these findings.
“It is not acceptable, and we need to develop a strategy for addressing some of these issues,” he said.
Some female students are angered by these findings.
“The make-up of the professors needs to match the student body,” said Roxanne Dass, a junior majoring in journalism. “And the fact that Meadows professors aren’t even paid half as much professors in Cox is just ridiculous.”
Gender disparity is not a problem exclusive to SMU. Nationally, women make up only 36 percent of all tenured faculty, according to the National Council for Research on Women. Nevertheless, the disparity is far greater at SMU where women account for less than 21 percent of the tenured professors.
Several professors and students said the low number of female professors at SMU is particularly discouraging given that women account for almost 55 percent of the undergraduate students on campus, according to the Office of Undergraduate Enrollment Services.
“Young women here need more female faculty as role models,” said Victoria Lockwood, an associate professor in the anthropology department and co-chair of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission was established to examine issues that are important to female faculty, staff and students on campus.
The gender disparity is particularly pronounced in some colleges. In engineering there are 18 male full professors and one female. In Cox, there are 16 males and one female with this rank. In Dedman College, there are 74 male and eight female full professors. Meadows-where pay trails most of the other colleges-has the smallest gender disparity: 17 male and nine female full professors.
“It’s always easier to confide in a female professor, and it’s hard to relate when there aren’t many around,” said Dass.
Another student said the low number of tenured female professors sends a terrible message to students and professors alike. “It makes me feel that SMU does not have trust in its female professors,” said Sarah Nolen, a sophomore majoring in cinema-television.
One reason for the low number of women who are ranked as full professor is because SMU may not pay enough, according to Courtney Aberle, director of the SMU Women’s Center.
“It’s harder for us to attract women with Ph.D.s here because they are very marketable and all schools want them,” Aberle said. “They are more than likely going to go with the university that pays them competitive salaries.”
Several professors said the disparity in salaries also has negative effects. For example, they said SMU may be losing some of its best professors by not paying them competitive wages, particularly in schools like Meadows and Dedman College.
“It’s frustrating because it’s difficult to attract and attain good faculty,” said Robert Frank, an associate professor in the music department of Meadows.
The disparity in salaries between the various colleges at SMU can be found at virtually every teaching level from lecturers to full professors.
Take the average salaries paid in 2005 to full professors who are male. Those in Cox received $170,395. In law, it was $156,168.
On the other hand, those in theology were paid $93,664. In Meadows, it was $89,624.
Significant disparities also can be found in the salaries paid to lecturers-those professors who are paid solely for their teaching.
Male lecturers in Cox in 2005 received an average of $78,829. But those in Meadows were paid only $35,625 on average. Male lecturers teaching humanities in Dedman College received just $34,788 on average.
Several students said these disparities are unjustified.
“I would expect SMU to place an equal amount of importance on all areas of academics,” said Cameron Turley, a junior majoring in art history. “Here is yet another example of the arts taking a back seat to the money makers.”
Stuart Brown, a senior majoring in engineering, agreed. “Cox does have a reputation to uphold, but Meadows deserves just as much recognition,” he said.
Others saw nothing wrong with the gap in salaries.
“I believe it is fair because the Cox school is the proverbial ‘breadwinner’ for SMU,” said Jeremy Orr, a senior majoring in marketing.
One Cox dean said it’s a simple matter of supply and demand.
“More students are enrolling into our business school, so we have a higher demand for professors,” said Bill Dillon, senior associate dean of Cox.
But Dillon agrees that if a school wants to hire the best faculty possible, it must pay competitive wages. Many students echo that point of view.
“I agree that the music school would probably bring in better professors if they were willing to pay more,” said Catalina Aguirre, a senior majoring in music.
Jim Hopkins, a full professor who chairs the history department, said he and his colleagues cannot sell Dedman College to prospective faculty members based on money.
“Professors come here for the community and the research, not necessarily for the money,” he said.
So what do SMU administrators have to say? Blocker admits that there is a salary problem within colleges at SMU but said the solution will not be immediate. “There are no concrete plans, but there will be,” he said, “The Centennial campaign is my hope.”
The Centennial campaign is a fundraiser which administrators hope will bring in over $1 billion dollars to aid student and faculty finances.
However, the campaign will not formally kick off for several years. Until then, SMU administrators acknowledge that they do not have any solid plans to address this gap in pay.
The gender gap at SMU can be found in areas other than those holding the title of full professor.
Men also dominate the ranks of associate professors. Like full professors, associate professors have achieved tenure. The 2005 figures show that men account for more than 71 percent of those holding the associate professor rank at SMU.
In some colleges, the disparity is even greater. In Cox, there are 15 male and two female associate professors. In engineering, there are ten male and no females with this rank.
In Dedman College, there are 48 male and ten female associate professors.
Only in the Meadows School of the Arts is there anything close to parity-15 females and 21 males hold the title of associate professor.
Camille Kraeplin, an assistant professor in the journalism division, said the odds are against women at SMU.
“We need more women in the academy,” Kraeplin said, “We have to do something to make it possible for women to have families and be on the tenure track.”
She explained that in order to obtain tenure, women have to be very strategic, particularly mothers who must take care of their research and teaching while also taking care of their children.
Rhonda Blair, who chairs the theatre department chair and serves as president-elect of the Faculty Senate, said SMU administrators have recognized the problem of gender disparity.
“Things are not being ignored,” said Blair. “They are aware and paying attention.”
Whether or not administrators take action to address the gender disparity remains an open question.
“I think acknowledging it and doing something about it are two separate things,” said Dass. “I hope they’re doing both.”
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Teaching Salaries at SMU
The chart below gives the average salary in 2005 for full professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers at SMU. It includes the total number of male and female professors and lecturers in each school (listed in parentheses) and their average salary. “NA” means that no figure was given for reasons of confidentiality (meaning there are fewer than four persons in that category).
Cox School of Business
Full Prof.: Female: (1) — NA
Male: (16) – $170,395
Associate Prof.: Female: (2) — NA
Male: (15) – $131,000
Assistant Prof.: Female: (8) – $129,140
Male: (12) – $116,483
Lecturer: Female: (4) – $61,350
Male: (7) – $78,829
Dedman School of Law
Full Prof.: Female: (3) — NA
Male: (19) – $156,168
Associate Prof.: Female: (7) – $114,666
Male: (3) — NA
Assistant Prof.: Female: (1) — NA
Male: (3) — NA
Lecturer: Female: (6) – $55,429
Male: (1) – NA
School of Engineering
Full Prof.: Female: (1) — NA
Male: (18) – $120,315
Associate Prof.: Female: (0)
Male: (10) – $92,375
Assistant Prof.: Female: (1) — NA
Male: (11) – $78,624
Lecturer: Female: (6) – $60,480
Male: (3) — NA
Dedman College (Humanities)
Full Prof.: Female: (2) — NA
Male: (20) – $110,465
Associate Prof.: Female: (8) – $62,100
Male: (19) – $63,668
Assistant Prof.: Female: (12) – $55,600
Male: (14) – $55,493
Lecturer: Female: (26) – $32,823
Male: (12) – $34,788
Dedman College (Social Sciences)
Full Prof.: Female: (3) — NA
Male: (21) – $105,538
Associate Prof.: Female: (2) — NA
Male: (18) – $75,356
Assistant Prof.: Female: (9) – $59,600
Male: (10) – $64,750
Lecturer: Female: (5) – $43,780
Male: (3) — NA
Dedman College (Natural Sciences)
Full Prof.: Female: (3) — NA
Male: (33) – $102,782
Associate Prof.: Female: (0)
Male: (11) – $66,455
Assistant Prof.: Female: (6) – $64,983
Male: (14) – $61,100
Lecturer: Female: (6) – $41,267
Male: (1) — NA
Perkins School of Theology
Full Prof.: Female: (2) — NA
Male: (8) – $94,357
Associate Prof.: Female: (6) – $71,977
Male: (4) – $70,418
Assistant Prof.: Female: (3) — NA
Male: (3) — NA
No lecturer position.
Meadows School of the Arts
Full Prof.: Female: (9) – $87,121
Male: (17) – $89,624
Associate Prof.: Female: (15) – $58,424
Male: (21) – $61,469
Assistant Prof.: Female: (12) – $48,938
Male: (17) – $53,029
Lecturer: Female: (2) — NA
Male: (4) – $35,625
Source: Figures provided to the Faculty Senate by the SMU Office of Institutional Research.
