**Correction: A previous version of this storysuggested that Carrie Criado’s complaint was with the tenure systemin general rather than her own treatment by Meadows School of theArts involving her own tenure review. In addition, the story failedto mention Criado’s suit also involved charges of ethnicdiscrimination and retaliation. Her Association of Educatorsin Journalism and Mass Communication paper was published in earlyMay and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report wasfiled in June rather than the dates originally reported. Criadowill be leaving in December despite the fact that her contractexpired in May 2004.**
In June, journalism professor Carrie Criado filed a complaintagainst the university at the Equal Employment OpportunityCommission. Criado, an assistant professor of journalism at SMU,believes her gender (as well as ethnic origin and retaliation)played a role in last spring’s decision not to renew her contract, which ran through May 2004. After the decision, Criado chose not to return for the spring semester.
Her story may be reflected in larger circumstances across theuniversity. The National Center for Educational Statisticsfound that females make up 41.6 percent of tenured faculty acrossthe country. SMU has averaged 17.5 percent tenured female facultyin the past seven years. In the fall of 2002, SMU had 53 tenuredfemale professors. Currently, women make up 31 percent oftenure-track faculty at SMU.
A journalism faculty member, who asked not to be named, saidCriado had not fulfilled the research and publication requirementof her tenure-track appointment. Criado said that the Associationfor Education in Journalism and Mass Communication accepted a paperfor presentation in May 2003, and that it later published theabstract online. She said she believes this helps fulfill thepublishing requirement necessary for tenure.
“Professor Camille Kraeplin and I have conducted nationalresearch in the area of media convergence,” she said. “We presentedfindings at the Association for Education in Journalism and MassCommunication conference in July 2003. Our research is now drawinga lot of attention from both the academy and the news industry.Kraeplin, [Jayne] Suhler and I are now working on a book deal for aconvergence journalism handbook.”
SMU officials declined to comment about Criado?s situation,citing the ongoing investigation.
Statistics show that the percentage of tenured female professorsat SMU is significantly less than the national average.
University officials say that SMU is doing its best to recruitfemale professors for tenure.
“SMU is committed to increasing the number of females infaculty,” said Beth Wilson, director of the Office of InstitutionalAccess and Equity. “This office works with search committees [and]with recruiting strategies to bring in more women andminorities.”
Others suggest SMU could be doing more.
“Universities tend to be liberal, but it still is a little bitof a boys’ club,” said Caroline Brettell, chairwoman of thedepartment of anthropology. “I believe there is only one fullfemale professor in history and no full female professors inEnglish, areas where, historically, there are more femalegraduates.”
The lack of progress may be tied to a little-known trend at SMU; a decrease in tenured professors overall. The number oftenured faculty members at SMU has dropped from 305 to 296 over thepast eight years.
Brettell said she cannot explain the low number of femaletenure-track faculty at SMU.
“There should be more tenured women in universities given thetime after the second wave of feminism,” she said. “More women aregraduating with Ph.D.s.”
Nationally, the number of female graduates has steadilyincreased in recent years.
According to a 2001 NCES study, 65 percent of those whograduated with a master’s degree in journalism and communicationwere women. Yet, the only two tenured journalism professors in theuniversity’s journalism division are male.
Tony Pederson, chair of the journalism division at SMU, believesthe uneven numbers will correct themselves, given time.
“The tenure process is based on tradition and establishment,”Pederson said. “Women are still coming out of school. Let naturetake its course.”
