Some Female Faculty Face Sexism from Students and Their Parents

I had one of those “aha” moments last week. One of those moments when the big picture suddenly comes into focus. That moment when you realize a bunch of smaller incidents or situations, when pulled all together, indicate a pattern or a larger problem.

I came to the realization that there is sexism at Penn State.

Before the lawyers and the Penn State public relations machine gets all churned up about an unsubstantiated and undocumented claim of sexual discrimination at the university, I want to be clear that the sexism I face has nothing to do with the Penn State work environment. I have never had one moment of discomfort with any of my colleagues or my bosses. Most of the department heads and mentors I have worked with – both men and women – have been incredibly supportive of my personal and professional growth. My promotions have not, in any way, been impacted by my gender. I’m fairly certain my pay is in line with my male colleagues.   

The aha moment came recently with the complaint of a father who was unhappy with the grade that his son earned in my class. Rather than encouraging the son to come to talk with me or the dad himself reaching out in a call or email to me to gather information, I heard the complaint via my department head. Dad decided to go straight to the top and go over my head.

When I read the email after it was forwarded to me, something seemed oddly familiar.  Had I heard from this Dad before? Why does this seem so familiar?

And then I figured it out. Aha. This has happened before. A student gets upset about something, tells his parents and dad gets angry and decides to jump straight to our department head (who happens to be a male) or our associate dean (who happens to be a male) rather than encouraging his son or daughter to come to me or call me directly himself. A father is unhappy about a stumble in the student’s academic progress. “Who is your supervisor?”

A lot of students complain about grades, project decisions or internship issues. Why does it seem as if it’s the male students who seem to say “Who above you can I speak to about this?”

Meanwhile, a friend in another department who prides himself on being the toughest instructor in that major, the least flexible with grading, extra credit, etc., told me he doesn’t remember ever getting a call from a parent.

I don’t mind students advocating for themselves or even the occasional parents checking in to support their student. I’m just hoping those complaints aren’t being made on the basis of gender.

Gender biases for the ratings of instructors have been accepted for years. Research has shown that at universities across the U.S. and in Europe, teacher evaluations by students (SRTEs as they are called at Penn State) are biased. It is widely accepted that students who really like or really don’t like an instructor are most likely to complete the evaluations, especially since most teaching evaluations have been moved to online systems.

More important, the research consistently suggests that female instructors, as well as other instructors from underrepresented groups, are not rated the same as their white, male counterparts. In controlled studies that have looked at comparisons within the same classes, as well as in online courses when the names of the faculty members were interchanged (i.e., Paul became Paula) both male and female students rate female instructors less favorably.

Even the words students use show bias. From things like commenting on the clothing that women wear in class versus reflecting more on teaching skills for men, students often vary in their assessment based on their gender as well as the gender of the instructor. Despite these obvious flaws in the student evaluation system, student evaluations are still used in promotion and tenure decisions suggesting the potential discrimination against women and minorities  I’m not in the tenure track, but each year I have to put my SRTE scores on my annual review. Over the years I’ve heard things like my shoes are weird and my hair is too thin. My favorite was the student who suggested that I “lighten up and have a beer.”

But what about this parent complaint thing? My analysis is entirely anecdotal but the pattern suggests something is at play. When I look back on the students or parents who lodged complaints over the past 20-plus years, they have been decidedly male. In the few times that mothers have called, it is about concern for their children or worries about mental health issues. One mom even begged me not to tell her student that she had called. Obviously we work within the federal privacy guidelines before we talk to any parent but the “I’m going over your head” kind of dad seems to be becoming more common. Sadly, the powers that be who work hard to create a fair and equitable workplace on our campuses can do little if anything about the gender biases of parents – especially those who call their son’s or daughter’s college professors.

In all honesty, I welcome the process that the university has in place for grade adjudication and for reviews of complaints. Regardless of the gender of the people who are reviewing the complaints, I find the process to be fair and a protection for all parties involved. In other words, have at it Dad.

Bias is making assumptions about people based on categories we put them in or characteristics we attribute based on stereotypes or previous negative situations. We address bias through exposure and education, even when that bias takes place within the education system.