Explores whether academe has responded to the call to address the difficulties facing African American women described in 1997's "Black Women in the Academy: Promises and Perils." (EV)

Back in middle school Dr. Paquita Friday began helping keep books at her grandmother's pharmacy during inventory. It was no chore, she recalls. It was fun. By then, of course, she already knew she had a knack for numbers. Today Friday is gaining recognition for her research in accounting stock market disclosures and winning awards for her teaching…

Black women scholars are working to rebuild the canon of African-American studies to include a feminist perspective and a richer, more complex view of Black life. Senior women professors are publicly criticizing what they see as the male-centered scholarship of African-American studies. (MSE)

Describes how the American Association of University Women's first African American executive director, Jacqueline Woods, is committed to making the organization more inclusive, as evident in the outreach and diversity efforts she has focused on during the past 2 years. (EV)

Latina scholars have been instrumental in the development of ethnic studies and contributed to feminist studies, but it is only recently that Latina feminist scholarship is finding recognition for its own merit. Relations of this active group with white feminists are still not strong. (MSE)

Since 1986, the percentage of women college presidents has more than doubled--from 9.5 percent to 21.1 percent--and the percentage of minority presidents has increased from 8.1 percent to 12.8 percent, according to "The American College President: 2002 Edition," produced by the American Council on Education (ACE). Women held 21.1 percent of the…

In 2001, a roundtable on gender disparities for female professors in higher education was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The focus of the roundtable was "how best to ensure women professors experience the same opportunities, recognition and rewards as their male counterparts." Some three years later, a few faculty…

Two African American women college teachers who have achieved success in consulting and entrepreneurship are offered as illustrations of a growing trend among faculty. Faculty with technical knowledge find satisfaction in the appreciation of their skills outside the classroom, and are commonly employed part-time or for a short term or have their…

This document describes an informal chat of about 30 students, faculty, staff, and administrators, mostly African-American women, with a couple of White and Latina sisters thrown in. One woman asked why African-American women were so mean to each other. The author retreated into a conversation about two models of women's leadership--Queen Bee or…

Some higher education officials say the end of mandatory retirement may lead to lower faculty turnover and could reduce opportunities for young scholars, mainly members of minorities, women, and younger faculty in the departments for which the individual institution is most respected. (Author/MSE)

Women and underrepresented minorities are receiving the doctorate in record numbers these days. For example, women got 45 percent and minorities 19 percent of the 39,955 doctoral degrees awarded in 2000, and both figures were all-time highs. So it comes as something of a surprise to learn that senior academic women in science and engineering are…

Most women and minority faculty who sue on grounds of discrimination when denied tenure become alienated from their colleagues, fall behind professionally, and forfeit their jobs. Only one in five is successful in courts. Describes the outcomes of several recent cases and summarizes a 1987 book on the subject. (DM)

Author, sociologist, and Harvard University (Massachusetts) professor, Dr. Sarah Lawrence-Lightfoot, shares thoughts on what respect means for black women in academe, a subject particularly important today because of its consequences for society. Lawrence-Lightfoot argues for a new view of respect, one of symmetry and balance that would ensure…

Despite progress, sex and race bias present unique challenges to African-American women in academia. African-American women have not had strong involvement in the women's movement because of a different set of concerns. Acceptance of African-American women's scholarship and equitable compensation reflecting their contribution are lagging behind…

Over the past 20 years, higher education has seen significant growth in the numbers of both associate's and bachelor's degrees conferred on students in the United States, particularly women and minorities. For example, the number of associate's degrees conferred on African American women between 1980 and 2000 nearly doubled, tripling for American…