The University has appointed an implementation team to carry out the recommendations laid out by the Task Force on the Status of Women Faculty in its spring report. The University also plans to hire a new associate dean for faculty development and conduct further institutional reviews to better support its faculty, according to an Oct. 19 Today@Brown announcement from President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 and Provost Francis J. Doyle.
In April, the task force released a report that detailed that women faculty were underrepresented across all ranks and disciplines at Brown, treated inconsistently with the University’s Code of Conduct and, on average, paid less than men.
The task force also put forth eight recommendations that the University could undertake to address such “documented inequities.” One such recommendation encouraged the University to “appoint an implementation team” to spearhead recommended actions.
The implementation team, co-chaired by Deputy Provost for Strategic Initiatives Janet Blume and Dean of the Faculty Leah VanWey, “will work closely with the Office of the Provost and academic units to make meaningful advancements,” according to the announcement. The team features eight other faculty members, including Professor Diane Lipscombe, who chaired the original task force.
The University also plans to appoint a staff member to a new associate dean for faculty development role, in response to the task force’s recommendations to better support developmental and leadership goals among faculty members. The new dean will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the announcement.
Brown will also review faculty compensation and benefits based on the task force’s findings — which include salary differences between men and women hired before 2012 and family caregiving responsibilities that “disproportionately (affect) women” — according to the announcement.
An external consultant will analyze historical differences in faculty payment “over the coming months.” The University will also review benefits in relation to peer institutions and develop plans to “increase access to childcare for all faculty,” according to the announcement.
According to Thursday’s announcement, the University’s response to the task force’s recommendations will “align closely” with its assessment of Brown’s 2023 Campus Climate Survey results.
Released two weeks ago, the survey found that 28% of women faculty reported an incident of bias on campus in the past year, and 9% felt Brown was “somewhat” or “very uncommitted” to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We look forward to working with faculty and administrators to address these vitally important areas,” the announcement reads.
Samantha is a University News editor who oversees the Affinity & Activism beat. She is a sophomore from Tampa, Florida concentrating in Sociology. In her free time, Samantha likes to cook and watch Survivor.
