Princeton Weekly Bulletin December 12, 2005, Vol. 95, No. 12 search prev next
Nine presidents issue statement reaffirming gender equity commitment
Princeton NJ — President Tilghman has joined her counterparts at eight other premier research universities in reaffirming their commitment to gender equity in higher education.
The presidents of Princeton, Harvard, Stanford and Yale universities, the universities of California-Berkeley, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and the California and Massachusetts institutes of technology, issued this statement on Dec. 6:
“In 2001, we came together as a group to state publicly that ‘[i]nstitutions of higher education have an obligation, both for themselves and for the nation, to develop and utilize fully all the creative talent available.’ That statement, which we reaffirm today, recognizes that barriers still exist to the full participation of women, not only in science and engineering, but also in academic fields throughout higher education.
“In the summer of 2005, representatives from our nine universities convened to share best practices and specific initiatives addressing faculty with family responsibilities. While considerable progress has been made since 2001, we acknowledge that there are still significant steps to be taken toward making academic careers compatible with family caregiving responsibilities.
“Our goal as research universities is to create conditions in which all faculty are capable of the highest level of academic achievement. Continuing to develop academic personnel policies, institutional resources and a culture that supports family commitments is therefore essential for maximizing the productivity of our faculty.
“The future excellence of our institutions depends on our ability to provide equitable and productive career paths for all faculty.”