University of Virginia Library

Women In Academia Often Jobless

By Sharon Mayes
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The example of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph A. Porter is a particularly
vivid case in point for anyone
concerned about equal
opportunities for men and women.
Newsweek magazine acknowledges
this couple in its article under
education this week entitled
"Women Profs Fight Back." Yes,
Mr. and Mrs. Porter may be
considered to have gained some
status as celebrities, but their cause
is well worth it.

No Response

Mr. and Mrs. Porter each sent
out one hundred job applications
to institutions across the United
States. Mr. Porter received many
responses to these, whereas Mrs.
Porter (with an equal, if not better
academic record) received none. So
the two decided to stay at the
University of California at Berkeley
to finish their dissertations.

Then Mr. Porter received an
offer from the University and was
advised at Berkeley to accept the
position in what is now considered
one of the best college English
departments across the nation.
Presently Mr. Porter is teaching two
sections in contemporary literature
and a section in Elizabethan
literature.

Commitment

The problem for Mr. Porter and
his wife is that they are committed
to finding a situation where they
can teach together. This seems a
reasonable quest, especially in light
of their common interest, the
language of Shakespeare, on which
they are each writing dissertations.
However, between the often
unwritten policies of discrimination
and nepotism practiced against
women in academic communities
across the nation, they seem
doomed to fall short of their goal.

The problem is not one that is
unique to English departments or
this University, as the Newsweek
article points out. However, this fall
only six out of the 48 in the
English department's faculty at the
professorship level will be women,
three of whom are faculty wives.
This is an encouraging increase
from previous years, when
nepotism was subtly enforced. It is
as of yet inadequate.

Photo by Saxon Holt

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Porter

Urban Attraction

Paying particular attention to
large cities, Mr. and Mrs. Porter
have tried applying to separate
institutions within the same
location. It is interesting to note
also one factor which has made it
hard for the University to actively
recruit women, according to Eric D.
Hirsch, Chairman of the
Department of English. He said that
many of the single women who are
finishing graduate school now are
attracted to the large urban areas
such as San Francisco, Chicago, and
New York. Let us hope that the
seemingly closed environment at
the University isn't discouraging
qualified women applicants.

Snail's Pace

It seems that since the graduate
schools are now accepting larger
numbers of women, then the next
logical step would be to open up
positions to these women. At
present, however, progress is at a
snail's pace.