Georgetown University Task Force Issues Report on Gender Equity in Faculty and Staff

The Georgetown University Gender Equity Task Force has issued a new report that assesses institutional practices to promote gender equity among full-time faculty and senior academic leadership and makes recommendations on what the university can do to create better opportunities for women.

Faculty and senior administrators from across Georgetown’s campuses and from a variety of disciplines, perspectives, and roles comprised the task force, which examined hiring and retention, compensation, work-life balance, climate and culture, and other key issue areas.

As is the case with many research universities, the percentage of women faculty members drops in higher ranks. The report found similar rates of tenure, retention, and compensation. Men tended to receive higher start-up packages than women.

As a result of the report, the university will take several immediate steps guided by the findings, including the formation of a standing Gender Equity Committee and a five-year funding plan for the Gender+ Justice Initiative to elevate and support intersectional gender justice research. Georgetown will work to enhance the quality and comprehensiveness of faculty data for more regular analysis. The university also will conduct an updated analysis of faculty salary data to determine if there are areas with potential indicators of pay disparities and address any inequities that may exist.

“The work ahead is to ensure that our commitment to equity – across gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, age, and the range of identities that shape the lives of those in our community – is alive in our institutional practices and our campus culture,” said John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University.

“Breaking barriers to innovation and producing knowledge requires cultivating an equitable environment in which all members of our community may produce their best work,” added Soyica Colbert, chair of the task force and Idol Family Professor of African American Studies and Theater and Performance Studies. “The task force’s report reflects important next steps that the University must take to achieve this essential work.”