skyler@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (12/08/88)
In an earlier article, I had added on an editorial comment: >6) Pitch in. (That is, volunteer to do things. [I think this is not > necessarily good advice.]) Richard Childers asked why not. It is not necessarily good advice because one of the things which frequently happens to women is that they take on all the shit work that no one else wants to do. Then, when it comes time for the tenure review, they haven't published as much--they haven't had the time. For example, women frequently volunteer to advise all the clubs, or take on extra advisees, or are asked to be on more dissertation committees, or offer to organize parties, or take care of mailings for things, and so on. Tenure isn't decided on those grounds, so they don't get tenure. A woman in the department where I got my PhD refused to do more than her share. She stayed away from taking on any more committee assignments than anyone else did. She was an advisor, and (unlike the other advisors) would have _marathon_ office hours when the registration time came around. Yet, I heard her described by another member of the faculty as being "not a team player." He felt that she didn't do as much work as she should. I guess what I'm saying is that women often volunteer to do the housework around the department, or it is expected/assumed that they will do the housework. Housework doesn't get you tenure. So, I think it _may_ be bad advice to volunteer for extra work. -Trish