An essay in this week's Chronicle recounts the efforts of a group of female faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to draw attention to disparities in the way male and female faculty members were treated there. The women documented a series of subtle and not-so-subtle differences, including office size, committee assignments, counteroffers for faculty members courted by other institutions, and research support. As a result of the efforts of these women, M.I.T. has announced a series of policy changes. Are the problems uncovered at M.I.T. typical of the way women are treated in academe? How pervasive is bias against women? Is the approach taken by M.I.T. one that is likely to work there and at other institutions? For further information, see this background story:
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