Citing decades as a leader in gender equality, Vassar College announced on Wednesday, March 25, that the school would “heroically and fearlessly-consequentially” pay female professors equal wages to their male counterparts during Women’s History Month. The College’s gender pay gap received national attention in 2023 when five professors sued the Seven Sisters college, alleging that discriminatory practices are behind the school’s average female professor earning $13,900 less than their male colleagues. As a result of the bonuses, the women professors will be required to teach an unpaid course next semester.
These salary bonuses will be one of the many ways the month will be celebrated. A spokesperson for the College revealed that male professors would be encouraged to attend a paid workshop titled “The Importance of Acknowledging Privilege.” Meanwhile, female professors will be required to go to a panel on the history of harassment, which the spokesperson regrettably shared would be uncompensated.
“We’ve been working hard to find out-of-the-box ways to solidify gender equality,” the spokesperson continued. “Next April, we’re honored to launch the inaugural Men’s History Month. We hope it catches on.” Vassar students have been extremely concerned by the recent rise in the school’s tuition, which—at over $2,000—largely exceeded the expected hike. The spokesperson reassured students that these funds would be used only for the best of reasons: “to double male professors’ salaries during their very special month.”
This is the first time Vassar has acknowledged the institution’s pay gap. It argued, however, that the inequality was maintained with good intentions. “To the women professors of Vassar: This pay gap was for you. We handed the Women, Feminist, and Queer Studies Department a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach about what we’ve inflicted at Vassar instead of the typical theoretical studies.” The institution finished by pleading to the plaintiffs: “We’re asking for you to drop the lawsuit, and, most importantly, to show some grace and apologize to your male colleagues who weren’t given the same gift.”
At press time, a report emerged that contradicted Vassar’s earlier announcement: While the average paycheck in March for all women employees was equal to that of the men’s, there had been no temporary increase in professors’ salaries. Instead, the mean had been offset earlier this month by a one-time, $20 million bonus handed out to President Bradley.
Dear Noah
I have many comments racing around my inferior female brain as I reflect on my grossly underpaid status as a female Professor and even as a President at two institutions. Private institutions barely paid living wages to women with strong credentials. We needed a partner’s salary or family wealth to pay the bills and continue the illusion of wealth.
Public institutions are considered a second rate place to teach because of unions. In the 1960s, Jimmy Hoffa worked with public schools and universities. He taught negotiation. That is the simple way Faculty and administration worked together and changed the salaries of teachers in public education. Equity pay for women and minorities was agreed on, often after strikes and terrible publicity. Equity pay in contracts today remains difficult to negotiate. Women pushed their way to the table and called for strikes to teachers and mothers. Sadly, it remains a difficult process today.
I am proud of the work we did in public education (on all levels of education) for equity pay. It is not perfect, however, it made a difference in my retirement.
Best wishes. Don’t give up the fight… and a fight it is!
Anne Cairns Federlein, Ph.D