The U.S. National Academies published a new report which finds no gender bias in the faculty hiring process. According to the data, women are being hired and promoted with equal access to resources once we make it that far.

Still, there’s no doubt it’s the journey that’s most arduous.

Here are some interesting figures from the latest issues of Science:

This week’s NYTimes featured a much discussed Op-Ed by Mark C. Taylor, the chairman of the religion department at Columbia.  Taylor argues that in order for colleges and universities to thrive in the 21st century, they must be ‘rigorously regulated and completely restructured.’ While I certainly agree with Taylor about many of the problems associated with the current paradigm, not all of his recommendations make much sense for the sciences. Specifically, his call to abolish tenure:

Tenure should be replaced with seven-year contracts, which, like the programs in which faculty teach, can be terminated or renewed. This policy would enable colleges and universities to reward researchers, scholars and teachers who continue to evolve and remain productive while also making room for young people with new ideas and skills.

While tenure can limit the scope of innovative ideas, I’m not ready to cast it aside quite yet. Some folks complain about the ways it can be abused to protect lazy professors and rightly point out that the timing of the tenure push often conflicts with starting a family. No doubt, the system is flawed. On top of that, universities are already cutting back on tenure offers and–according to the National Postdoctoral Association–the probability a Ph.D. recipient under 35 years old will obtain a tenure-track job lingers at 7 percent.

But despite the odds, I’m convinced tenure matters. (more…)