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O’Toole (1996) reported that departments with women supervisors were not necessarily more receptive to
women’s issues, or more sensitive to gender discrimination.
The best work environments seem to be departments with well-structured, thoroughly implemented
anti-discrimination policies (O’Toole 1996, 356). Males and females both report more positive experiences
in this type of environment. So what conclusions can we draw from the literature about the chilly campus
climate? Is there conclusive evidence that the chilly climate does exist? If yes, are there specific reasons
why it exists? Most importantly, what types of polices can be implemented to alleviate the problems? The
remainder of this paper is devoted to answering these questions.
To put these questions to the test we utilize the UTSA as a case study. First, this paper provides a
statistical summary of how women are represented by rank and salary in higher education; and how UTSA
fares on these basic issues. Next, we provide an in depth qualitative analysis of perceptions of gender equity
at UTSA through survey data. Finally, we offer suggestions for continued improvement of the status of
women in higher education.
WOMEN IN THE FACULTY
It is often said that women have come so far. Women are, after all, now protected by the Equal Pay
Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act, and the
Civil Rights Act of 1991. All public universities have anti-discrimination and formal anti-harassment
policies. Title IX was initiated in 1972 to specifically protect students and employees against discrimination
at institutions of higher education.
The data presented in this section illustrate how women are represented at most public universities
across the nation, in the state of Texas, and at one of the largest public universities in Texas, UTSA. The
truth about gender inequality is in the numbers - not only in the representation of women at universities, but
also in the amount of money they are paid compared to men. MacKinnon (1989) suggests that sexism
represses and limits women. We argue that the clear lack of representation of women, as well as the low
Convention