Disparities in Tenure and Promotion Outcomes Among Racialized and Female Faculty in Canadian Universities

Abstract

Universities are often seen as inclusive and liberal spaces where equity and social justice prevail. Despite this ideal image, racial and gender disparities continue to persist and have been documented. Racialized faculty are less likely to be university professors (Ramos, 2012) and have lower earnings (Li, 2012). Similarly, female professors are less likely to be promoted (Nakhaie, 2007; Stewart, Ornstein & Drakich, 2009) and experience significant wage gaps compared to their male colleagues (Momani, Dreher & Williams, 2019). Drawing on original survey data from the University, Tenure, Promotion and Hiring (UTPH) survey, this dissertation examines inequities in promotion for racialized and female Canadian faculty at different stages of their career (e.g., tenure, promotion to associate professor, promotion to full professor). It also looks at commonly-cited explanations such as human capital theory, cultural or identity taxation, and glass ceiling theory to see if they can be used to adequately explain the disparities in promotion that exist. Finally, this dissertation examines perceptions of the factors that influence tenure, promotion, and hiring to examine whether racialized faculty see the academy differently from their non-racialized counterparts. When examining the chapters in this dissertation collectively, it is clear that there are systemic inequalities that exist within universities that affect the career trajectories of racialized and female faculty in Canada. This dissertation concludes with a critical examination of various institutional responses in recent times and future directions for research.