Filling the shoes of John T. Casteen III was not an easy task. As such, the Board of Visitors should be applauded for the recent selection of Teresa A. Sullivan as the University's eighth president. Elected unanimously by the Board on Jan. 11, Sullivan will be the first female president in the University's 185-year history. The election of a woman to fill the president's post is long overdue and is an encouraging step toward more gender equality in the future. For a university that still struggles with gender diversity, particularly among its faculty, Sullivan is a positive role model for the University's future female leaders.
Sullivan is set to take over the presidency on Aug. 1 during a time of national economic crisis. The statewide economic situation and budget cuts she faces will require strong leadership and judgement as she steers the University into the future. Sullivan is certainly well-qualified for the position. Formerly serving as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at the University of Michigan and as executive vice chancellor of the University of Texas system, she has considerable experience as a leader in academia. Molly Broad, president of the American Council on Education, said of Sullivan, "She's done it all, all the things you need to do to prepare to take on this kind of leadership responsibility." Aside from her administrative accomplishments, Sullivan is also a scholar, known for her research as a sociologist. To date, she has written six books and over 80 scholarly articles.
Surely, the shoes she will have to fill are large. Of Casteen, Sullivan said, "He will be a hard act to follow." And it's true. Casteen, 66, steps down after 20 successful years as the University's president. He leaves a long legacy that includes the University's renowned AccessUVa financial aid program. While he presided over the University, endowments rose to $4.3 billion from $455 million in 1991. He leaves the University ranked 24th in the nation and second among public universities academically, following the University of California, Berkley.
Sullivan is a well-suited replacement, with considerable experience as an administrator and leader. Furthermore, her election is particularly encouraging when noting the University's poor track record on faculty diversity. Higher education is often seen as more progressive in allowing equal opportunities for women and minorities. Unfortunately, on both a national level and at the University, this is not always the case. Even now, women have to overcome bias and under-representation in academia. A recent example of existing bias was seen when former president of Harvard, Lawrence H. Summers, theorized in 2005 that innate differences between the sexes account for fewer women entering careers in math and science. Coming from the nation's most premier University, these remarks highlighted the barriers women must still overcome.
Also, while admission numbers for female applicants have soared, there is still unequal representation among the faculty at the University and across the nation. The University's current population consists of 56 percent women and 44 percent men. Despite these numbers, as of 2005, there was a 3:1 ratio of male to female faculty. The ratio climbed to 6:1 male to female among tenured professors. Furthermore, males outnumber females as department chairs and on the administration. This represents a problem as University women attempt to enter fields still predominantly occupied by men and find fewer female role models on the faculty. Rather than as Summers hypothesized, perhaps the true reason fewer women enter fields such as math and science is due to the lack of female role models in post-secondary education. As Catherine Hill, research director of the American Association of University Women says, "Diversity in higher education is important because it provides new ways of looking at age-old problems and welcomes different approaches to scholarship." Hopefully, Sullivan's election will prompt a reexamination of current faculty representation and changes will be enacted to represent the student population. As Catherine Hills says, "Academia in America is the gatekeeper for many opportunities in this country. Who gets to decide when the gate opens and what kind of intellectual work gets done will determine how and which young people can move ahead and become decision-makers."
In her address, Sullivan said, "I can't imagine a better environment for a student, a scholar or an administrative leader. I look forward to being part of it. Let's work hard." As evidenced in her successful career, Sullivan has worked very hard to join the elite number of women college presidents. According to a 2006 study conducted by the American Council on Education, 23 percent of college presidents were women. Women have made significant strides though, considering that in 1986 only 9.5 percent of college presidents were women. Despite national enrollment data, which shows women enrolling in college at higher rates than men, there is still a long road to equal opportunity in academia. By 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau predicted that the number of women enrolling in college would exceed the number of men enrolling, 10.72 to 7.76 million. Thus, the selection of Sullivan is progressive and promises to set a national example as other universities attempt to meet increasing diversity.
Though there is still work needed to create equal opportunity among males and females in post-secondary education, Sullivan's election is an historic moment for Mr. Jefferson's University. The administration should be commended for their selection of such a qualified candidate and for bringing diversity to the position of the presidency.
Ashely Chappo's column usually appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at a.chappo@cavalierdaily.com.
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