Women in Canadian Astronomy:2000-2005

Brenda C. Matthews (HIA)

Michael A. Reid (SMA)

5 June 2006 Women in Canadian Astronomy2

Goals of the Surveys

The purpose of this survey is to track the representation of women in Canadian astronomy at all levels of education, academia, industry and in observatories/laboratories.

Data requested of all major university institutions, research institutes (CITA & HIA) and community colleges with physics programs

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Summary of 10-year Survey (2000)

First comprehensive survey of demographics of Canadian astronomical community

Statistics include only about 50% of the community Found women were under-represented at all levels of

Canadian astronomy– Some trends of improvement in averages in two five-year average

periods Results biased toward middle-sized and small departments

due to absence of responses of several large departments (17 respondents of 23 depts)

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Motivation for a 2nd Survey

Continuity of data Include more departments

– many large departments did not participate in 2000 survey

Record incoming graduate students as well as graduands– Can eventually track attrition from graduate programs

by gender

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An Online Survey

Institutions asked to provide number of male and female personnel in 12 categories:– Full professors (full and part time)– Associate professors (full and part time)– Assistant professors (full and part time)– Other (e.g., research staff)– Postdocs– Incoming and graduated PhD and MSc students

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Compiled Data

Used only data where categories have entries for all six years

Acadia UniversityBrandon UniversityCape Breton UniversityCanadian Institute for Theoretical AstrophysicsConcordia UniversityHerzberg Institute of Astrophysics Laval UniversityMcGill UniversityMcMaster UniversityMount Allison UniversityRoyal Military CollegeSherbrooke UniversityTrent University

University of Alberta, Augustana campusUniversity of British Columbia University of CalgaryUniversity College of the Fraser Valley University of GuelphUniversity of Lethbridge University of ManitobaUniversity of New BrunswickUniversity of Northern BCUniversity of OttawaUniversity of PEIUniversity of TorontoUniversity of VictoriaUniversity of Western Ontario

27

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Results: Faculty

Little change over 5 years in the number or fraction of positions held by women

3.7%

53 53 56 57 57 54

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Number of positions has doubled

Total number of positions has doubled

15-35% held by women, but highly variable

12 13 14 14 20 25

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Significant Number of New Hires!

Increase in number of positions overall

25-35% of positions held by women, but variable

15 18 18 22 27 24

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Summary: Faculty

Recent hires and advancements indicate that 30% have gone to women in the past 5 years– This is equivalent to the fraction of women at assistant

and associate levels (combined)

Note that in general, MORE positions at assistant and associate faculty levels, but fractional representation of hires of women remains at 30%

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Results: Postdoctoral Fellows

44 47 53 71 72 77

10-17 % representation by women

VERY significant increase in total number of postdocs in Canada

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Master’s Degree Programs

19 18 24 21 40 32 8 16 15 12 14 22

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Doctoral Programs

13 16 21 19 25 32 5 7 13 8 14 14

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Improvements (5 year averages)

1991-1995 1996-2000 2001-2005

Full professors 0 % 0 % 4 %

Associate professors 10 % 13 % 22 %

Assistant professors 12 % 23 % 30 %

Postdocs 7 % 17 % 14 %

PhDs Granted 9 % 14 % 30 %

MScs Granted 14 % 20 % 40 %

Entrant PhDs --- --- 37 %

Entrant MScs --- --- 38 %

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Next Steps…

complete the dataset for the current survey– Five-year averages cannot be used if only one or two

most recent years are included as biases are introduced

Refine website and request information annually