Friend says such attitudes are subtle, but doexist.

"Someone I know called being in academics likejoining a priesthood," she says. "You're expectedkind of to give up everything else and devoteyourself to your work."

"I think it's unfortunate when people [withchildren] downplay parenting when they don't wantto appear less serious," Mandryk says. "Someonetold me they really don't expect you to be male,but they really prefer it if you're neuter."

Several women mention going to meetings as aspecific problem they have encountered.

"A five o'clock meeting is almost animpossibility for me," Mandryk says. "I've beentold that there are departments where this happenson a regular basis."

"If you don't have family responsibilities youcan't understand...that when kids are in day carethat being even five minutes late can besignificant." Friend says. "The reality is mostfaculty at Harvard do not have primaryresponsibility for the family. They're older,they're mainly male. Women who don't have childrenhave similar difficulty understanding."

The administration of the Faculty of Arts andSciences, including Associate Dean for AffirmativeAction Marjorie Garber, is particularly interestedin addressing the issue of meeting time andlength. McCarthy says.

"One of the things I think we are going to tryand do is to work with departments around thequestions of when they schedule meetings at whichparents, male and female, are expected to be inattendance and help them think about this in amore sensitive fashion," he says. "It's easilymodified and could make a great deal ofdifference."

"If the University were family friendly andstill professional, that would be great," Mandryksays. "I won't pretend that being a mother is notimportant to me. I'd like to get the University tohave an attitude that we do value family."

Some women faculty fear that theresponsibilities of motherhood may slow down orhamper their efforts to reach a tenured position.

"I simply can't accomplish as much, or in thesame way or with the same intensity, as someonewithout children," Mandryk says.

And Greene reports that the commitment to herchildren continues to affect how she is perceivedby the academic community even after havingreached a tenured position at the University ofColorado.

"I don't do as much research, as much writingas I did before I had children," she say. "Iprobably am not invited to write as may articlesor to be on as many symposia. But that's choiceI'm willing to make."

Time Change

Still, professors praise the advances theUniversity has made in making it easier forfaculty members to raise children while pursingtheir careers.