While formal gender bias may be less of a problem academia today, female Faculty members and graduate students say subtle barriers and stereotypes still persist.

"I am aware that many of my male colleagues in the profession appear to pay lip service to feminism while secretly harboring feelings of contempt for the feminist enterprise," says Naomi Schor, professor of romance languages and literatures and a member of the Faculty's Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

Yet often, say some women, the bias is more blatant. One teaching fellow in the humanities, who asked to remain anonymous, recalls a discussion with a male teaching fellow of a science Core class that showed he was prejudiced against women.

"He told me point blank the he did not think women in the sciences were intellectually equal to men," she says. "He refrained from making this a blanket statement because he realized that he would be insulting my intelligence."

Yet some women say they do not feel hindered by sexism.

"I do not think that it has been more difficult for me to advance in academic administration because I am a woman," says Karen E. Avery '87, dean of co-education. "In fact, I think there are more women in educational administration and in student services overall."

Still, many say there are lingering vestiges of sexism in academia, as evidenced by everything from snide comments, to the low percentage of tenured female Faculty.

An Old Boys' Club

Some female graduate students and Faculty members report experiencing subtle gender bias from their male colleagues.

"I've never experienced sexism in the sense of feeling specifically disadvantaged," says Julia Torrie, a teaching fellow for History 10b. "However, there are certainly a couple of Faculty members in my department who are notorious for making insinuating remarks to female graduate students."

According to several graduate students and professors, jokes and quips designed to "test" the female Faculty member are not uncommon.

"I get jokes designed to see whether or not I am one of those `sensitive' feminists," says Kirsten D. Sword, a teaching fellow for women's studies 10a.

Others say students often unintentionally reveal gender bias.

"It is frustrating to be standing next to a male TF and have a student turn and ask him a question on a topic you know as well or better." says one humanities teaching fellow. "The other side of the female TF onus is that there are definitely students who expect that she will be a pushover."

Some women in academia say their field is taken less seriously if it is seen as a "woman's field."