The University's tenure process has been the subject of debate for several years, particularly in recent months. Many contend that the entire system needs an overhaul.

Women faculty represent only 11 percent of the entire faculty body. Some suggest that the process of granting tenure may hinder women faculty from advancing.

According to Pedersen, women may be denied tenure more readily than men because their research may be controversial or interdisciplinary.

Women, who are often "disproportionately represented in interdisciplinary or innovative work, may be disproportionately disadvantaged in the hiring process," Pedersen says.

While female faculty suggest different reasons for the low number of tenured women, most agree that the percentage needs to increase.

And some, like Schor, are optimistic.

"There is no single reason why more women are not tenured: after all, women have only been recognized as thinking, rational subjects for about 150 years," Schor says. "Change comes slowly, but it does come."

Schor says the reason for the slow change may be the expectation placed on women to combine parenting with a career.

"What seems to me the major unresolved problem is making it possible for women to combine childbearing and parenting with the exigencies of a high-powered career," she says.

Pedersen suggests that change must occur at a departmental level.

"Part of what needs to be done is for individual faculty members to take this issue seriously and do the work of surveying the field for top women," she says.

Female faculty also say that being "different" from those doing the hiring may hinder their chances.

"Hiring committees tend to hire what and whom they recognize as being `like' themselves," Pellegrini says. "This tends then to [affirm the status quo] both in terms of disciplinary approaches and research interests and maybe even in the sorts of people that get hired."

Evidence of change

There are numerous resources available to women who wish to talk or get advice.