Professor deficit

Women and black and minority ethnic (BME) university workers are disproportionately under-represented at professorial level, according to the UCU university and college workers’ union.

According to the research, women account for just one in five professors, despite making up almost half the non-professorial academic workforce. The difference between the actual number of female professors and the number there would be if they were represented in same proportion as in other academic grades — is 27%. The average under-representation gap for BME staff is 5.7%.

The research also found that women professors were earning on average 6% less than their male counterparts.

Regarding BME staff, black professors earned 9.4% less than white counterparts, Chinese professors 6.7% less, and mixed race 3.5% less, while Asian professors earned 4% more.

In order to address these inequalities, the report has made a number of proposals, including calling for equal pay audits.

The report is available at: www.ucu.org.uk/bmewomenreport