Fitting In and Stalling Out: Collegiality, Mentoring, and Role Strain among Professors in the Sciences at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

Findings from studies conducted at Research Oriented Institutions (ROI) have identified distinct patterns in the academic workplace that disadvantage women professors in the promotion process, particularly in science disciplines.  This study uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate whether three of these patterns exist in a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI), where occupational expectations include teaching and extensive service, as well as research productivity.  Qualitative interviews and quantitative survey data are used to demonstrate that there are important differences between institution types.  First, we test whether a hostile workplace climate and isolation are pronounced for women scientists.  While interviews parallel findings from ROIs, surveys found few differences by gender or discipline in a wide variety of climate measures, including personal and professional isolation. We attribute this to collegial relationships across campus, linked to distinct patterns of mentorship:  men reported more informal mentors within their departments, while women, and especially women scientists, identified more informal mentors elsewhere on campus. The formation of these relationships is consistent with ROI research indicating that women are more likely to engage in campus-wide service activities as a means of reducing isolation and combatting hostile climates within their own departments.  Our data suggest, however, that women devote no more time, on average, to service activities than men, which again contradicts findings from ROIs.  Since neither climate nor involvement in service explain gender inequality in professional advancement at the PUI, we suggest that unequal responsibilities between men and women professors for non-work and particularly family responsibilities account for these differences.