Female professors are still paid less than male professors at Marquette. Surprised? In the year of the Centennial Celebration of Women at Marquette, it’s hard to believe this large discrepancy still exists.

The last time the university took action against the gender pay gap was in 2001. It’s time the university revisits the issue.

Granted, Marquette has made major strides in expanding diversity and actively hiring more women. But these pronounced gender inequities at a Jesuit school are big roadblocks.

Since Marquette was the first Jesuit school to accept women, it should take another dramatic step, playing a major role in eliminating the pay gap.

Across the board, male professors earn more than females.

In the 2007-‘08 school year, male full professors earned $10,400 more than their female counterparts. In 2008-‘09, they earned $2,100 more.

For instructors, the discrepancy is more pronounced. In the 2008-‘09 term, male instructors earned $71,500, while females earned $48,600.

The gender inequity is on par with the national average. Women make about 70 cents on a man’s dollar, said Olga Yakusheva, assistant professor of economics.

For higher education faculty members in 2005-‘06, women earned 81 percent of the amount earned by men, according to the study “AAUP Faculty Gender Equity Indicators 2006” by the American Association of University Professors.

Because Marquette has hired so many new females as professors, often younger, they’re paid less than older male professors, Yakusheva said. And, women are less aggressive in negotiating starting pay than men, said Janet Boles, retired professor of political science.

Female-dominated fields like the humanities tend to be underpaid, while male-dominated fields like engineering, business and law are higher paying.

This proves true at Marquette. In the College of Business Administration, the total faculty number is 78 males and only 26 females. Whereas in English, 27 males versus 31 females comprise the total faculty.

In the College of Engineering, there are 62 males in the total faculty, and only 11 females.

The university should also study why so many men dominate engineering and business, thus earning higher pay.

Boles said when she was a professor in 1997, she was one of six female full professors in the entire university. Now, there are 18 females with the title of professor, versus 133 males.

Of course equalizing men’s and women’s pay takes time. Women have some catching up to do because of former lack of policies enforcing equal pay, and because many are younger than their male counterparts.

However, these statistics are embarrassing at a Jesuit school that’s celebrating admitting women. Marquette should work toward celebrating equal pay for both sexes.

The university has admitted women and added more women to the ranks.

Let’s be able to say Marquette’s closed the pay gap too.