In the largest ever study of academic articles analyzing gender of the authors, University of Washington researchers found a continued gender gap in scholarly publications and a concentration of women authors in certain subject areas, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. An analysis of 2 million journal articles in JSTOR showed that the percentage of female authors publishing in their fields is increasing but that they tend to cluster in certain subfields and are underrepresented in the prestigious positions of first and last authors. The overall percentage of female authors is also not representative of the proportion entering professorial positions. Women are underrepresented in publications because they value quality over quantity and spend more time teaching, working with committees and caring for children, The Chronicle reported. Opinion among scholars interviewed is split on whether the gap is a result of women's choices or discrimination.
Green Mountain College's decision to slaughter two of its work oxen, Bill and Lou, after Lou's injury this year sparked debate among students and alumni at the college, according to Inside Higher Ed. While protestors who collected thousands of petition signatures said that consuming the oxen would be "something like eating a family pet for dinner," the college argued that slaughtering the oxen represents the college's commitment to sustainability. The college, which combines environmental studies and liberal arts, said that slaughtering the animals is more environmentally responsible, as the oxen would otherwise continue to consume resources and ultimately be slaughtered anyway.
A "dance/theater/new media" performance was hailed as an unconventional approach to raising bystander intervention awareness at the second annual School and College Organization for Prevention Educators convention in Orlando, Fla., Inside Higher Ed reported. Written and directed by Molly Schenck, a graduate student at the University of Maine, the performance surveyed the cast, crew and audience members before and after the performance to gauge changes in their perspectives on bystander intervention. Survey results demonstrated that audience members were more likely to say that they would engage in bystander intervention practices after the performance. Cast and crew members also showed increased empathy for the victims that they portrayed. Schenck wanted to raise awareness and supply students with nonaccusatory methods of intervention, according to Inside Higher Ed.
