What Does It Take to Get Tenure?

Data from the National Science Foundation and the American Geological Institute indicate that women geoscientists remain underrepresented at all levels in academia. In addition, the proportion of women geoscience faculty declines with increasing rank, from around 20 percent as assistant professors to 5 percent as full professors. In 2001, we began a project to collect information that can help mentor women faculty early in their geoscience careers and improve their chances of obtaining tenure. We also wanted to provide institutions with information on retention, tenure and promotion procedures and criteria as they are practiced across the country