ording to Sandler and Hall (1986), examples of the kind of sexist behavior confronting female college faculty and administrators include: (1) having their appearance, personal qualities and relationships focused upon more than their credentials or accomplishments; (2) being addressed by social terms such as "sweetie," or "dear;" (3) being asked to take care of department social needs such as writing invitations or preparing refreshments for office or department parties;
(4) having their fields/majors downgraded by male peers; and
(5) being appointed to less powerful committees.
While these studies document the existence of sexism in the treatment of women on college campuses, it is only fair to note that these studies were conducted about a decade ago. Since this time, findings of the general research on gender bias in college classrooms have been disseminated to colleges and universities across the country.
Also, programs and workshops have been developed and implemented as part of the effort to eradicate these gender biased practices on particular campuses. Further, many colleges and universities have initiated research projects to identify and correct similar problems at their institutions. This leads to the question of whether there have been gains made in overcoming the problem of gender bias in college/university classes?
One current study that may help answer this question was conducted by Petersen (1992). The study investigated the relationship between students' perceptions of male and female professors' sex-role egalitarianism (the degree to which they treat male and female students similarly) and affective learning in the college classroom.
Students (N = 222) in the study responded to a questionnaire which included a measure of affective learning, a measure of perceived professor egalitarianism, and two supplemental items designed to validate responses to the egalitarianism scale. Tests of rese...