Female students outnumber males at the university, yet this disparity isn't reflected among faculty and administrative staff.
University of Eastern Piedmont: A Sea of Female Students, Yet Imbalanced Governance
The gigantic wave of femininity sweeps over the University of Eastern Piedmont, with an overwhelming 62% of its population being female students - a prevalence surpassing the national average of 56.5%. This vast majority of coeds often gravitate towards challenging courses such as Medicine and Pharmacy, displaying a lower dropout rate compared to their male counterparts.
However, stepping away from the academic arena, the faculty landscape remains primarily male-dominated, albeit thinning over the years. The extremes of careers reveal a clear reversal of trend; newly appointed researchers are predominantly females, while the venerable role of full professors remains dominated by males. These stats derived from the 2023 Gender Balance Report - the third issued by Upo.
Curiously, unlike Piedmont, Lombardy boasts an almost complete domination of women as university rectors. The Upo's population, totaling 15,138 last year - 9,231 females and 5,907 males - paints a picture of a female-driven trajectory.
On the other side of the coin: Higher salaries for men
Despite the predominance of female students, they often find themselves enrolled in programs centered around Health, Social Assistance, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Services, and Humanities. These two faculties where men are the most prevalent are the Department for Sustainable Development and the Ecological Transition (almost 60% male), and the Department of Studies for Economy and Enterprise (over 50% male). Conversely, in all other departments, the female component prevails, with percentages surpassing 60% in many cases.
However, the lower dropout rate of female students does not translate into a higher employment rate or higher average salaries. In fact, after one year, male graduates enjoy a 2% higher employment rate and approximately 100 euros higher pay cheques.
The Faculty: Balancing Scales, Slowly
By the end of 2023, the faculty composition consisted of 201 women and 251 men out of a total of 452. This represents a slow but discernible redistribution of the two components, favoring the female side. Notably, the departments with the most women are Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Sciences (53%), while Law remains male-dominant, with only 3 out of 10 teachers being women. Humanities, Science and Technological Innovation also exhibit a higher female attendance.
However, looking at the roles themselves, a reverse trend can be observed. In first-level professors and ordinary professors, males notably outnumber females, with a ratio of 73 men to 31 women in 2023. Conversely, researchers see a dominance of women, with 68.3% in 2023. Associate professors, on the other hand, feature nearly equal representation, with 94 female teachers against 111 male counterparts.
The real disparity unfolds in the over-54 age group, which consists of 103 men and 55 women, representing slightly more than half the first group.
Governance: The Wrong Side of History?
The University's governance remains male, which might seem surprising given the female majority population. In the recent elections, all 6 candidates for rector and pro-rector were men, and no female proposals were registered. Rector Rizzi then appointed an equal number of his delegates.
In the Senate, out of 23 members, 15 are men and 8 are women, with only 2 female department directors, 4 female teachers, and no female students among the 3 representatives. The board of directors boasts 6 men and 3 women, but the male component's weight is given by the lack of female student members and external male members. The Evaluation Unit, however, enjoys a female majority of 3 to 1.
The dearth of female representation in the university's governance mirrors Italy's broader issue with the underrepresentation of women in academic roles. As Rector Menico Rizzi points out, "It's only a matter of time." Lombardy's clear predominance of women at the top of universities might be a foreshadowing of change.
- The average salary for male graduates at the University of Eastern Piedmont is approximately 100 euros higher than that of female graduates.
- In the Department for Sustainable Development and the Ecological Transition, and the Department of Studies for Economy and Enterprise, the male attendance is higher than 50%.
- By the end of 2023, the faculty at the University of Eastern Piedmont consists of 201 women and 251 men, with Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Sciences having the highest female attendance.
- In the recent elections for rector and pro-rector at the University of Eastern Piedmont, all candidates were men, and no female proposals were registered, resulting in a male-led governance.
