Can he answer the following questions for me?
Dear Ms. Crone,
For young newspaper 7Days (target group: 12-18 years) I am looking for a scientist who can help me. I would like to write a short article about spring and what that does to our brains and I hope he can answer the following questions for me...
Where is your husband?
I was at a work party that professors and their partners were invited to. I was seated at a table with a couple of people I hadn't met before. The man next to me said: "Can I ask you a question? Which one is your husband?" I said, "My husband isn't here." Neighbor: "Yes, but where is your husband?" "He's at home." Neighbor: "I don't understand, who is your husband?" I said: "My husband isn't here, I am the professor." He didn't say a word to me for the rest of the evening.
Is my tie straight?
I (a woman) frequently am the pro-rector at doctoral defenses - and I did so today. The external co-supervisor (a man) comes in during the preparations, notes that he hasn't met me before and I introduce myself. Before I can say so myself, the supervisor says: "She is the chairperson." The co-supervisor is clearly surprised, and reacts with a 'joke': "How nice we have woman here to see if my tie is straight. At work the secretaries take care of that, but I don't have them here." (My answer: "You will really have to take care of it yourself.")
Dear Mr. Crone
Tie sale
I was at a meeting for professors where most of the attendants were older men. I was talking to a female professor and we were standing near a table where ties were being sold. One of the gentlemen eagerly walked towards us and asked us if we were in charge of the tie sale.
The composition of the review committee: shoe size 42 and a ginger
1. When we are compiling a review committee for research proposals, I note that there is no woman in the committee. The director of one of the research institutes says that there is also no one with shoe size 42 in it.
2. An important committee needs to be selected. The Board of the Institute has compiled a list of names who are potentially suitable: 8 men. I ask why the board has put no women on the list, and name several suitable women. A male colleague answers jokingly: "I suppose now we also have to add a foreigner and a ginger!"
Secretary
I am a senior university lecturer and my office is next to that of the (male) professor. Two young female students: "Are you the professor’s secretary?". This happened despite a sign on my door saying "Dr.".
Just along for the ride
I was in the financial audit committee of a Dutch research institute together with a male colleague. During the meeting, the employee of the institute only showed the ledgers to my colleague (who was sitting at the other side of the table). I waited for her to show the ledgers to me, but that never happened. So, basically, I was just along for the ride.
Mansplaining
I have had several experiences of male colleagues, who are also professors, asking me what my expertise is or what I am currently researching. My answer can always be short, because he usually starts to lecture me about my own field of expertise. In the international literature this is called 'mansplaining', based on Men Explain Things To Me' (title of a book by Rebecca Solnit).
Alumni magazine
After my PhD in 2012 I received a letter from the alumni association congratulating Mr. .... with his PhD and informing me that I would be receiving the alumni magazine. Up to the present day the magazine is addressed to 'Mr. ...
Taking notes
Until recently, I was the only female Principal Investigator. During a meeting the minute taker was absent. When we were discussing who would take the minutes, all men looked at me. I was so bewildered, I actually did it.
The graduation ceremony
At graduation ceremonies, there is a chairperson and a secretary. One time, when I was acting secretary, I was introduced as the 'secretaresse' (an office secretary). At another graduation ceremony, I introduced myself to the candidate's supervisor. His reaction: "I always thought dr. xxx was a man."
The doctoral defense
At a male colleague's doctoral defense there are 5 men in the reading committee, though excellent female expertise present in the Netherlands. There are 2 supervisors, a man and a woman. The woman was the day-to-day supervisor and has known the candidate longer. However, the man delivers the laudation. In this way, the audience, which includes a lot of non-academics, is led to think that academics are men, or at least, academics who really matter.
Reception
I am a female professor. I attend a reception for professors and their partners - alone, because my husband is at home with the children. At the reception, a lady comes up to me, says hello and then her first question is: "So, what does your husband do?" She obviously can't imagine that I am there as a professor and not as '...'s partner'.
List of telephone numbers
The male professors are listed with titles and initials on the department's telephone list, the female professor with first and last name.
Invitation
The Dean is a man
(Leiden University doctorate regulations, 2014)
11. Dean
Once the Dean has received the copy of the Doctorate Committee's decision that the candidate may be allowed to defend the dissertation, the Dean determines whether the candidate is allowed to defend the dissertation. He communicates his findings immediately to the candidate, the supervisor, the beadle and the Doctorate Board, using form number 6.
The doctoral candidate is a man
(Leiden University doctorate regulations, 2014)
12. Candidate
The doctoral candidate applies to the beadle for the defense of his dissertation, using form/appendix 7. The candidate can only defend his thesis after the Doctorate Committee has decided that he can be admitted to its defense and after the Dean has determined that he is admitted to the doctoral defense (see under 11). The non-scientific component of the dissertation and the propositions may only be duplicated once the Dean has given his approval. The wording and formatting of the title page of the dissertation and its reverse are subject to approval by the beadle.
A VICI-candidate is a man
I was the only person in the waiting room, because I was the very last candidate for a VICI-grant interview. A lady from NWO came to pick me up. She looked around the waiting room uncertainly and said: "I am looking for professor ... " When I said: "That's me," she said: "Oh, of course, that is also possible!"
At the beadle
I had two paranymphs for my doctoral defense, a tall boy, who had dressed in the required white tie beautifully, and my future wife. I had seriously attempted to look reasonable myself. But when the beadle picked us up, he wished the boy lots of luck - it didn't lead to him defending my thesis though.
The Ministry of Education
When you enter the Ministry of Education in The Hague, there are bronze busts of all the Dutch Nobel Prize winners. They are all men. A great way to remind employees of the Ministry what the academic ideal is.
Mentor
As an experienced research leader and manager, I have made myself available to be a mentor and assist younger colleagues in the context of their careers. A male colleague from another faculty who is dealing with all these issues for the first time is matched to me. At the introductory meeting, he gives me one look and says: 'They have appointed you as my mentor, but what could you do to help me further?'
Always a minority
At the annual Spinoza-laureates dinner, all the women sit at the same table. All the other women present are either staff members of NWO or of the Ministry of Education. Some of the men complain: "Why don't you spread out over the other tables - now it looks like there are hardly any women!' When we are asked to respond to the topic of discussion, our opinion is referred to as that of the 'women's table'. When NWO reports of this evening in its magazine ‘Hypothese’, our table has been photographed from the different angles - this way, it still seems as if there was a fair amount of women present!
The next year, the organizer says: "Not all the women at the same table again!"
The man probably is a professor
Four of us, three women and a man, write a letter. All four of us are researchers with doctorates, but we aren't professors. We all sign the letter with our titles (Dr.) and our first and last names. In the response we got, the man was (incorrectly) referred to as professor, and the three others as Ms. No mention of their doctorate.
The laureate is a man
I am in the selection committee for a prestigious award. Half of the candidates are women. The first criterion candidates are judged by is their academic quality. According to the instructions, the committee has to judge this in terms of 'the contribution of the candidate to the development of his field.'
Are there no great women at the university?
After my doctoral defense, I was looking at the doctoral diploma I was awarded. An English translation has been including. It mentions that the doctorate has been achieved with ‘the wise counsel of our great men’. Clearly, there are no great women at this university, even though there were several female professors in my Doctorate Committee...
The Dean is a man
A Dean appoints one of the professors of his faculty to replace him in the Council of Deans in his absence.
The proxy is a man
A Dean appoints one of the professors of his faculty to replace him in the Council of Deans in his absence.
The Scientific Director is a man
The Scientific Director is responsible for ensuring the quality of the contributions to the faculty research programs of the institute and supervises the supervision of the doctoral students. He also ensures the quality of the supervisors of PhD students.
The student is a man
... permitting, at the request of the student and respecting what has been determined in the Course and Examination Regulations, him to take one or more parts of the final exam before he has passed the first-year diploma's of the course
The student is a man
The Faculty Board can ... propose to terminate or refuse to register a student for the program if that student has demonstrated, through his conduct or statements, that he is unsuitable for the practice of one or more professions for which the program he has followed trains him.
The Scientific Director is a man
The Scientific Director is accountable to the dean. He provides the Dean with the requested information.
De Dean van de Graduate School is een man
De graduate school staat onder leiding van de decaan van de faculteit. In die hoedanigheid voert hij de titel van “Dean of the Graduate School”.
The Dean of the Graduate School is a man
The Graduate School is led by the Dean of the faculty. In that capacity, he holds the title of 'Dean of the Graduate School'.
The Scientific Director is a man
The Scientific Director decides on behalf of and under the responsibility of the Dean regarding admission to a doctorate program. He hereby observes relevant further regulations.
