Butler Center to host panel session on ‘Strategies for Addressing Gender Bias in Letters'

The Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence is holding a panel session on "Strategies for Addressing Gender Bias in Letters" on Feb. 20.

Numerous studies have uncovered evidence for historical and continuing gender- and ethnicity-based differences in academia, attributed to various causes such as innate differences between the sexes, differences in career goals and interests, and explicit and implicit bias against minority academics. One topic that has been receiving increasing attention is letters of recommendations – letters for fellowships, for graduate admission, for faculty positions, and external letters for tenure and/or promotion among others. Studies suggest that letters of recommendation are ineffective because there are more similarities than differences between candidates. There is evidence for an unconscious (or implicit) bias toward male applicants based on the number of standout adjectives. What is known about such biases in letters? And how do individuals consciously mitigate these biases when writing letters as well as reviewing them when making decisions?

The panel session will feature Lecia Barker, associate professor, University of Colorado Boulder; Rosanne Altstatt, assistant dean, National and International Scholarships Office, Purdue; and Juan Madera, associate professor, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston.

The panel session is scheduled for noon-1:30 p.m. at Purdue Memorial Union's West Faculty Lounge. Lunch will be provided.

All faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend. RSVP is required; register here. For more information, contact butlercenter@purdue.edu.