At issue Wilfrid Laurier University recently published a controversial ad for new faculty positions in psychology. The University asked for female applicants only, stating it sorely needed more women in a department where males outnumber females 18 to four.
Critics charge that the school's ad itself is discriminatory.
The discrepancy between the number of female faculty and number of female graduate students demands affirmative action. I think not. Affirmative action demands systematic and persistent education to change societal race and gender bias. Admittedly, this is a more demanding solution than hiring practices based on tokenism but, ultimately, a more pervasive solution. I support Wilfrid Laurier University's position on this issue.