Otten also remarked on the competitive nature of her field, where many hours are spent preparing for research and many more are spent doing the actual research and writing. Afterward, the job of selling her work to publishers remains. What anchors these activities is that you see academic work somehow as a vocation. Boston College, more than the average academic institution, is supportive in that respect. Kane noted that university professors are judged by the volume of their publications, how often they are quoted in the press and by their invitations to address their colleagues, which all are traceable to the volume and quality of their research.
Research is only valuable to the extent it contributes to that legacy.
Trustee Robert J. Murray, chairman of the board's Development Committee, noted that both pledges and cash donations to the University are running ahead of last year's pace. He also introduced a report by trustees Susan Gianinno and Mary Steele Guilfoile updating the work of a task force created two years ago to address the under-representation of women as volunteers and donors in the University's development efforts. They are independent wage earners and have more influence in their households as it relates to money. The task force's research to date indicates that the issue goes beyond fundraising and is common among formerly all-male colleges, though the University is at the forefront in addressing the matter. Guilfoile added that while research continues, the Development Office is formulating new communications strategies geared to women and is testing new methods for reaching out to alumnae.