The Role of the NEH Summer Seminar in Mentoring Academic Women

Cheryl B. Torsney The Role of the NEH Summer Seminar in Mentoring Academic Women August 1988 In her 1975 essay "Toward a Woman-Centered University," Adrienne Rich explains that the university has been modeled on the family, with the father-professor mentoring the gifted daughter student in the absence of mother-women professors. Consequently, it is reasonable that the female student identifies with the powerful "father," who can offer her entry into an academic world that puts great stock in personal reputation, scholarly publication, and academic affiliation. Rich provides a distinctively gendered counter to this model: A woman-centered university would be a place in which the much-distorted mother-daughter relationship could find a new model: where women of maturer attainments in every field would provide intellectual guidance along with concern for the wholeness of their young women students , an older woman's sympathy and unique knowledge of the processes younger women were going through, along with the power to give concrete assistance and support. (28-29) From my reading of the literature of mentoring and my analysis of some eighty responses to surveys on the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar experience from both female directors and participants, it is clear that the program furthers Rich's goal of establishing a woman-centered university.1 It provides time and money for women scholars, many of whom are clustered at the bottom of the academic hierarchy, teaching heavy loads rather than devoting their energies to research; a network of colleagues with similar interests ; and directors who serve as role models and mentors.2 According to Guinevere L. Griest, Director of the NEH Division of Fellowships and Seminars, the Endowment does not endorse any kind of affirmative action in awarding either seminars to directors or stipends to participants. It does not see itself as taking responsibility for the academic advancement of women. In fact, many perceive the recent NEH administrators as hostile to women's academic development . It is interesting, however, to note that before 1978 there were no women's studies summer seminars at all, and that in 1984, 1985, and 1986 the NEH scheduled five, three, and two women's studies seminars respectively. The banner years for women directors in the fields of modern languages and literature, popular culture, and women's studies were 1979-81, during which 23 women directed seminars, and 248 the minnesota review 1983-85, during which 20 women directed seminars. Granted, the 1983-85 figure represents only a paltry percentage of the total 238 seminars offered. Not only are the statistics alarming, but also competition for admission to one of the few woman-directed seminars is keen, thus further limiting the number of women who might benefit from the experience of being led by a woman director. For the lucky few who are admitted, however, the summer seminar offers a professional and personal experience that a large number of my participantrespondents rate as the most important of their careers.3 In large part, the overwhelmingly positive response of the participants seems to have resulted from the mentoring provided primarily, though not exclusively, by the female director, particularly in women's studies seminars.4 The mentorship model has not always described the relationship between prominent female scholars and their junior colleagues. In "Women in the Male World of Higher Education," published in 1973, Pepper Schwartz and Janet Lever assert: One of the most harmful effects of female socialization is the preference so many academic women show for intellectual companionship with men rather than with women.... One place the woman student might be expected to look for professional help and encouragement is to women faculty members. But, as we know, there are very few women on faculties to serve as guides and role models, and those women are grossly underrepresented on committees that make decisions crucial to the women students ' academic careers.... Not only are there few women faculty members on campus, but many of them do not think that women as a group need special attention. They have an "I made it, so can they" attitude. Very few of the female students we spoke to cited any women who had directly influenced their...