AMBER MATTICE
Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: The names of professors in the 2015 email chain provided by Sherri Mason have been removed as per the request of Mason, in order to maintain the confidentiality of her colleagues.
“I’ve loved Fredonia. I came here [18 years ago and] this place has meant so much to me. It was painful, that’s a part of my sadness, feelingthat I was pushed to the point where the only kind of recourse I felt I had wasto look for a job elsewhere,” said Sherri “Sam” Mason. “When really I wanted tospend my entire career here.”
Mason, whom has a PhD in chemistry, is the chair of the department of geology and natural sciences, is a professor of chemistry, has done groundbreaking research on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes and is the most recent recipient of the 23rd Annual Heinz award, is leaving Fredonia.
Mason is resigning from her positions due to pay inequity amongst her colleagues across the various science departments.
“I became aware that, [after just looking] at this institution and at colleagues who were comparable to me: they’re in the natural sciences, have been here for the same length of time, got promoted [at the] same period of time, [that] I was making considerably less money,” said Mason.
After this discovery, Mason filed a grievance with HR and was told that she would hear back sometime in September but when September came and went, she had still heard nothing. After sending several emails, she was eventually told that no pay inequity cases would be considered, full stop. After going to President Virginia Horvath, Mason was told to file a case of gender inequity through Fredonia’s Office of Diversity.
That was three years ago. Mason had conversations and found data but heard nothing in return. She was not even told that it was not going to be pursued or given reason for inaction. All she got was silence and lack of closure.
“It would have made a huge difference if, four years ago when I raised this, they had simply acknowledged that it was true,” said Mason.
Horvath, when asked for a statement regarding Mason’s resignation or the issues of pay inequity among professors said, “I cannot comment on personnel issues, including salary, due to confidentiality.”
Over the years, Mason has faced discrimination because of her gender and noticed inequalities within her department, such as being negatively evaluated by a student at the end of semester for wearing a skirt that fell just above her knees.
Mason, an activist on many levels, recognized the differences in the expectations of herself versus her male colleagues.
In 2015, Mason sent an email to Michael Daley, the Human Resources Director, because she discovered the drastic differences in the salaries of her colleagues. After salaries were posted across the department, Mason realized that something did not quite add up. In her email she wrote, “I am writing to request a formal review/evaluation of my pay relative to my peers within related departments, rank and years of experience. After reviewing posted salary information I believe there is a salary inequity issue. For example, [a male professor] who was promoted to full professor the same year as me (though started later) is making more than $3500 more than myself. [A male professor] who started the same year as myself, but reached full professor one year prior to me, is making more than $11,000 more than myself (and his salary increased every year over the past 5, despite the fact that we were on a hiring and salary freeze). [A male professor] who is in my same department and reached full professor only a year before myself is making $7,000 more than me. [A female professor] who does have more years of experience but is below my rank, is making $13,000 more than myself.”
Prior to the raise she received two and a half years ago, when she was promoted to her current position, Mason was making approximately $68,000.
In an attempt to find answers, Mason has sent over 19 emails searching for a response from someone that could help her but has still not received any acknowledgement or reasons for her case not being pursued.
As a result, Mason is resigning.
The university has known for several years that she was looking for a new job as a result of seeing no changes being made but officially announced her resignation on Nov. 9. She wanted to make sure that the university had enough time to find a replacement, especially because she advises all of the earth science majors that attend Fredonia.
She has heard from many students that they are concerned about who their new advisor would be but Mason does not have answers. She believes the administration is looking, however.
“We have a lot going on in our department right now. We have three different searches going on, we’re doing an external review of the environmental sciences program and that’s all happening in the Spring semester and I was leading those three searches,” said Mason. “I wish that they could at least put out an email to reassure students that [they’ve] got this covered [and] have laid out some kind of a plan.”
Earth science is also one of the undergraduate programs being considered for reductions through PEPRE.
Mason’s official last day is Dec. 31 so she will not be returning for the Spring semester. She was offered a position at Penn State Behrend as the Sustainability Coordinator and accepted. At Penn State, she will be teaching students, working with paid students on her own research projects and working towards sustainability efforts.
“This was exciting to me because it is in the academics realm as opposed to other universities where you see it more in the facilities side and so therefore I’d have to give up teaching altogether, and I really didn’t want to do that,” said Mason.
Mason will certainly be missed among the students who have had her as a teacher and also by those who have worked with her on various research projects.
“Working with Dr. Mason has been an amazing opportunity I never thought I’d have. Being able to work in a lab and do research is a dream come true and I am so grateful that Dr. Mason allowed me to work with her,” said Florence LaPlaca, a senior earth science major. “From my experience, doing research with Dr. Mason is pretty “chill,” so to speak. She teaches you what you have to do, gives you the necessary background information as to why you’re doing it and what it means to the study and then lets you be free to do it on your own. It made me feel like she trusted me to do a good job and that means a lot.”
Mason has brought much to Fredonia’s science departments and will continue to enlighten people of the need for plastic reduction through her research with Penn State.
In terms of pay inequity among professors, Mason said, “it is not unusual in academia, especially in the natural sciences” but was surprised to find how subtly the discrimination happens though she does have faith in the abilities of her colleagues.
“Fredonia is going to be just fine without me. The thing that I love the most about Fredonia are my colleagues; I have great friends here and we continue to have really great professors here,” said Mason. “It just would be to the benefit [of the university] if there was more appreciation of the incredible faculty that we do have.”