Female faculty members at UNI make about $10,000 less annually than their male counterparts, according to an American Association of University Professors report released this month. The annual report surveyed full-time faculty salaries of U.S. public and private institutions for the 2013-14 academic year.

For some UNI female faculty members, coming into a work environment with a pay inequality poses obstacles.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels it has a negative impact on efficiency because it affects morale,” said Catherine MacGillivray, interim director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. “When morale is low, efficiency is low.”

Jerry Smith, chair of UNI Faculty Senate, said there are not enough women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. These disciplines have higher-paid positions than other disciplines.

At UNI, faculty members who feel salary inequality should be addressed are joining together to contact their individual departments to request equity adjustments, according to MacGillivray. They hope that collectively acting upon the issue will have more of an impact.

“We’re in the salary review phase of the year now; faculty members are asking for their raises,” MacGillivray said. “If faculty feels their salary is not equitable, they can ask for an equity adjustment.”

Phyllis Baker, department head and professor of sociology, anthropology and criminology, has been researching the gender pay gap at the national level. According to her data, between 1979-2000, the gender pay gap gradually decreased. However, around 2000, the gap stopped decreasing.

She said there are multiple reasons for this stop.

“The reasons are both human capital reasons, cultural reasons, as well as structural reasons,” Baker said. “Culturally because women began choosing to stay home with the children.”

Baker also noted women tend to enter into occupations like teaching, which don’t pay as much as other occupations.

However, women still don’t receive equal pay in the education field.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order April 7 that addresses unequal pay among federal contractors. This order prohibits contractors from retaliating against employees who compare their wages.

“I think President Obama is exactly right to try to reduce or eliminate those disparities,” Smith said.

In light of the AAUP study as well as Obama’s orders, UNI has been monitoring the gender gap, according to the office of Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Nancy Lippens.

“The university regularly reviews pay on the basis of equity and makes adjustments as needed,” the office wrote in an email correspondence. “The University of Northern Iowa is committed to salary equity.”