Above the glass ceiling: a university in crisis?

Gender inequity at senior ranks in Australian universities has long been recognised as a major problem. Universities are attempting to address the problem, with policies for recruitment and retention of senior women. This paper describes what happened in one faculty in a large university when three female heads were appointed. Within a year, all three were gone. A male-oriented culture predominated, where the women experienced bullying, male clubbiness, male solidarity, control by the dean and lack of respect for values which emphasised people and relationships. This faculty has significant problems which cannot be resolved without major change at executive management level.