 "Photo: Jasmine Linabary/The Whitworthian")
In this article: Kathy Fechter, program assistant | Dori Berg, program assistant | Ina Ward, custodial crew leader
The staff at Whitworth, which includes everyone from administrators and program assistants to the grounds crew, is 60 percent female. But some concerns have still been raised over the struggles women may have in those positions.
In a 2005 study of gender at Whitworth, there were particular concerns about how female support staff were being treated, said Terry McGonigal, dean of spiritual life.
The struggles of female staff at Whitworth are often undiscussed, said Dale Soden, vice president for planning.
"It's confusing when it's a female program assistant - is it a class issue, gender issue or both when they are treated rudely [by faculty]?" Soden said.
In the 34 program assistant and secretary positions at Whitworth, there are currently no males, according to Human Resources. (See the full breakdown of staff positions by gender)
In terms of salary, Dolores Humiston, director of Human Resources, said she pays close attention to male and female staff salaries and says both are paid comparable.
"I work hard to make sure this continues to be true," Humiston said.
Here are three female staff members' stories about their experiences as women in the positions of program assistant and as a custodial crew leader at Whitworth.
Kathy Fechter
Kathy Fechter, program assistant in communication studies and computer science and mathematics, loved to type and seeing her sister do secretary work for the State of Montana drew her to that line of work.
"I saw my sister as a great role model," Fechter said.
Fechter said she took some business classes in high school that drew her to take a job in the office of a hospital, giving her a taste of personnel and assisting people.
Fechter took some general studies courses at Montana State University, but she needed a job. And she was able to get one with the university.
"I loved to type and do data entry - a lot of the things other people saw as monotonous," Fechter said.
Fechter worked while her husband went to school, getting her "PHT" degree, or "putting hubby through," she said. After her husband finished his degree, the couple began moving around the country and had two sons.
Prior to coming to Whitworth, Fechter was a secretary at two other universities and a legal assistant at Big Sky of Montana.
Fechter said she realized gender had an influence early on when she began to notice that men tended to be in the higher paid positions and she rarely saw males in secretary positions.
Her husband's job brought her to Spokane in 1981. He currently works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fechter said she liked the academic setting and looked for work at area colleges, landing a job at Whitworth in 1984.
Whitworth experience
Fechter said she has not seen gender be a problem, but most of it comes down to experiences with individual professors.
"I've had a few male professors on campus who may not take my word on something and may go to someone else for their information," Fechter said. "I'm not sure if that's gender or position."
Fechter said she often thinks it comes down to a matter of her position.
"Program assistants are almost at the bottom of the pay scale. That's more of an unfairness," Fechter said. "As the faculty I work with say, I do as much as they do for the department."
Fechter said she has been asked to make coffee or put together parties because faculty members do not have the time. Fechter said she was not sure if a male in the position would be asked to do those tasks.
"I think people take for granted that I'm in the position and I'm female, so I should be doing it. If it were a male, I don't know. Would faculty members ask a male to wash out the microwave?" Fechter said.
Fechter said if she feels like a task she has been asked to do is not within her position, she always feels comfortable saying so.
Fechter said it is hard to judge whether gender affects salary because there are not many male secretaries or program assistants at Whitworth. She said her salary is more affected by being toward the bottom of the university's hierarchy.
Fechter said something has kept her at Whitworth for the past 20 years working with the communication studies department.
"They are my family away from family," Fechter said.
During her time here, Fechter said she has seen many changes, but she does not feel that gender has played a great part in her direct role.
Fechter said she has been very satisfied with what she does and has been encouraged by both departments she works with to take classes.
"As far as training, I work for one of the best departments. It's never been an issue if I could go to training or serve on committees," Fechter said.
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