Although the gender wage gap is a national issue that must be addressed through legislative means, Syracuse University must ensure it is doing all that it can to promote gender equality on campus.

In comparison to 16 peer institutions, SU ranks fourth in having the smallest wage gap among alumni, as SU female alumni make 80.2 percent of what SU male alumni make. The University of Rochester ranks first at 85.9 percent, according to data from the College Scorecard.

While SU comes closer than most peer institutions in reaching pay equality for its alumni, anything less than equal is not enough. The university can lead in the push for gender equality and do its part by expanding female empowerment programs.

Some programs have already been implemented at SU to address this issue, such as the It Girls Overnight Retreat, which is hosted by the School of Information Studies to expose high school girls to the field of technology, and Elect Her, a program that encourages young women to run for student government.

These programs are important in exposing women to professional fields that have been traditionally dominated by men, and should be used as models for all SU schools and colleges who can offer specialized programs to woman.

In addition, more can be done to close the wage gap not just for women, but for minorities as well. According to 2014 data from the National Women’s Law Center, African-American women were paid about 60 percent of what men were paid for full-time, year-round work, and Hispanic women with the same description were only paid about 55 percent.

The creation of a career fair that is geared toward women and minority groups on campus would provide these students with the opportunity to make professional connections that would aid them after graduation as they join the workforce.

While local action is important, the gender pay gap is ultimately a nationwide problem that requires governmental action. This inequality should be at the forefront of the congressional agenda and politicians should work to end pay disparities on the basis of gender.

Until the gender pay gap is addressed by appropriate legislation, campus empowerment programs should be thoroughly implemented to ensure that students, regardless of gender or race, are treated equally and given fair opportunities on the SU campus.

Published on September 29, 2015 at 12:16 am

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