AVOIDING SUBTLE SEXISM

A booklet designed to allow professors and mentors easy access to information aiding them in avoiding unconscious gender bias in their reference letters and recommendations. The booklet outlines common ways in which reference letters can favor male applicants over female applicants, through things like length and wording, and detailing how to avoid reinforcing unfounded gender stereotypes.

The research behind this booklet comes from “Exploring the Color of Glass: Letters of Recommendation for Female and Male Faculty”, a research summary published in 2003 by Frances Trix and Carolyn Psenka.

November 2019