Class things that make me go Ugh!

I got this via email this afternoon from my prof:

Lindsay, I greatly appreciate your active participation in the Econ of Higher Ed class.

I am acutely aware of the need to keep the class interesting to both the higher education and the K-12 members and I recognize that often you are called upon to explain ideas and bring the K-12 members up to speed on higher education issues.

I would value your particular suggestions about how to make the class as valuable as I can to the higher ed members. Dr. ------

The Prof is annoying me. I know she's putting forth an effort and trying to accommodate those of us in higher ed (which, mind you, was the original purpose of the class before the k-12 enrolled in it by mistake), but it feels as though in addition to all I have to do for her class already, I now have to figure out what she should teach and how to engage us. Funny, I could have sworn that was the job of the person making the big bucks in the class.

And speaking of big bucks, I came across this today in doing a bit of environmental scanning of news sources for class:

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, women make on average 25 percent less than men. This is, however, a marked improvement over 1970, when women made 41 percent less.

It Varies By Race

The pay gap differs by race, with the earnings of white women being just 72 percent of those of white men; black women making 82 percent as much as their male counterparts; and Hispanic women earning 83 percent of what Hispanic men earn. The Rutgers School of Management Relations says this is primarily because white men still earn the most among all groups of workers.

It's Wider Among Professionals

Regardless of educational level, men out-earn women. For example, in 2000, college educated women earned just $5,000 more a year than male high school graduates. While education has a major positive effect on the earnings of both sexes, it is particularly strong for men. Interestingly, the wage gap is largest among the most highly educated groups.

A researcher exploring the pay and promotion gap among statisticians attributed this to women not wanting to put themselves forward as candidates for competition. She found that while most women did not apply for higher jobs because they believed they needed more time and preparation, ironically, those who did apply actually had more success than their male counterparts.

Joy.