Swenson instructor, students speak out against STEM sexism

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UMD belongs to the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. Photo by Michael King

Students across multiple colleges within the University of Minnesota Duluth have rallied together following the resignation of another female UMD STEM professor — Tracy Bibelnieks — citing sexism in the department. Kari Olson, a senior in the Swenson School of Science and Engineering (SCSE), founded Students for Equity and Accountability in STEM (SEA STEM) after Bibelnieks resigned. 

“We started this student organization because of the pervasive and systematic discrimination against women in our math and stats department,” Olson said. “It was spurred and catalyzed by Dr. Tracy Bibelnieks resigning … She has spoken out about how that environment was so hard on her and her health that she had to resign.”

Olson gave a look in on the future plans for SEA STEM.

SEA STEM founder Kari Olson pictured on the upper walkway inside the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. Photo courtesy of Kari Olson

“Right now it's been boots to the ground delivering demands to the math and stats department, media interviews, getting out the word, getting community members engaged, hanging posters have been our agenda,” Olson said. 

Olson then spoke about the Q&A with Wendy Reed, Dean of SCSE; and  Erin Sheets, Associate Dean. The Q&A was invite-only and had over 34 participants at one point. Olson and Aaron Roessler, a member of SEA STEM, attended together on behalf of the group and asked a myriad of questions. Sheets and Reed also fielded questions from many other attendees.

A second female student, preferring to remain unnamed, also shared her experience as a student in UMD STEM.

“UMD is a great university,” the student said. “I transferred here for a reason. I wouldn’t necessarily call it sexism that I’ve experienced; it’s just definitely the gap in engineering. There is a gap within the sexes.”

The student transferred to UMD in the spring of 2019. She compared the cultures of the engineering programs of each of the universities she’s attended. 

“I think UMD has come a long way, but I do think there is room where they would definitely be able to grow,” the student said. “I feel like [my previous university] made more of an effort to show that they were trying to narrow the gap of divide.”

The student suggested student organization involvement and engagement as a possible area of improvement in the battle for a more equitable environment. She cited that two organizations built on the premise of furthering women in science and engineering were both very popular clubs at her previous university, and that they were deeply involved in various programs.

“They encouraged pretty much everyone to be in them,” the student said. “It’s not even just for only women. There were men that would come.”

Bibelnieks shared these beliefs of the importance of clubs to the resolution of the issue, and made remarks about possible changes to SEA STEM.

Tracy Bibelnieks submitted her letter of resignation in March of her seventh year with UMD. Photo courtesy of Tracy Bibelnieks

“There’s not a college on campus where the students don’t intersect somehow with mathematics and statistics,” Bibelnieks said. “If I think about the stats class that I'm teaching this semester, 95% of the students are public health students, or humanities students or social work students … So I think at times, that STEM on the end of [SEA STEM] could be seen as ‘Oh, that organization belongs to the College of Science and Engineering. It’s just students there.’ When in fact, the students involved in SEA STEM come from all different colleges.”

Bibelnieks submitted a notice of resignation just over three weeks ago, citing sexual harassment and discrimination. She described in detail the various different forms this discrimination took, referencing the report filed during the 2019 Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) investigation into the department. She stated that everything listed in the report occurred during her time at UMD.

“In that report, the first thing they say is that females were expected to manage disproportionately more service or administrative tasks than their male counterparts,” Bibelnieks said. “That was definitely true. I think that’s something that is easily addressed. Distribute the workload.”

Bibelnieks went on to address other matters stated in the report that she considered to be the most damaging.

“I was expected to interact in a less assertive and more friendly manner than the men,” Bibelnieks said. Despite having an accomplished career, including a tenured position and various grants, she still felt that her voice was not respected in any capacity in conversations with male counterparts. She added that this behavior continued even after the EOAA findings were released. 

“I had had enough,” Bibelnieks said. “The accumulation of all that had happened and the effect it has had on not only my professional work … but along with what it's taken on my personal was just too much. It had become unbearable.”

Bibelnieks, previously a professor at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, compared its working environment to that of UMD’s.

“I think the biggest difference is the sense of community,” Bibelnieks said. “In the math department I worked in at Augsburg, there was a strong sense of community … we all sat at the table with equal voice. If issues or problems came up, they were openly discussed. There wasn’t this need to sort of shove it to the side and say ‘we’re gonna ignore that.’”

Bibelnieks explained that this sense of community at Augsburg extended across everybody involved in STEM fields. Bibelnieks also expressed her admiration for male instructors in UMD STEM, such as Aaron Shepanik, who have come forward and addressed the situation in the department.

Bibelnieks believes responsibility needs to be taken before the culture can change.

“I think the university needs to stand up and own this,” Bibelnieks said. “It’s not a time to just sit back and say ‘you don’t understand,’ or ‘we’re doing things’ or ‘we are making progress, even though you don’t see it.’” 

Bibelnieks talked about the need to recognize the systemic issue, and that everybody in the department, top-to-bottom, needs to be part of a consensus on what specifically needs to be done. She used a softball coaching analogy to describe that the means of change need to be articulated rather than just the fact that change is needed.

“If you’re not truly engaging those folks who are engaged in these inappropriate and long-time behaviors that they thought were appropriate, you’re not re-educating them on how to do it,” Bibelnieks said. 

Bibelnieks stated that she has not been in contact with the university regarding solutions to department conduct. University faculty have released several statements since Bibelnieks’ resignation.