Female professors rated more negatively than male peers

A compilation of data from Rate My Professors found that female professors are rated more negatively than male professors. 

The data allows users to separate the ratings based on the subject and whether the rating was negative or positive. Female professors in STEM fields, where they compose a minority of the professors, received particularly negative ratings. Out of one million reviews, 70 described female engineering professors as "incompetent."

Gender differences in ratings can be explained by the expectations students have of their professors acting in "a certain way, based on their gender," according to George Mason University professor Eden King.

"If a female professor is demanding of her students, she's a bitch. Whereas if a male professor is demanding, then it's seen as more justified or that he's a 'stickler,'" Kaity O' Reilly, a George Mason junior, said. 

Culture also plays a significant role in ratings, as different cultures view the status of men and women differently. 

"When we use these reviews and evaluations to assess people, we need to keep in mind the way people write them is really culturally conditioned," said Northeastern University professor Benjamin Schmidt, who compiled the data. 

Read more at USA TODAY College.

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