Often faculty feel most comfortable with students who are younger images of themselves: the same gender, race, and nationality.
Some ``faculty men may see women as being different from themselves, less intellectually able, less committed and dedicated, or simply inappropriate for academic careers'' [1]
Some faculty members even refuse to consider hiring a female assistant.
``Die ETH Zürich versteht sich ihren Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern gegenüber als verantwortungsbewusste Arbeitgeberin mit fortschrittlichen Anstellungs- und Arbeitsbedingungen. ... Sie duldet keine Diskriminierung ihrer Angehörigen aufgrund von Geschlecht oder sozialer, ethnischer und religiöser Herkunft. Die ETH Zürich will den Anteil an Frauen in allen Bereichen von Forschung, Lehre und Verwaltung erhöhen."
Leitbild der ETH Zürich 1996
``In its relationship with staff, the ETH Zurich conceives itself to be a responsible employer committed to observing up-to-date employment practices and working conditions. ... No discrimination among its members is permitted on the basis of sex or social, ethnic or religious origin. The ETH Zurich wants to increase the proportion of women in all fields of research, teaching and administration."
Leitbild der ETH Zürich 1996
``The University of Maryland, College Park, affirms its commitments to a policy of eliminating discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, or on the basis of the exercise of rights secured by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."
University of Maryland Human Relations Code