President Jo Ann Gora hardly addressed it when she spoke to the press a few weeks ago.
Acting President Beverly Pitts would rather not discuss it.
But when Ball State announced that it was hiring its new president, University Communications even pointed it out in the second paragraph of its press release.
"Gora, currently chancellor of University of Massachusetts at Boston, is the first woman appointed to serve as president of a major public university in Indiana," the press release stated.
And with Pitts having been named provost two years ago, a job she will be returning to when Gora takes charge, it seems clear that women are not having any trouble climbing the administrative ladder at Ball State. Gora's hiring is simply symbolic of that. The only trouble Gora and Pitts are really having is with the people who keep wanting to talk about it.
"Any time there's a story about a woman in leadership, it sounds as if that's out of the ordinary," Pitts said.
Alice Eagly, a social psychology professor at Northwestern University who studies women in leadership positions, said education is a realm where women are doing exceptionally well. Pitts pointed out that 30 percent of the nation's university and college presidencies are occupied by women.
"They do have more of a level playing field," Eagly said.
Overall, Eagly said the equality that women have been seeking for decades has yet to be achieved.
"I don't think we're there for corporate executives," Eagly said. "You'll find it rare that anyone's arguing equality has been achieved."
However, Eagly said she can understand why Gora or Pitts would hesitate to discuss the issue.
"I don't think that they would ordinarily want too much focus on their gender because they don't want to be chosen because of their gender," Eagly said. "They just want to perform their role."
Gora said as much at the press conference where her presidency was announced.
"Hopefully that [her gender] is not what will be the most important part about me," Gora said.
Kim Jones-Owen, director of the Women's Studies Program, said the significance of the two female administrators could vary. Gora and Pitts could provide important role models for female students, faculty, staff and other female professionals, she said. However, Pitts said she intends to be more than just a good role model to young women.
"I want to be a good mentor to young men and young women," Pitts said.
But Gora and Pitts might hope that another of Jones-Owen's points will hold true.
"We are still unaccustomed to seeing women in significant or powerful appointments," Jones-Owen said. "Perhaps the real significance will be a change in our perspective"
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