Three former UA deans settle lawsuit over unequal pay

Three former deans at University of Arizona have settled with the Arizona Board of Regents after filing a federal lawsuit claiming they were underpaid by tens of thousands of dollars compared to male colleagues.

“Plaintiffs brought this action to highlight the importance of gender equity and diverse leadership in higher education, and both parties agree and reaffirm the continuing importance of these issues,” a joint statement between the three women and the Board of Regents, released Wednesday, stated.

“The parties are pleased that this matter has been mutually resolved.”

The Arizona Republic has requested a copy of the settlement from both the university and the Regents, but they have yet to provide it. The Board of Regents oversees the Arizona’s public universities and is the defendant when those schools are sued.

Patricia MacCorquodale, former dean of UA’s Honors College, sued the university in 2018, alleging she was underpaid for two decades. The suit stated that when she was replaced as dean in 2016, the man who took her place made nearly $70,000 more.

Two others later joined that suit: Janice Cervelli, the former dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture and Joan Shaver, former dean of the School of Nursing.

Shaver said she was satisfied with how the case was resolved but declined further comment Wednesday. MacCorquodale and Cervelli could not be reached. Shaver joined the lawsuit in August 2018 after stepping down from her position as dean.

MacCorquodale and Shaver are still professors at UA. Cervelli left the university in 2016.