Women might be reaching for the corporate ladder, but few are able to climb to the top because women face so many obstacles, an NIU official said.

NIU Assistant Director of University Resources for Women Judy Skorek said there are still not as many women as men in high power positions, but jobs outside of campus are different compared to the jobs at NIU. The jobs are so diverse at NIU, it is difficult to say if there is less discrimination here, she said.

According to a study compiled by a University of Southern California researcher, only 2.6 percent of the top jobs at Fortune 500 companies were held by women.

Barbara Henley, vice president of student affairs, said she thought the situation for women is looking brighter. Henley’s prediction is in contrast to Eleanor Smeal of the feminist majority. Smeal said it will take 450 years for executive women to reach equality with men.

One of the goals of student affairs is to promote women and minorities or the “protected class,” Henley added.

Depending on the environment, women may out number men just because of a higher population of females, Skorek said.

Skorek said that women at NIU may face just as much harassment as women across the country. It may be as blatant as sexual harassment or less serious, such as asking women whether or not they are married and plan to start a family on their job applications.

Skorek and Henley disagreed on why there is a low number of executive women in higher ranks. Henley said it was a combination of discrimination and the old boys’ network. Skorek said the old boys’ network is fading, only to be replaced by the new boys’ network.