ABSTRACT
But this is not the only possible interpretation. A little research might reveal that the math building is one of the oldest on campus-built in the late 1800s when the original campus was constructed. At the time, there were no women faculty members. The only women who worked in the math department were secretaries, and they worked in the basement. So including a women’s restroom there-and only there-was logical and sensible. The local and historical context surrounding the cue provides a different perspective-one of practicality and pragmatism that does not require an attribution of prejudice or animus against women. Today, the department would be well advised to accommodate the changing needs of faculty and staff. But the existence of this identitythreatening cue may not necessarily signal prejudice on the part of people currently working in the math department.
