After its successful inception last spring, Towson University’s Equal Pay Symposium is set to return on Sat., April 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second floor of the Science Complex. It is hosted in collaboration by the Career Center, the Center for Student Diversity (CSD), the College of Business & Economics (CBE) and the Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity (OIIE). The event is open to everyone.

TU’s Equal Pay Symposium commemorates Equal Pay Day, bringing together leaders across campus and the state of Maryland to discuss wage disparity and how the wage gap affects women and other marginalized groups. On April 11, 1996, the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) introduced National Pay Inequity Awareness Day as a public awareness event to illustrate the wage gap existing between men and women. In 1998, it was renamed Equal Pay Day and, while still not recognized as an official holiday, is widely observed every year to represent the day when a woman's earnings finally catch up to a man's earnings from the previous year.

 “When the Equal Pay Act of 1963 passed, women earned 59 cents to every dollar a man made. Today, over 60 years later, that gap has only closed by about 25 cents, and the gap widens when considering other intersections of identity, like ability or ethnicity,” says Jonas Scheckler, assistant director of financial well-being at TU. “This is why pay equity is important. It impacts everyone in the job market. We want students to be aware of pay inequities, know how to advocate for themselves and ultimately take action to close those gaps.”

The event will begin with this year’s keynote speaker, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, who has publicly focused on economic fairness, small business support and transparency in government. As the state’s chief fiscal officer and the first woman elected to the role of Maryland comptroller, Lierman brings a powerful economic lens to the conversation on income inequality.

For the remainder of the day, multiple community leaders will share their perspectives and connections to the topic, with featured speakers to be announced. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with student organizations, small and local businesses and other guests during the breakfast and lunch provided.

The Equal Pay Symposium is an incredible opportunity for students, staff, faculty and members of the community to learn more about Equal Pay Day, connect with local leaders and leave empowered with the tools to navigate today’s labor force and economy when it comes to wage disparity.

Everyone can register for the event free of charge on Salesforce.