Women will be outnumbered three to one on the University of Otago's council in 2016.
The ratio was confirmed on Monday, after the university named the final four appointees to the 12-member council.
The final appointees are pro-chancellor Stuart McLauchlan, who has served previously in the role, Frazer Barton, Martin Dippie and Mark Fitz-Gerald.
The council's only women are vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne, student president Laura Harris, and ministerial appointee Donna Matahaere-Atariki.
Tertiary Education Union women's vice-president Dr Cat Pause said the gender imbalance would reproduce a sector-wide problem.
The problem was exacerbated by recent changes to the 1989 Education Act, which limited university and wananga councils to 12 members and removed a requirement for at least three of those members to be student and staff-elected representatives, she said.
In previous years, women had made up about one-third of the university council.
"The TEU was really concerned when these changes were proposed,'' she said.
"We ... spoke out ... to say these changes are going to hurt the marginal groups in our culture - Maori, non-traditional students, women - because it's less likely they're going to be represented.''
Dr Pause said some of the blame lay with Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce, who appointed four Otago council members in October, three of whom were men. Mr Joyce's appointments at other tertiary education institutions had been similarly male-heavy, she said.
"It just reinforced the concern that [Mr Joyce is] not paying attention to the fact that we've got really solid research that says ... more diverse councils make better decisions.''
Dr Pause did not think the underrepresentation was malicious.
"Whether it's about appointing people to positions of power, or the people you hang out with and get a beer with after work, most people interact with people very similar to them,'' she said.
"That is how much structural racism keeps happening. White men appoint other white men.''
In response to a request for comment, chancellor John Ward said "the four appointees were considered by council as providing the best mix of skills and experience for the newly constituted council''.
"The council is conscious that diversity is both desirable and important and is working to diversify membership over the next few years, as vacancies arise.''
