In Their Own Words and by the Numbers: A Mixed-Methods Study of Latina Community College Presidents

Abstract

In 2006, only 26 Latina CEOs served in associate degree colleges, primarily at Hispanic-serving institutions. In spite of the gains made by women in higher education, equity in the representation of Latinas in higher education at the highest administrative ranks has not been achieved. The primary purpose of this research was to learn from Latina community college presidents about their experiences on the pathway to the presidency. This mixed methods study examined the career paths and early influences, as well as external forces that converged to support their ascent to being presidents and chancellors. The conditions and experiences examined were (a) influences that Latina community college presidents identified as having the most impact on personal career success, (b) strategies Latinas have employed to overcome barriers or challenges on the pathway to the presidency, and (c) the organizational climate and practices within community colleges that either hinder or support Latinas. The convergence of these conditions was analyzed to determine effective strategies to support Latinas in achieving leadership roles.The following themes emerged from the findings: personal context, professional preparation, professional context, and challenges and the leadership pipeline. The findings suggest that trustees played a critical role in promoting diversity. Moreover, although systemic barriers exist, the Latina presidents in this study refused to allow bias to prevent them from succeeding. Recommendations for further studies and implications for developing Latinas to gain access to the leadership pipeline were discussed in the findings.

Pursuing leadership positions in higher education : a phenomenological exploration of female administrators' experiences with gender inequality

“…This occurs because of homosocial reproduction, a process where dominant group members, especially leaders, tend to recruit new members that are like themselves (Bagilhole & White, 2008;Ballenger, 2010;Eagly & Carli, 2007;Gander, 2010;Glazer-Raymo, 1999;Hunt et al, 2009;Kjeldal et al, 2005;Muñoz, 2010). Homosocial reproduction not only influences who is hired into an organization but also who is promoted.…”

“…Networks are a source of information about opportunities for advancement (Lepkowski, 2009; U.S. Department of Labor, 1991), provide access to mentors (T. M. Brown, 2005), and are a way to connect with organizational power structures (Hunt et al, 2009). Often described in the literature on gender inequality as the good ol' boys club (Bagilhole & White, 2008;Ballenger, 2010;Berry & Franks, 2010;Eddy, 2008;Gerdes, 2006;Lafreniere & Longman, 2008;Muñoz, 2010), networks in higher education often exclude women because, in part, men are prone to be more friendly with other men (Bagilhole & White, 2008;Ballenger, 2010;Bird, 2011;Dominici et al, 2009;Kjeldal et al, 2005;White et al, 2010). Male dominated networks are problematic when business decisions are made during activities such as playing golf or watching football where there is no female representation (Ballenger, 2010).…”

“…(Eagly & Carli, 2007, p. 139) Institutions of higher education were created, in some cases centuries ago, by men to serve men. They are proud of their histories and traditions (Easterly & Ricard, 2011;Eddy, 2008;LeSavoy & Bergeroni, 2011;Madden, 2011;Muñoz, 2010). While these organizations have evolved, male oriented practices and ideals remain (Ballenger, 2010;Bird, 2011;Bornstein, 2008;Easterly & Ricard, 2011;Eddy, 2008;Eddy & Cox, 2008;Glazer-Raymo, 1999;Ozkanli et al, 2009;Vaccaro, 2011;White et al, 2010) including a hierarchical division of labor (Ballenger, 2010;Bird, 2011;Eddy & Cox, 2008;Glazer-Raymo, 1999; S. J.…”

“…"Often, the behaviors themselves are small, and individually might even be termed 'trivial' or minor annoyances, but when they happen again and again, they can have a major cumulative impact." (Sandler & Hall, 1986, p. 3) Culture is resistant to change (Kjeldal et al, 2005;Muñoz, 2010;Williams, 2014) especially the aspects related to gender. "Male dominance has been treated as too obvious to discuss, leading to failure to thoroughly analyze how deeply embedded gender constructs are in organizations."…”

“…(Madden, 2011, p. 66) Masculinized organizational cultures persist because of "disjunctures between formal expectations and informal practices" (Bird, 2011, p. 207). Formal policies supporting diversity such as affirmative action, no matter how well written, are most often implemented at the departmental level where informal norms can undermine their success (Bagilhole & White, 2008;Bird, 2011;Kjeldal et al, 2005;Muñoz, 2010;Timmers et al, 2010).…”