The Road Less Traveled: Career Trajectories of Six Women Presidents in Higher Education

Woollen, Susan

doi:10.21423/awlj-v36.a15

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The literature underscores the absence of women in higher-level administrative roles in academia (ACE, 2017). Among those in administrative roles, many women report being coaxed, persuaded, or sponsored towards their positions often resulting in non-traditional trajectories (Woollen, 2016). While these women's intentions may not have been set on administration, they ultimately served, often in short-term, temporary roles that led to lengthier administrative work.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The answer may be related to several factors, which fuel the gender gap in the top roles. They include: pay inequity, differiential standards, nontraditional pathways, and inadequate support (Fitzgerald, 2014;Gibson, 2021;Woollen, 2016).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Women tend to make decisions either to forgo children or delay advancement to administrative roles until children become independent young adults (Ahmed, 2017). Woollen (2016) interviewed 6 women presidents who experienced nontraditional journeys to their positions. The results of her research echoed those of Fitzgerald (2014), who found that women's advancement is often delayed, disrupted or due to their competing demands, lack of quality mentoring, and training.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most women transitioned through each of the sequential administrative roles-chair, dean, provost, and president-or they were on track with a plan to progress in this order. They all described to a similar ideology premised on a 'normative career path' that is considered critical in developing a trajectory towards the presidency (Woollen, 2016). A few women noted that they believed it was essential to stay the course and spend time in each position in order to learn the ropes.…”

Section: Normative Career Pathmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Career Trajectories of Women Faculty Who Became Academic Administrators

Vancour

2023

AWLJ

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Women faculty often view academic leadership as incompatible with their work-life balance, detracting from research and teaching commitments, resulting in a loss of autonomy and an abandonment of discipline, promoting change in their relationships with colleagues, and placing an increased emphasis on budgeting, regulations and compliance (DeZure et al., 2014). Many researchers suggest that institutional culture works against leadership development for faculty, making the transition from faculty to administrator unlikely (Barden & Curry, 2013). It is increasingly important to identify the key factors that make the difference for women faculty to assume these roles. As such, in this study qualitative methods were employed to examine the experiences and career trajectories of 16 academic women who held tenured, fully promoted faculty positions prior to becoming administrators. The researcher found evidence to support future recruitment and retention in higher education leadership.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Normative Career Pathmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Career Trajectories of Women Faculty Who Became Academic Administrators

Vancour

2023

AWLJ

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“…Diehl (2014) echoed that the glass ceiling for top leadership positions is evident across a spectrum of occupations, fields, and organizations (Diehl, 2014). Men dominate presidencies in all types of institutions (Woollen, 2016). According to ACE (2017b), women only hold 30% of presidencies across all institutions of higher education, while men hold 70%.…”

Section: Low Numbers Barriers and The Glass Ceiling Effect For Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

An exploration into the best practices that support the underrepresentation of Asian American female leaders in higher education: an action research study

Le-Chan

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Asian American women are underrepresented in college leadership positions, which signals the absence of Asian American women's voices and perspectives in decision making about institutional policies, procedures, and practices for the Asian student body. In addition, the lack of Asian representation, such as role models, mentors, and a diverse pool of decisionmakers, negatively affects the entire educational community because the Asian student population is growing. This action research study sought to explore and improve Asian American women's ability to access leadership opportunities and provide support to Asian American women at a network of public colleges in the Northeast. Participants in Cycle 1 were female Asian American faculty and manager professionals at a network of public colleges.Participants shared their experiences and offered perspectives about the barriers and challenges Asian American women face when accessing leadership positions. Cycle 1 also outlines action steps based on its findings. The action steps were created, designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2. I created activities and opportunities for Asian American women to learn new skills, network with others, receive mentorship, gain knowledge, and create collaborative learning and information-sharing spaces. The first finding is that the women's professional conference and the community of practice (COP) helped increase confidence, personal growth, self-reflection, and a sense of belonging. Offering Asian American women a safe place, such as the COP group, where participants can connect with other Asian American women is essential to their professional development and career advancement. The second finding is that participants felt professional development is essential for improving their skills and providing them with the necessary knowledge to advance in their careers. There is a need for more organized, formal COP support groups and culturally inclusive professional development programs. Lastly, the study found that sharing stories allowed participants to reflect on their perspectives and experiences and learn from others with similar experiences. Sharing adds new information and knowledge. Implications for the organization include sustained engagement among Asian American women, ongoing supportive 6 community of practice groups, implementing culturally inclusive professional development programs and events, and advancing the pipeline initiatives for moving Asian American leaders into leadership roles across a network of public colleges in the Northeast.

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