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Social Role And Role Congruity Influences On Perceived Value Of Women’S Leadership At Southwestern Research Universities, Stephanie J. Jones, Patricia Ryan Pal

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

This qualitative survey study, framed by social role and role congruity theories, explored the perceptions and experiences of 33 women faculty and academic administrators at doctoral-granting highest research-intensive universities located in the Southwestern region of the U.S. The purpose of the study was to expand on our understanding of how social role and role congruity theories can explain and further our understanding of how women are perceived to be valued as leaders in the higher education space, and how society supports this continued valuation. For purposes of this study, social value is explored through the operational processes of higher education …

The Life Of Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Biography Of An Educator, Mallory Wallace

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Now in her eighties, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has lived a remarkable life. Justice Ginsburg has had an enormous impact on the way United States law respects gender equality, transformed the U.S. Constitution, and lead broad social transformation in America (Dodson, 2015). And while all of this is so, before she completed any of this, Justice Ginsburg was known as Professor Ginsburg, spending seventeen years teaching law at two highly respected institutions of higher education. During this time, she created and taught revolutionary courses on Women and the Law, co-write the first-ever published casebook on sex-based discrimination, …

“Oh, I’M A Damsel In Distress”: Women Higher Education Leaders’ Narratives, Jill Channing

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

This study focused on women higher education administrators’ experiences related to intersections of gender and work lives, using a narrative analysis research methodology. Women administrators shared stories of the influence of gender on their work lives. Participants “violated” gender norms by pursuing traditionally male-dominated careers, and some shared experiences of sex discrimination and/or witnessed phenomena such as the glass ceiling, sexual harassment, and various double binds related to gender stereotypes. Participants’ stories challenge the literature’s focus on barriers and gender-related challenges for women higher education administrators. Social constructions of gender, contexts, individual personalities, critical life events, among other factors inform …

Leadership Journeys: Reflections On Experiences And Challenges From Women In Academic Leadership, Sarah L. Smiley, Andrea G. Zakrajsek, Kathryn L. Fletcher

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Although the number of women holding administrative positions in higher education has risen over the past two decades, the gender gap in academic leadership in higher education institutions persists. Barriers exist to prevent women from entering these positions, including those related to workplace culture and personal considerations. This qualitative exploratory study interviewed 38 women leaders in positions ranging from Assistant Dean to President at universities in a mid-west athletic conference. It asked the following research questions: How did they enter academic leadership? What were their experiences in leadership positions? What advice would they offer to other women considering leadership positions …

‘Let Us Roll Up Our Sleeves’: Amplifying Female Academic Leadership Through Collaboration And Mentorship, Amy Poland, Jo Anne Durovich, Rachel Schwartz

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The strengths of female leadership are illustrated through the 400 year history of the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph (CSSJ) and their commitment to their charism which focuses on unity, inclusion and relationship building. Within the colleges they established, the Sisters have demonstrated their commitment to collaboration in their many leadership positions - both formal and informal - within the academy. This article focuses on the leadership of the Sisters as demonstrable examples of female leadership within academia, and makes suggestions for carrying the charism of the CSSJ into the future, expanding their focus on inclusivity to incorporate a broad …

From Negotiator To Note-Taker: The Role Of Women Leaders And Academic Technology Cultures, Leslie Zenk, Susan Harden

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

For years, there has been a perceived inaccessibility of the field of Information Technology, centering on an organizational culture of “men and their machines” (Clark, 2012). This paper examines the role of women who lead technology initiatives in higher education and presents the experiences of these women leaders and their collision of organizational cultures as part of a comparative case study of two public institutions. Findings suggest elements of culture within the IT field that contribute to the experiences of women leaders in IT, and illuminate that leading a technology project may add a layer of gender expectations and gender …

Programmatic Foci Of Women In Academic Leadership Positions At Historically Black Colleges And Universities: Intersectionality And Institutional Mission, Nina F. Schor

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The present studies compare, between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs; n=102) and a non-HBCU cohort matched for location, religious and vocational mission, and student enrollment (comparator CUs; n=102), the programmatic foci of women in institutional leadership positions. They demonstrate that, at HBCUs, women are more prevalent in leadership roles with male-dominated foci (e.g., finance), and less prevalent in roles with female-dominated foci (e.g., public relations) than at comparator CUs (p < 0.01). A survey of academic leaders (n=1,053 invited; 111 viewed survey; 83 completed survey) at these institutions indicates that women leaders at HBCUs more frequently fill institutional programmatic gaps than their counterparts at comparator CUs (p < 0.001) or men in any academic setting (p < 0.005). Reasons may include the social purpose of HBCUs; the stereotype threat of the traditional “service” role of women and the unique intersectionality encountered by Black women faculty; and the importance of race over gender in homosociability at HBCUs. This suggests that emphasis on the socioeconomic mission and philosophy of higher education may enhance faculty recruitment diversification efforts in higher education. It also raises the question of whether seeing women in atypical leadership roles influences the career aspirations and attitudes towards women leaders of the students, both men and women, at HBCUs.

The Dynamic Of Women Leading Women In Higher Education, Jody L. Reding Phd

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

With each passing decade, women make significant strides in their educational attainment, better positioning themselves for leadership roles. Despite decades of research assessing the leadership styles of women, the established picture of women and leadership is mixed. On one hand, women are praised for possessing many of the leadership skills, behaviors and attributes associated with effective leadership. Yet, on the other hand, women tend to deny support to one another. Twenty women with various years and levels of leadership experience in higher education were interviewed to explore how they describe their experiences leading women and being led by women. Initially …

Building Pathways: Nurturing A Female Generation Of School Leaders In China, Lixia Qin, Mario Torres, Jean Madsen

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

International feminist perspectives recognize the continuing inequalities of power between men and women across all classes. In China’s male-dominant society, for example, women often have been inhibited from pursuing leadership positions. One particular reason that has been drawing increasing attention across the world is the lack of appropriate training and guidance in young women’s leadership. This paper probes in greater depth one of the most important, yet largely overlooked aspects in the educational leadership of China – women’s leadership roles in education and young women’s leadership preparation. Drawing from published data, literature, and the data collected by the authors, the …

Women In History: Virginia Roth – Innovative Educator, Barbara Shousha

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

“There has to be a better way.” In 1964, Virginia Roth, then known as Sr. Pacis principal at Ryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska, set out to devise a new system of education. Her goal, as expressed in her essay, “A Model for an Alternate High School” was to, “realize those objectives we defined as essential for education.” The “we” referred to the School Sisters of St. Francis, the religious order to which she belonged at that time. Roth described the period from 1964 to 1966 as a “two year experimentation program of brainstorming, trying new methods, committee work for …

Surrendering To Gender In Education? Complacency And The Woman Leader, Kimberly L. Clark Ed. D., Ane T. Johnson Ph. D.

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The purpose of our study was to better understand the role of gender performance for aspiring school leaders through a reflection of their journey through the administrative pipeline. The transformation of professional aspirations throughout and following the certification process and during employment was also analyzed. Also, the appealing factors of a nontraditional administrative preparation program were evaluated. Using heuristic qualitative methods, women graduates of and expedited certification for educational leadership program participated in focus groups and a select group returned for individual interviews. Coding was employed to analyze the data. Our participants entered into school leadership as a result of …

Impediments To The Advancement Of Women At Community Colleges, Teresa Yearout, Mitchell Williams, John Brenner

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

This study examined current women leaders’ perceptions of the impediments to advancement at the community college. The study was guided by research questions addressing perceptions of (a) personal or internal impediments to advancement; (b) organizational or structural impediments to advancement; and (c) organizational cultural impediments to advancement. Additionally, the current study focuses on the setting and size of the community college and how these factors affect women leaders’ perceptions of impediments to leadership advancement. Participants in the study included a nonrandom, purposive sample of senior female leaders at community college leaders at community colleges in the eleven-state region of the …

Latina School Leadership: Breaking The Mold And Rising To The Top, Velma D. Menchaca, Shirley J. Mills, Filomena Leo

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

For this qualitative research study, interviews with two Latina school leaders revealed their journeys to leadership. The theoretical framework used was Latina critical race theory, feminist theory, and counter storytelling. Identified themes were strong supportive mother, fervent faith, humble beginnings, mentors, intelligent, and challenges not obstacles. These guiding themes serve as a path for Latinas who aspire to public school leadership positions.

Self-Efficacy Of Female School Board Presidents, Vicki L. Vantuyle, Sandra G. Watkins

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Women’s representation on school boards nearly equals that of males today. As a result women are ascending to the leadership role of school board president in greater numbers. This qualitative study of female school board presidents examined the phenomenon of being a female school board president. Eight female school board presidents from Illinois participated, responding to interview questions about their role, responsibilities, and relationships with regard to the position of board president. The response data were explored using narrative analysis. The theoretical framework for analysis was based on Bandura’s Self-Efficacy theory. Responses from the interviews were interpreted vis-à-vis themes aligned …

A Review Of Women’S Leadership Conferences: Ways Public Research Institutions Support Female Students Opting-In, Tania Reis, Marilyn L. Grady

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of women’s leadership conferences at public research universities. A search of the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education revealed a list of 157 research universities. Of these institutions, 40 held a women’s leadership conference. Implications are discussed in how a women’s leadership conference supports female students opting-in.

What Have We Learned From The Departures Of Female Superintendents?, Kerry Kathleen Robinson

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The purpose of this qualitative study of 20 female former superintendents in Virginia was to answer (1) What factors cause women superintendents to move and/or leave the superintendency? and (2) How do the women construct the story of their moving or leaving? Thematic analysis of the interview narratives discerned four major themes in the stories of these women: (1) Expectations of job duties; (2) Exhaustion as Superwoman; (3) Conflict with stakeholders; and (4) Departure on their own terms and timelines. This study contributes to the research on women in the superintendency and suggests implications for research, policy, and practice.

Leadership Stories: Defining Gender In University Leadership, Tania Carlson Reis

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The leadership paths of successful women university presidents leading schools listed in the 2010 Carnegie Classification as being Research Universities, Very High Research are identified and described in the following manuscript. Two research questions guided the study: What is the path to the presidency? How do women university presidents recognize and negotiate barriers? Four female presidents were interviewed. The interviews were conducted at the president’s institution. Interviews were hand coded for themes related to the research questions. Findings indicated that women university presidents experience an uneven path to leadership that mirrors the labyrinth described by Eagly and Carli (2007). Participants …

Journal Of Women In Educational Leadership, October 2010, Volume 8, Number 4 -- Editorial Matter

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Masthead

Table of Contents

EDITORIAL POLICY

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS

Voices Of Women In The Field--Obtaining A Higher Education Faculty Position: The Critical Role Mentoring Plays For Females, Vicki Van Tuyle, Sandra Watkins

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Mentoring female doctoral candidates to obtain access to positions in higher education has not been widely researched. Women often aspire to the professorship only to find limited access to these positions. Even though a doctoral degree is a vehicle for acquiring a career in higher education, the transfom1ation from doctoral candidate to assistant professor is usually a long and winding road. While devoting hours to extensive course work, conducting research studies, and writing and rewriting dissertation drafts, it is not uncommon for graduate students to begin to imagine themselves as professors like the professors they have worked with in higher …

In Their Own Words: Latina Success In Higher Education, Brent D. Cejda

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Greater numbers of Latinas are participating in postsecondary education, however these gains have not resulted in increased graduation rates. This study examines the lived experiences of 36 Latina baccalaureate graduates to gain a deeper understanding of how they achieved this important educational goal.

During the 1990s, analyses of data stressed that Latinos had the lowest postsecondary participation rate of any racial or ethnic group (Cardoza, 1991 ; Martinez-Thome, 1995). A decade later, there is evidence that although participation rates have increased, there are continued disparities in baccalaureate outcomes between Latino and Caucasian college students (President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence …

The Barrier Within: Relational Aggression Among Women, Barbara L. Brock

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

"There has been a lot of rhetoric on women mentoring other women. However, the so-called solidarity of women does not exist. Some women are engaged in competition and sabotage."—A high school principal

Relational aggression among women is alive and well among women in educational leadership. Women who assume leadership positions are sometimes targeted for acts of sabotage perpetrated by female peers and subordinates (Brock, 2008). A review of the literature supports the notion that relational aggression among women is commonplace in other career fields as well (Barash, S. 2006; Briles, 2003; Chesler, 2001; Funke, 2000; Heim & Murphy, 2001; Mooney, …

Unpacking Evidence Of Gender Bias, Connie L. Fulmer

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender bias in pre-service principals using the Gender-Leader Implicit Association Test. Analyses of student-learn- ing narratives revealed how students made sense of gender bias (biased or not-biased) and how each reacted to evidence (surprised or not-surprised). Two implications were: (1) the need for leadership programs to help students identify and unpack gender bias, and (2) to provide new leaders with strategies to con- front and reduce gender bias in the organizations in which they will lead. A model for identifying, confronting, and reducing gender bias is presented as scaffolding to help educational …

You Gotta Be Determined To Get In There: Voices Of Women Higher Education Technology Leaders, Marilyn Drury

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Three women higher education Chief Information Officers (CIOs) provided their lived experiences and perspectives on barriers they encountered and methods used to overcome the barriers as they pursued and achieved their current positions. The conceptual framework intersects gendered organizational theory, feminist standpoint theory, and occupational jurisdiction. This research, being unique in specifically studying women CIOs in higher education, expands the knowledge base regarding women seeking or maintaining leadership positions by revealing many barriers encountered and that higher education information technology organizations contain gendered organizational elements. Actions organizations and individuals can take to foster gender-friendly cultures are suggested.

Journal Of Women In Educational Leadership, Marilyn Grady, Sharon C. Hoffman, Sarah A. Hall, Joseph L. Eckenrode, Jean Haar

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

57 Firsts- Marilyn L. Grady

59 You Gotta Be Determined to Get in There: Voices of Women Higher Education Technology Leaders- Marilyn Drury

81 Unpacking the Evidence of Gender Bias- Connie L. Fulmer

Children's Books As A Source Of Influence On Gender Role Development: Analysis Of Female Characters Using Jung's Four Archetypes, Shirley J. Mills, Anita Pankake, Janine Schall

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The purpose of the study was to answer this question: Do children when choosing a book to read for pleasure receive a stereotypical impression of the female role as opposed to the male role as defined by the literature? A qualitative study reviewed main female characters of the Children's Choice books of 2008 with Jung's archetypes (Great Good Mother, Wise Old Man, Hero, and Trickster). Content analysis was conducted using Hershey-Freeman's critique. Hero archetype was most common with Great Good Mother as second. Female characters analyzed appear to epitomize traits of a new generation of leaders "modeling the way".

Journal Of Women In Educational Leadership, Marilyn Grady, Sharon C. Hoffman, Sarah A. Hall, Joseph L. Eckenrode, Jean M. Haar

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

1 Miep Gies (1909-2010): Her Legacy Endures- Marilyn L. Grady

3 Gender Differences in Research Mentorship and Pretenured Counselor Educators-

Suzanne Campbell, Kathryn Mueller and Jane M. Souza

Gender Differences In Research Mentorship And Pretenured Conunselor Educators, Cynthia A. Briggs, Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pre-tenured counselor educators receive research mentorship. Furthermore, this study investigated whether mentorship differs for female and male faculty members. The instrument utilized was a web-based survey entitled the Research Mentor Quality Questionnaire (RMQQ). The 139 respondents (51.7% response rate) indicated most pre-tenured counselor educators do receive research mentorship. Additionally, the quality of research mentorship is not significantly different for females and males on most items. Implications for the profession of counselor education and suggestions for future study are presented.

Shared Leadership Experiences Of Women Community College Presidents, Suzanne Campbell, Kathryn Mueller, Jane M. Souza

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

According to the American Council on Education study The American College President: 2007 Edition only 23% of college presidencies were held by women as late as 2006. While the number of female executive officers has doubled since 1986, progress in achieving the presidency has been undeniably slow for women. To better understand a woman's road to the presidency, a collective case study was conducted to explore the career paths of six community college women presidents. Data collected revealed commonalities in their experiences. The results ofthe study provided key information for women seeking presiden- tial positions in community colleges.

A Decade Of Inquiry: The Status Of Female Superintendents And Secondary Principals In The High Plains, Doreen Gosmire, Marcia Morrison, Joanne Van Osdel

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

This research provides insight into the status of female administrators from a particular geographical area in rural America. Findings reveal that some progress has been made across the United States but there is more effort needed especially in the High Plains states. The numbers of females in ad- ministrative positions in the High Plains states from 1997 to 2007 were col- lected from the Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota Departments of Education. The percentages of females in the High Plains states were com- pared to national numbers for the same time period. There has been a pattern of increased …

Opinions Of Female Juvenile Delinquents On Language-Based Literacy Activities, Dixie Sanger, Mitzi Ritzman, Aliza Stremlau, Lindsey Fairchild, Cindy Brunken

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

A mixed methods study was conducted to examine female juvenile delinquents' opinions and reactions on nine language-based literacy activities. Forty-one participants ranging in age from 13 to 18 years responded to a survey consisting of nine multiple-choice items and one open-ended question concerning the use- fulness of activities. Quantitative and qualitative findings revealed the majority of participants found the activities to be very useful. From 410 comments, five key themes emerged on positive opinions about usefulness, personal examples of use, negative opinions about usefulness, metacognitive and self regulation skills, and predictions of usefulness with future students. Examples of all activi- …