Women in Higher Education Administration Leadership and the Role of Institutional Support

Author(s):  
Sheila Thomas

Studies show women are underrepresented in higher education leadership. Nonetheless, women leaders achieve success when they receive strong institutional support. Mentors and coaches, both men and women, have the most impact on women's success, while other institutional aids include financial assistance, leadership support, and open institutional culture. Women who advance in their careers tend to remain at their institution. At the same time, lack of institutional support, family and work conflicts, and limited career advancement opportunities continue to pose barriers as women seek positions in the upper echelons of academic administration. Thus, there is a need for strong, consistent institutional support to improve and accelerate women's progress. Institutions that implement change in an inclusive, adaptable, and flexible manner can build a supportive infrastructure that benefits everyone. Women who prepare academically and professionally and contribute to the scholarly literature will help shape the future of higher education.

Author(s):  
Sheila Thomas

Studies show women are underrepresented in higher education leadership. Nonetheless, women leaders achieve success when they receive strong institutional support. Mentors and coaches, both men and women, have the most impact on women's success, while other institutional aids include financial assistance, leadership support, and open institutional culture. Women who advance in their careers tend to remain at their institution. At the same time, lack of institutional support, family and work conflicts, and limited career advancement opportunities continue to pose barriers as women seek positions in the upper echelons of academic administration. Thus, there is a need for strong, consistent institutional support to improve and accelerate women's progress. Institutions that implement change in an inclusive, adaptable, and flexible manner can build a supportive infrastructure that benefits everyone. Women who prepare academically and professionally and contribute to the scholarly literature will help shape the future of higher education.


2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy M. Lara ◽  
Aaron W. Hughey

Many companies have implemented the team approach as a way to empower their employees in an effort to enhance productivity, quality and overall profitability. While application of the concept to higher education administration has been limited, colleges and universities could benefit from the team approach if implemented appropriately and conscientiously. The authors discuss some of the issues and concerns that are relevant to implementing the team approach in an academic environment. Suggestions for implementing teams in higher education are provided, including the difference between the team approach and traditional administration, the importance of a preliminary needs assessment, the development of an implementation plan, the critical role of leadership, dealing with issues of assessment and accountability, and the concept of team efficacy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Suzan Ustun ◽  
Ali Ilker Gümüseli

Women at Turkish Universities do not have the same level of representation as rectors as they have academics at the higher education. It is vital to have women, as one of the genders which comprises the community, at the higher education management as rectors to ensure the gender equality in Turkey. As well as the traditional roles assigned to women in Turkey, the lack of legal arrangements and challenges based on gender discrimination faced by women might be the cause of the women’s low representation in the higher education management. This study aims to explicate the experience of being a woman rector through qualitative data gathered from four rectors working at state and foundation universities in Turkey. The low representation of women in higher education management has been identified as a universal problem. It is obvious that woman academics in Turkish universities have low representation at the universities’ top management. Following two themes were identified: Perspectives of Women Rectors Regarding Their Roles and Challenges Faced. These themes were revealed through the voices of women rectors in Turkey. Therefore, this study is expected to bring unique insights both for university administrators and policy makers in terms of raising an awareness for the role of women leaders.


Author(s):  
Leslie Zenk ◽  
Susan Harden

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 roles that are more entrenched in the IT world than in other areas of higher education.


Author(s):  
Tenisha L. Tevis ◽  
Meghan Pifer ◽  
Vicki L. Baker

In the multiple crises of 2020, a common narrative emerged about the effectiveness of women leaders in responding at the local, national, and international levels. Their behaviors suggested a reliance on adaptation. As microcosms of the social structures in which they exist, postsecondary institutions are not exempt from the task of leadership through crises; however, little is known about women leaders in higher education administration in times of crisis. Though having the ability to adapt has shown to be paramount for organizational success and thriving, it is virtually unknown whether women higher education leaders take an adaptive approach during crises. Thus, the authors went beyond recent headlines to understand women higher education leaders in contexts riddled with crises. Findings provide illustrative evidence of the six tenets of adaptive leadership to inform practice and future research.


Author(s):  
Melodie A. Carr-Winston

This chapter explores counseling research emphasizing depression, anxiety, and behavioral changes due to microaggressions. Other consequences discussed include academic stress and a lack of career advancement resulting from feelings of isolation, sense of belonging, low self-esteem, lower grades (students), and fewer opportunities for career advancement (faculty). Additional investigations include the role of exclusionary institutional policies and practices on minority faculty and student experiences. Additional discussions include same-race mentoring along with how microaggressions and the resulting consequences influence the culture of higher education institutions. In conclusion, best practices and practical applications recommend how to approach equity and inclusion in higher education.


Author(s):  
John A. Henschke

This chapter begins with developing meaning of the word “ethics,” mainly related to rectitude, integrity, good, rely, trust, and congruent. Andragogy, defined as the art and science of helping facilitate the learning of adult individuals and organizations, is characterized as having six assumptions and eight elements, with five organizational dimensions. Peale suggests a trustworthy personal guidance censor system; Billington identifies seven characteristics of highly effective adult learning programs; McLagan asserts that time is needed to develop a system of ethical conduct; Bennis and Nanus provide a possible model of successful visionary leadership as that operates in organizations growing and flourishing economically in a “down economy.” The role of a university includes the lifelong learning needs of a total population being addressed. This chapter includes discussion of the development of the modified instructional perspectives inventory in its use in various organizations, assessing Henschke's scholarship and practice congruence, and listing its use in 30 doctoral dissertations. It concludes a story of how ethical administration conduct affected transformation of a brutal prison system into a humane one.


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