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“Women in universities face increasingly precarious career paths due to lack of job security, the impact of managerialism and heavy workloads” (Burkinshaw & White, 2017, p.3).

Upon completion of a Masters of Education in Student Development and Leadership in Higher Education, I hope to be employed as a full-time online transfer coordinator at my current community college.  I am currently an online advisor as well as transfer lead for my campus and I hope to transition into coordinator post-degree. There has yet to be an online coordinator position at my institution due to the belief that coordinators must be located on campus. However, it is hard to not wonder whether or not gender is creating a barrier.

Due to the low percentage of women in leadership roles in higher education, it is important for all higher education personnel to understand the reasons behind it and what future steps can be taken to diminish the gap.

Burkinshaw, P., & White, K. (2017). Fixing the women or fixing universities: Women in HE leadership. Administrative Sciences (2076-3387), 7(3), 1–14. https://doi-org.easydb.angelo.edu/10.3390/admsci7030030

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Rachelle Alvarez is a transfer coordinator at Tarrant County College for the NW Campus. Since there are six campuses within the district, she works alongside the coordinators, and leads, of five other locations. Although her work is independent, the school emphasizes the importance of “one college.”

When Rachelle began working at TCC, she was an assistant to one of the female leaders within TCC. She was a great role model. Despite the national averages, TCC has, in her opinion, been very open to women leadership.  TCC sets a great example of the leadership that many institutions should acknowledge.  However, Rachelle knows that her current coordinator position is not her end goal. In case Rachelle ends up leaving her current institution, it is important for women leadership to be acknowledged and appreciated.

To get to the leadership position that Rachelle would like to be, she needs to have a doctorate degree. However, the financial burden of not only a master’s degree, but a doctorate degree as well, does not tend to level up with higher education salaries.  Most people enter higher education for the love of it, not the pay. Women, such as Rachelle, who have small children at home, sometimes wonder if the pay is worth the years missed at home.

Rachelle believes that for women to excel in leadership, they must:
·       Be present

·       Be heard

·       Respect others, including their professional opinion

(R. Alvarez, personal communication, July 10, 2019)

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The American Council on Education, also known as ACE, has begun a "Moving the Needle Initiative" (Moving, n.d.).  ACE plans to increase the number of woman in middle to high levels of leadership within higher education. They are interested in convincing policy boards to create recruiting policies that will enhance the likelihood of women getting higher level positions.

Moving the needle: Advancing women in higher education leadership. (n.d.). American Council on Education. Retrieved from https://www.acenet.edu/leadership/programs/Pages/Moving-the-Needle.aspx

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The University of South Carolina recently released the four finalists left in the running for president.  They were all four males. Out of the previous 12 semifinalists, there was only one female who withdrew, for no specific reason. This created an uproar across the campus and multiple student organizations and over a hundred faculty members signed a petition demanding more diverse platform.  They also stated in the petition that they are now wanting to include term limits to assist in the diversity issue.

Anderson, J. (2019).  It’s time for term limits. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2019/07/18/college-boards-trustees-should-be-more-generationally-diverse-and-have-term-limits

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Women are now holding leadership positions, even as high as president, across the nation: Cornell, Brown, and Princeton University included. The percentage for women presidents has climbed from 19 percent in 1998 up to 30 percent in 2016. However, there have been studies to show that within the 30 percent, most are schools with limited resources and acknowledgement. Nugent (2019) believes the reasons in which female leadership in higher education is lacking includes the following:

·       lack of confidence about financial management

·       apprehension about the role in regards to the need for constant attention

·       reluctance to the constant observation and possible criticism

·       timidity about having the final say, as well as ultimate responsibility

Nugent, S. (2019). Advancing to the presidency. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/06/19/guidance-former-president-women-considering-top-job-opinion

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Fair Labor Standards Act set 40 as the maximum amount of hours that a person could work without getting paid over time. This act also set a minimum wage. This increased women's opportunity for equal pay (29 USC § 206a1).

Source of Law: Statutory Law

Retrieved from http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title29-section206&num=0&edition=prelim

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Civil Right Act of 1964 states that an employer cannot deny hire of fire a qualified applicant based on any sort of discrimination, including gender (42 USC § 2000e-2). This gave women the opportunity to apply, and be hired, for leadership roles within higher education.

Source of Law: Statutory Law

Retrieved from http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42 section:2000e edition:prelim) OR (granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section2000e)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

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Philips v. Martin Marietta is a case in which the court decides an employer violates Title VII when they refuse employment to women with young children (Phillips v. Martin Marietta, 400 U.S. 542). This gave women the opportunity to seek leadership positions while also having a family.

Source of Law: Judicial

Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/other/timeline-major-supreme-court-decisions-womens-rights

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Family and Medical Leave Act gives women the right to regain their same position once returning from a medical leave, such as birth of a child (5 USC § 6384). This verified that women would not lose their position, as well as leadership role, after taking time off for maternity leave. This also gave women the right to balance family life and work life without the worry of digression.

Source of Law: Statutory Law

Retrieved from http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:5 section:6384 edition:prelim) OR (granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section6384)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=trueonce

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In Tarrant County College's Strategic Plan for Equity and Inclusion, Strategy 4.4 states that "in collaboration with Human Resources, (TCC will) ensure that all Hiring Committees incorporate questions related to the College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of standard interviewing procedures.

Tarrant County College found it necessary to create a specific plan for their hiring committees so that diversity will thrive and be acknowledged during the hiring process.  This includes the idea that women will have just as much opportunity for leadership positions as males with the college.

Tarrant County College. (2019). Strategic Plan for Equity and Inclusion: Strengthening the Infrastructure, Part 4 § 4. Retrieved from https://www.tccd.edu/services/student-life/rights-and-responsibilities/sexual-misconduct-protocol/08-sexual-assault/

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ACPA 1.2 Contribute to the development of the profession (e.g., recruiting students to the profession, serving professional organizations, advocating the use of ethical thinking through educational and professional development activities, improving professional practices, and conducting and reporting research).

ACPA. (2019). Ethical Principles and Standards, Student Learning and Development, Part 1 § 2. Retrieved from http://www.myacpa.org/sites/default/files/Ethical_Principles_Standards.pdf

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Women leadership within higher education consistently remains a problem. However, Burkinshaw and White (2017) believe that we need to stop focusing on how to change women and their dispositions, and begin focusing on institutions specifically. The atmosphere of colleges and universities are creating anxiety and reluctance in women pursuing higher levels of leadership.  For many years emphasis has been put on personalities and abilities of women, but since there has been limited change in women leadership, institutions need to be examined directly.

Burkinshaw, P., & White, K. (2017). Fixing the Women or Fixing Universities: Women in HE Leadership. Administrative Sciences (2076-3387), 7(3), 30. https://doi-org.easydb.angelo.edu/10.3390/admsci7030030

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In order to enhance women leadership opportunities within higher education, it is important to acknowledge these highly effective practices within both institutions and women:

Institutions

·       Master’s and doctoral programs include coursework on diverse leadership

·       Hiring processes include opportunity for diversity within questions

·       Increase equity training to decrease apprehension

Women:

·       Be Present

·       Be Heard

·       Understand personal strengths

·       Motivate others

·       Find your purpose