Graduate Education Experience and Career Paths of Women Faculty in Higher Education Administration

Abstract

Although there has been a concerted effort on the part of colleges and universities to increase women's representation as faculty in higher education, equal representation in all disciplines has not been realized. The purpose of this research is to increase our understanding of the graduate student experience of current women faculty, specifically, their experience as it relates to becoming a faculty member. The investigation of an exemplary case, Higher Education Administration, lends support to the graduate student literature that emphasizes faculty-student interaction as a primary factor in persistence and retention. This interaction is particularly important for Higher Education Administration students as many are enrolled in programs that do not have institutionalized support for future faculty. While most participants in this investigation did not follow the traditional academic career path that began as an undergraduate, they did display commonalities within the group. What characterized all of the participants was the ability to create their own path to the professoriate. Given the academy's inequitable proportion of women in tenure-track ranks, especially noted in a number of program areas such as science and engineering, the example of Higher Education programs may have salience for institutions that purport to make the academy more equitable.