Privilege and Oppression: Exploring the Paradoxical Identity of White Women Administrators in Higher Education

Race is a prominent issue in higher education, which has intensified demands upon postsecondary leadership to acknowledge and respond to increasing racial tensions within campus communities. Many administrators, who are mostly White, are left perplexed regarding how to address such demands. Having leaders who understand bias can potentially support institutional responses to racial tensions. As such, this study focused on the second largest share of college administrators, White women – an identity rooted in both privilege and oppression. White women may better understand the conditions of oppression given their gendered status, yet may also be unaware of the extent of their privilege or its effects on their leadership decisions. Their unique positioning calls for a deeper exploration of the role identity plays in leadership, especially in times of racial discord. Utilizing Putnam’s bridging capital and bonding capital framework, findings highlight where their privilege and oppression emerge in study participants’ leadership, leading to recommendations for future research and practice.

Emotional Competence of Women Administrators

Leadership is a social mechanism where action toward a common goal is affected by any person or community. The organization is in trouble without effective leadership, it has been said. Any educational institution’s success hinges greatly on how competent the leaders are. The research’s main objective is to assess the emotional competencies of women school administrators at public and private schools in Siquijor, Central Visayas, Philippines. The study focuses on the five (5) dimensions of emotional competence which are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. The study was conducted to fifty-seven (57) school heads or administrators during School Year 2016–2017. The study revealed that the women administrators are all experienced and possess a high degree of emotional competence relative to their performance as leaders and administrators.

The Emergence, Experiences, and Empowerment of Women Administrators, Coaches, and Athletes

The objective of this chapter is to provide a more thorough understanding of the current United States intercollegiate athletics model that includes competitive sport opportunities within its system of higher education, the history and emergence of women in sport within higher education, the experiences of women leaders within intercollegiate sport, and future women sport participant and leader empowerment initiatives within higher education. While women were provided opportunities to compete in sport competitively within higher education at a much later date than their men counterparts, the significant impact of athletic participation for women and girls at this level has been established within the previous research. Most notably, women and girls with past sport participation experience at the college level have been found to represent a high proportion of women in leadership roles across a variety of industry segments. These insights provide significant evidence of the importance of equitable access to sport participation within the higher education model.

Identity politics: Why African American women are missing in administrative leadership in public higher education

There is an exiguous representation of African American women in leadership positions at institutions of higher education. This study examines the experiences related to the retention of Black women administrators at Predominantly White Institutions through a qualitative phenomenological lens. This study explored the experiences of five African American women administrators at public institutions across the USA. The participants highlighted the impact of Black Tax, the presentation of their authentic selves, and the impact of microaggressions on their retention as administrators.

The Emergence, Experiences, and Empowerment of Women Administrators, Coaches, and Athletes

The objective of this chapter is to provide a more thorough understanding of the current United States intercollegiate athletics model that includes competitive sport opportunities within its system of higher education, the history and emergence of women in sport within higher education, the experiences of women leaders within intercollegiate sport, and future women sport participant and leader empowerment initiatives within higher education. While women were provided opportunities to compete in sport competitively within higher education at a much later date than their men counterparts, the significant impact of athletic participation for women and girls at this level has been established within the previous research. Most notably, women and girls with past sport participation experience at the college level have been found to represent a high proportion of women in leadership roles across a variety of industry segments. These insights provide significant evidence of the importance of equitable access to sport participation within the higher education model.

African American Women Superintendents in Texas

School superintendents who are African American women are understudied. In this study, researchers explored the lived experiences of African American women superintendents in the state of Texas. The purpose of the study was to identify the challenges, supports, and personal background characteristics that participants believed influenced their ascension to superintendent positions. A phenomenological research approach was used, and data were collected through individual interviews with superintendent participants. Data were analyzed and interpret- ed using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological reduction approach. Three major themes emerged in the results: (a) desire to impact others at various levels, (b) sources of personal strength, and (c) external support systems. Subthemes were identified and described for each larger theme. Findings suggest a need to expose aspiring African American women administrators to the challenges and rewards of superintendent positions and increase mentorship opportunities and quality preparation programs.