This qualitative study grounded in feminist theory uses narrative inquiry to explore the stories of 26 senior women student affairs leaders. We tell the collective story we heard participants bring forward by describing plotlines that reverberated across their accounts. We call these plotlines: "Experiencing Communication through Gendered…

Women make up the overwhelming majority of student affairs practitioners; many are also mothers. Simultaneously, there is a dearth in scholarly literature that addresses the impact of motherhood on the careers of women in student affairs, particularly mothers in the senior student affairs officer (SSAO) position. This study utilized hermeneutic…

The purpose of this census-style quantitative research was to investigate what relationship existed between demographic and institutional factors and women's career advancement aspirations in student affairs in the state of Wisconsin. A Qualtrics survey that included Gregor and O'Brien's (2015) Career Aspirations Scale-Revised and Drasgow's (2001)…

Using testimonios, this study shares experiences of how structural inequalities impact self-care, wellness, mentoring, and career-related mobility of womxn of color in mid-senior-level student affairs roles at PWI's. Testimonios revealed three themes: how they engaged in self-care and wellness, challenges with self-care and wellness, and dreams of…

Asian American women who choose a career in student affairs within the field of higher education are severely underrepresented in both staff positions and top officer/administrator positions compared to White women and other women of color. As the Asian American college student population continues to rise and women make up the majority of…

Asian American women who choose a career in student affairs within the field of higher education are severely underrepresented in both staff positions and top officer/administrator positions compared to White women and other women of color. As the Asian American college student population continues to rise and women make up the majority of…

Despite the recent increase in messaging on the importance of improving diversity and inclusion efforts within higher education, Black women working in administrative roles continue to be the most misjudged, undervalued, and underrepresented group of individuals on college campuses across the country. The purpose of this interpretative…

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model for a career development program for entry-level student affairs (SA) women professionals based on the lived experiences of current mid-level SA professionals and senior-level SA professionals. As new women professionals pursue their careers in SA, they must navigate many barriers…

This qualitative case study explored the perceived barriers to leadership for female-identifying student affairs professionals at the midlevel who aspire to, but have not yet attained, a senior student affairs officer role. Women hold 71% of all student affairs positions in higher education compared to men; however, that majority shrinks to 56%…

Guided by the three-dimensional narrative inquiry framework, this study explored the career experiences of women support staff with advanced degrees who work at higher education institutions. The researcher interviewed eight participants for this study. The participants also completed a written reflection detailing their career journeys. Two…

According to the American Council on Education (2007) the growth of women in leadership positions in higher education has been slow and has not taken place consistently at different types of higher education institutions. Women in higher education leadership positions have increased, but still lag behind men in their rate of advancement to the…

This study examined career paths to becoming the Senior Student Affairs Officer for men (n = 151) and women (n = 99) at 4-year institutions. Descriptive statistics and network analysis of resume data revealed that an average of 20 years and six job changes led to the position. Most started careers in residential life or student activities,…

Since career networks offer access to upper level positions, being a part of one can offer opportunities and access to information, knowledge and referrals for career mobility. However, the duality of race and gender can create a distinctive challenge to gaining access to career networks, which are crucial components to rise to the upper level of…

In 2010, three women from the University of the Pacific came together for a panel presentation at the annual National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) conference to discuss their diverse experiences in student affairs. All recognized leaders in NASPA, these women reflected the rich history and promising future of student…

This qualitative, multiple case study explored what women working in student affairs reported as influences on their career choices and the impact that the type and level of student interaction has on their careers. Data from semi-structured interviews and journal entries were obtained from ten women working in student affairs at private,…