Higher education within the U.S. has become increasingly complex over the past few decades. In a field where the majority of those working within student affairs departments are women, there is little research on the experiences of women serving in these roles. More specifically, there is little research on women serving in dual roles as leaders…

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…

One of the most impacted areas in higher education is the field of student affairs (Lynch, 2017). While job satisfaction is problematic in higher education; only 1% of professionals are "extremely satisfied" with their job, giving the field a much lower overall satisfaction level than many other occupations (Kinman & Wray, 2014).…

This study utilized a phenomenological qualitative research design to assess job satisfaction of women student affairs professionals in Louisiana at entry, mid, and senior levels positions. The purpose of this research was to examine perceptions of women student affairs professionals in Louisiana higher education institutions regarding: (1) job…

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%…

A cohort of 15 participants was chosen to engage in a study to identify a relationship between personality type and the propensity to choose professions in student affairs. Participants were chosen based upon specific demographic criteria in an effort to highlight inconsistencies in traditionally accepted variables, including gender, ethnicity,…

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…

While the number of women entering the student affairs profession has increased, gender equity at the senior level of leadership remains elusive in the student affairs profession. In comparison to their presence in graduate preparation programs and lower levels of administration women continue to lag behind men in their rate of advancement to the…

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women who have children and work in mid-level student affairs positions. The study of this phenomenon was driven by four problems: (a) women face barriers in rising to upper-level leadership positions, (b) women are more likely than men to leave the field of student affairs, (c) there…

Directing the Women's Center for the last ten years at an institution with 22,000 students, 3,000 faculty and staff members, and 9 colleges, the author has collaborated with many individuals and programs with a shared interest in women and leadership. In this article, the author relates how she collaborated with her colleague in the Student…

In November 1903, 18 women gathered together for the Conference of Deans of Women of the Middle West. Variations of this conference were held over the following 20 years, constituting the earliest period of professional association in what was to become known as student affairs. When creating their associations, the early deans needed to consider…

Examines the intergroup relations among administrators at a college that had been successful in hiring women and people of color at all levels of its administrative staff. Despite seeming cohesiveness, interview data reveal that below the surface lurked a dissimilitude related to gender and race/ethnicity that hindered the college's ability to…