1st Edition
Pathways to Higher Education Administration for African American Women
For Black women faculty members and student affairs personnel, this book delineates the needed skills and the range of possible pathways for attaining administrative positions in higher education.This book uses a survey that identifies the skills and knowledge that Black women administrators report as most critical at different stages of their careers as a foundation for the personal narratives of individual administrators’ career progressions. The contributors address barriers, strategies, and considerations such as the comparative merits of starting a career at an HBCU or PWI, or at a public or private institution.Their stories shine light on how to develop the most effective leadership style, how to communicate, and the importance of leading with credibility. They dwell on the necessity of listening to one’s inner voice in guiding decisions, of maintaining integrity and having a clear sense of values, and of developing a realistic sense of personal limitations and abilities. They illustrate how to combine institutional and personal priorities with service to the community; share how the authors carved out their distinct and purposeful career paths; and demonstrate the importance of the mentoring they received and provided along the way. A theoretical chapter provides a frame for reflecting on the paths traveled. These accounts and reflections provide enlightenment, inspiration, and nuggets of wisdom for all Black women who want to advance their careers in higher education.
Foreword—Johnetta Cross Brazzell Introduction—Tamara Bertrand Jones, LeKita Scott Dawkins, and Melanie Hayden Glover 1. Existing Pathways. A Historical Overview of Black Women in Higher Education Administration—Melanie Hayden Glover 2. Essential Skills for the Leadership Path—Marguerite M. McClinton & LeKita Scott Dawkins 3. Direction Along the Path. Mentoring & Black Female Administrators—Tamara Bertrand Jones & Waltrina Dufor 4. Service on the Administrative Pathway—Lisa K. Thompson & LeKita Scott Dawkins 5. Leveling the Pathway. Balancing Work and Family—Marguerite M. McClinton 6. Influencing Pathways. African American Administrators as Effective Mentors to African American Students—Tamara Y. Futrell, Yvonne Coker, & Quiana McKenzie 7. The Community-Engaged Professional. Nurturing Your Passion on the Academic Pathway—Kimberly King-Jupiter 8. The Ties That Bind. Pathways to Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Administration—Kandace G. Hinton 9. Decisions to Make (or Not. Along the Career Path—Mary Howard-Hamilton & Carol Logan Patitu 10. Historically Black College or University or Predominantly White Institution. Choosing Your Institutional Path—LeKita Scott Dawkins 11. The Pathway to Your Dreams in Academia. Seven Practical Considerations—Darnita Killian & Marguerite M. McClinton 12. Connecting the Paths. Guiding Institutions and Administrators into the Future—Tamara Bertrand Jones & LeKita Scott Dawkins Appendix About the Editors and Contributors
Biography
Tamara Bertrand Jones is Assistant Professor in the Higher Education program at Florida State University. Dr. Tamara Bertrand Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Upon graduation she completed her master’s degree in Higher Education at Florida State University (FSU). She then completed her doctoral studies in Research and Program Evaluation, also at FSU. Her research interests are assessment and evaluation in higher education (student affairs), culturally responsive evaluation, mentoring, Black graduate students, and the transition for graduate students to junior faculty. She belongs to many professional organizations, including the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the Southeast Evaluation Association (SEA), the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). In addition, she is a founder and Past-President of Sisters of the Academy (SOTA) Institute (www.sistersoftheacademy.org), an international organization that promotes collaborative scholarship among Black females in the academy. LeKita Scott Dawkins is Director of Foundation Relations and an adjunct instructor at Syracuse University. A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Dr. LeKita Scott Dawkins is a founding member of Sisters of the Academy (SOTA) Institute (www.sistersoftheacademy.org). She is co-editor of Journey to the Ph.D.: How to Navigate the Process as African Americans which is a timely guide and source of information for men and women of color considering the journey towards a terminal degree. Dr. Scott Dawkins possesses a passion for exploring the recruitment, retention, and advancement of ethnic minorities, particularly those in the field of fund-raising/development and those in graduate programs. She received her BS in Elementary Education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, her MEd in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University, a
From the Foreword:
“It is critical that African American women be in positions of authority…because, the one who leads truly does matter.
This seminal work explores why there are still too few African American women in high-level college/university administrative positions today. More importantly, it examines why this current state of affairs can and should be changed. A blueprint is provided for both the individual woman with aspirations for advancement, and for institutions wanting to cultivate this often overlooked source of talent. Pathways is a very fine primer for those seeking to chart their own personal journeys. It is a must read for high level administrators, no matter their color, who are interested in changing the culture and landscape of their institution.”
Johnetta Cross Brazzell, Former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
"This book offers both research findings and practical strategies for creating more welcoming pathways to leadership in higher education for African American women. It examines the many barriers to leadership for women and provides compelling stories and advice from African American women who are successful leaders and mentors [and] should be useful in a variety of teaching and professional development settings."
Jon C. Dalton, Professor Emeritus of Higher Education, Florida State University
“This work contributes crucial data to the conversation on the importance of having diverse leadership in higher education and the significance of considering the plight of African American women in this complicated equation. The authors provide compelling discourse on the need for institutions to provide encouragement, support, understanding, and opportunities for those who have faced struggles and challenges advancing in higher education administration.”
Kevin D. Rome, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, North Carolina Central University
"The work by the authors and editors of this book provides a unique look at the lives and experiences of African American women who work in academic and student affairs in America’s colleges and universities. From the comprehensive historical overview by Hayden that sets the background for the volume to the fascinating case studies by Hinton that provide current examples of career paths taken, Pathways to Higher Education Administration for African American Women provides a multi-layered look at what practicing African American women administrators have to say about their experiences in the academy. Using information gathered from a national sample, as well as first-person accounts, this book provides new information and practical tips that African American women at all administrative levels will find of interest."
Beverly L. Bower, Ph.D, Don A. Buchholz Chair in Community College Education, University of North Texas
"Pathways to Higher Education Administration for African American Women provides invaluable information for aspiring African American women administrators as well as for institutions who wish to support their success and development. The authors’ insights will assist all who are developing systems to improve their mentoring and leadership development programs. This book’s use of research findings to suggest practical strategies will benefit individual professionals and the colleges and universities who seek to hire and promote them."
Mary B. Coburn, Vice President for Student Affairs, Florida State University
