About the Book
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.
About the Author :
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, and her PhD in Educational Leadership from Florida State University. Melanie Hayden Glover is Associate Director of Multicultural Recruitment in Undergraduate Admissions at Ohio University (Athens, OH). Prior to her position at Ohio University, Melanie was the Special Assistant for Pre-College/Pipeline Initiatives reporting to the Assistant Provost and Director for Academic Support Programs at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Virginia). Much of her research focuses on admissions policies and practices in higher education and those factors that influence the undergraduate and graduate school choice process for students of color. Melanie is a member of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and Sisters of the Academy (SOTA) Institute (www.sistersoftheacademy.org). Melanie earned her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech, an M.A.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs also from Virginia Tech, and a B.B.A. in Marketing from James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Virginia). Marguerite M. McClinton is a consultant and pursuing her MBA at the University of Texas at Dallas.She was an administrator at Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX. She has worn many hats, such as Special Assistant to the President and Director of academic and retention programs. She previously worked at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She also served for three years as the Director of the John W. Elrod University Commons and Campus Activities at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. She received her doctorate in higher education administration from Florida State University with a minor in Public Policy. Her dissertation focused on the Bright Futures merit-based program and how it impacts student success among African American students. She has worked in residential life at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, as well as served as a research assistant at the Center for the Study of Values at Florida State University. At Florida State University she became the Associate Director of the Hardee Center for Women in Higher Education. Her research interests rest in public policy in higher education, organizational culture, women in higher education, and access pertaining to students of color. She was the coeditor of The Art of Practical Wisdom of Student Affairs Leadership. She received her master's in education at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, where she focused on educational administration and policy. She received her bachelor's at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, where her major was Educational Studies and her minor was Sociology. Johnetta Cross Brazzell
Review :
"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
"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
"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
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
