ASCENSION: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN PRESIDENTS OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

African American women seeking senior administrative roles in higher education have few role models or defined pathways for advancement. These women only comprise 4% of all full-time college and university faculty which represents a gateway position to leadership roles. With low representation among faculty and in senior leadership positions, there is a need to understand how African American women can excel in higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of five African American women college presidents at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through qualitative narrative and critical incident analysis. Using purposeful sampling and snowballing, each study participant was interviewed for one hour using the semi-structured method. The results included a chronology of (1) the pre-presidency, (2) applying for the position, and (3) emerging subthemes in each phase, including preparing to lead, benefits of mentors and sponsors, deciding to apply, proper fit, being president, challenges due to race and gender, and being successful. This study will increase the knowledge of how this group of women attained the position of president at HBCUs. Further, the findings of this study inform institutions of successful strategies that will influence cultural leadership models and professional development training programs. With limited research on African American women college presidents and executive leaders, there is still a need for further research. Future studies might explore developmental programming in higher education that fosters the advancement of African American women seeking executive leadership roles.