Pathways to Higher Education Administration for African American Women

Pathways to Higher Education Administration for African American Women

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For Black women faculty members, as well as academic and student affairs administrators, this book delineates the skills needed and the range of possible pathways for attaining administrative positions in higher education.Through the use of a specially commissioned survey, this book begins by identifying 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 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 on 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 a clear sense of values, and of developing a realistic sense of personal limitations and abilities. They demonstrate 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 attest to 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 women - particularly Black women - who want to advance their careers in higher education.