Perceptions of Female Minority Administrators on Mentoring in Higher Education

• In Event: Honoring Voices of Faculty of Color: Intersectional Research Perspectives

Abstract

This study, Perceptions of Female Administrators on Mentoring Toward the Career Advancement of Women of Color in Higher Education, demonstrates that female administrators of color in higher education do in fact credit their mentoring relationships as key in their ability to attain leadership positions. This phenomenological study utilized face-to-face interviews of presidents, provosts, and vice presidents at 4-year institutions to uncover the depth of support provided through mentoring relationships, especially those that were same-gendered. The findings revealed that the participants directly benefited from the guidance, social cues, behaviors, and same-gendered messaging that was received from their mentors. For those who were not mentored, even they benefited from observation and referenced lessons learned from afar from those in leadership.

Authors

• Walter Andre Brown, Jackson State University

• Gia Soublet, Jackson State University