Gendered Experiences of Women Professional Staff in Higher Education: A Review

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Two
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT036 (Thursday)

Abstract

In 2024, women in the United States reported regular negative gender-based experiences at work (Sue & Spanierman, 2020; McKinsey & Company, & Lean In, 2024). Higher education is no exception (Gaisch et al., 2016; Settles et al., 2021).

The bulk of higher education studies investigating gendered work experiences focuses largely on women in faculty and leadership roles. There is scant research focused on women professional staff. Higher education professionals are responsible for integral areas of institutional success such as student services, admissions, billing, athletics, etc., and are considered “the knowledge workers who sustain key university functions” (Tubbs & Fuesting, 2024, para. 1). This study aims to collect and analyze the available literature on women professional staff to gain deeper insight into the population.

Author

• Allison Marie Berger, West Virginia University