Glass Ceiling in the Ivory Tower: Gender and Racial Inequality in STEM Higher Education Leadership

• In Event: Organizations, Occupations, and Work Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 11: Higher Education and Occupations

Abstract

Although there has been growth in women’s participation as students and faculty members in higher education, there remain relatively few women (of color) in leadership positions. In the U.S., women of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian women are underrepresented among higher education leaders, especially at predominantly white institutions. Existing research has focused on small samples, typically consisting of small groups of leaders at one institution and often at the highest echelons of university leadership, not capturing differences by demographic characteristics, institutional context, region, age cohort, and field of study. Employing original survey data from a large, nationally representative sample of leaders at department, school and university levels, this article explores how opportunities and challenges in higher education leadership vary by race and gender. We also examine how these processes play out in different organizational contexts, including PhD granting universities, MA granting universities, 4-year (BA) colleges and universities, and 2-year (AA) colleges across different regions of the U.S. Multivariate analyses reveal that women and leaders of color are more likely to be subjected to higher expectations and greater disrespect compared to White men, controlling for demographic and institutional characteristics. In particular, women are disproportionately expected to engage in emotional labor and greater emotional restraint. They are also more likely to be seen as unqualified and passed over for promotion, despite having the same credentials as their colleagues. Women and faculty of color report not always understanding the hidden curriculum to advance their careers and are more likely to be expected to prove themselves repeatedly and alter their appearances to embody professionalism. Our study illuminates entrenched intersectional inequality in higher education that create barriers for historically marginalized groups in leadership roles, creating hostile institutional environments that undermine their job satisfaction and retention.

Authors

• Zaoying (Cherry) Ji, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

• Reyna Orellana, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

• Jessica Anne Pearlman, University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Joya Misra, University of Massachusetts-Amherst