While women have made great strides in leadership and academia over the last several decades, women continue to lag behind men in executive leadership positions. In universities, women students are vastly underrepresented in executive leadership roles; however, at community colleges the trends are reversed as women are actively taking on executive…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to understand the workplace experiences of African/African diaspora/African American/Black (A/Ad/AA/B) women employed with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) responsibilities in the California community college system during a time of new equity funding and contemporary social…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Hispanic female administrators describe their experiences with discrimination at work, and how those experiences may have played a role in their career progression as community college leaders in the United States. The theoretical foundation of the study was critical race theory…

Women of Color (WOC)[superscript 1] comprise 20.3% of the U.S. population, and it is estimated by 2060, WOC will be the majority of all women in the United States (Catalyst, 2021). As this demographic shift continues, little research has focused on how WOC experience their place of work. This study examined factors affecting the experience of…

Women now comprise the majority of the higher education workforce; yet they still experience workplace aggression at alarming rates. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate workplace aggression among women colleagues at a small, rural community college. The study also sought to create a more supportive work environment for…

Previous research indicates that mid-level women administrators are under-valued as leaders and followers despite their capacity and influential connectivity up, down, and across the organizational chart. Few studies have provided insight into the leading and following experiences of mid-level women administrators in the community college. The…

This study used a phenomenological research approach to examine the essence of what it means to be a full-time professor at a community college while also being a mother of young children. Of specific note to this research are two occurrences. First, women are earning more graduate degrees and entering the professoriate at higher rates than…

Few studies address workplace bullying in American higher education. Leah P.Hollis, EdD, author of "Bully in the Ivory Tower" addressed the issue of workplace bullying in four-year institutions. This volume replicates the study to reveal that 64% of community college respondents are affected by workplace bullying. Women, people of color,…

Though the number of women employed in the workforce has increased, there continues to be an inequity in employment of women in the highest ranks of community colleges. Guided by gendered organizational theory, the study looked at both overt and covert knowledge of genderedness at community colleges. As one might infer, institutional genderedness…

Two-year public institutions are known for their nurturing academic environments that support students from diverse backgrounds and experiences. One would assume that these nurturing and supportive environments would also go beyond the students to include employees. Family-friendly working environments support the needs of employees to balance…

Women who move into and work within administration in higher education face many struggles. Both the traits that are specific to most females and their leadership style can impede their rise into and within administrative ranks. In addition, higher education has traditionally been a hierarchical and patriarchal system that makes it more difficult…

Community colleges have provided an entree into higher education for many women. Yet, women faculty perceive the overall climate of community colleges as "chilly." To deconstruct the interpersonal dynamics that may lead to perceptions of a chilly climate, this study examines the prevalence of workplace bullying among and between community college…