This study analyzes the gender gap at colleges and universities from an institutional context. It asks what the issues are; in what ways women and men leaders are different and alike; whether the gender gap matters. It discusses the glass ceiling in higher education and how it affects curriculum and administration of the institution. Five chapters cover topics that include: (1) the status of women on campus and in leadership roles; (2) persistence factors, institutional context and occupational prestige; (3) gender theory, women's leadership style, communication patterns, and the glass ceiling; (4) individual, organizational, and societal conceptions of leadership, and the relevance of gender to the concept of leadership; and (5) factors influencing evaluation of leaders and leadership modes, evaluation of women as leaders, and who has the right to leadership positions. The study concludes with several strategies for change, including: greater involvement of women in changing hierarchical and patriarchal structures and norms; preparation of women to relocate to find broader responsibilities; and elimination of the behaviors and actions that create a chilly campus for women. (Contains 165 references.) (CH)