Coming to America: How International Women of Color Navigate their Roles as Administrators in Student Affairs Dr. Khalilah Doss, McPherson College Dr. Saran Donahoo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Dr. Nadja Johnson, Clark University Dr. Orinthia Montague, Tompkins Cortland Community College March 6th 9:05-9:55am Convention Center 113B

What The Research Says… Theoretical Framework: Black Feminist Theory/Thought Black Feminist Thought highlights the unique and intersectional standpoint of a Black Woman’s identities (Collins, 2002). In essence this theory allows us to examine the lived experiences of black women within the context of several lenses. These experiences serve as a common vein that links black women together. The most common theme of Black Feminist Theory, is the shared experience, of black women who struggle against: sexism, racism, classism, and general bias and discrimination how it impacts their overall experiences and consciousness in society.

What The Research Says… How do We Define Intersectionality… Intersectionality is the way of understanding and analyzing the complexity in the world. In people an in human experience. The events and conditions of social and political life and the self can seldom be understood as shaped by one factor. They are generally shaped by many factors in diverse and mutually influencing ways. When it comes to social inequality, people’s lives and the organization of power in a given society are better understood as being shaped not a single axis of social division, be it race or gender class, but by many axes that work together and influence each other. Intersectionality as a an analytic tools gives people better access to the complexity of the world and themselves. (Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge 2016)

What The Research Says… 1. In the past African American Administrators, Administrators of color for that matter, would show up at PWIs in roles that were specific to marginalized students, i.e.: TRIO, Affirmative Action/EOE, Director of minority students, etc. 2. They tend to leave PWI organizations prematurely because of: a. lack of professional identity b. lack of career path c. questionable working conditions d. disparity in compensation e. internal completion f. external competition The above has set the stage for the complexed experiences that African American women have had in higher education. (Lee Jones 2001)

Debunking the myth of the “typical” Student Affairs Professional Expanding the Field…  Debunking the myth of the “typical” Student Affairs Professional

Barriers  Lack of Mentors Work and Family Lack of Opportunity Lacking the Cultural Capital to Navigate this Space

How Do You…  How do you navigate the following? Self-Care Doing things differently Seeking Assistance Providing support

How did we do it? Dr. Johnson Dr. Montague Dr. Doss Path to Administrative Roles…  How did we do it? Dr. Johnson Dr. Montague Dr. Doss

How Do You… 1. Tell our stories to those around you? 2. Reconcile the conflicts in the spaces you occupy? 3. Advocate for yourself? 4. Own and Embrace your cultural identities? 5. Invest in Professional Development 6. We develop Grit and Resiliency

How Do You… 1. Tell our stories to those around you? 2. Reconcile the conflicts in the spaces you occupy? 3. Advocate for yourself? 4. Own and Embrace your cultural identities? 5. Invest in Professional Development 6. We develop Grit and Resiliency

Thank you for joining us today! Please remember to complete your online evaluation following the conference. See you in Los Angeles in 2019!