1. Women Academic Leaders’ Perspectives & Experiences in For-Profit Higher Education Constance St. Germain Benedictine University HEOC 803-D6A2 July 29, 2012 1

2. Issue The issue/topic and why it is important and valuable to the field 2 Research Problem & Purpose

3. Issue(s): Traditionally, leadership positions in higher education have been dominated by men. However, with the rise of for-profits in recent years, women have begun advancing in leadership roles at these institutions. This is important and valuable to the field of educational research because for-profits have brought disruptive change to higher education through their delivery of educational content. So too may this change in gender leadership influence traditional higher education. 3 Research Problem & Purpose

4. Research Problem A distinct research problem that reflects the issue 4 Research Problem & Purpose

5. Research Problem:  Women make up more than half of the work force in the United States.  Women continue to surpass men in enrollments in pursing their higher education.  Traditional higher education leadership has been dominated by men. 5 Research Problem & Purpose

6. Research Problem (cont.):  However, at for-profit institutions of higher education, women’s presence in the leadership ranks is clearly seen and increasing. Women are building powerful career networks with others that have far reaching implications, and are shaping non-traditional education.  Little attention has been paid to gender leadership at for- profits: What are these women’s experiences and perspectives? A preliminary review of the literature on this topic is silent in this area. 6 Research Problem & Purpose

7. Evidence Evidence that justifies the research problem and supports your assumptions 7 Research Problem & Purpose

8. Evidence:  A review of leadership at for-profits (i.e. APUS, Grand Canyon, Kaplan, DeVry, Walden, Capella) reveals that the majority of them have women well placed in leadership positions in the company. 1  Companies with more women in executive leadership positions/boards were found to out perform their rivals. 2  At traditional institutions, majority of leadership is still Caucasian males over the age of 60. 3  There is a deficiency in the evidence on this topic that past research does not adequately address 8 Research Problem & Purpose

9. Some Theories: 9  Gender/Feminist  Leadership Research Problem & Purpose

10. Purpose Research Problem & Purpose 10 Research Problem & Purpose

11. Purpose:  The purpose of this qualitative study will be to explore how women in situations of academic leadership at for-profit colleges and universities consciously experience their roles, relationships, and development as women leaders at such institutions. 11 Research Problem & Purpose

12. Research Questions:  Central Question: What are women academic leaders’ perspectives and experiences of their roles at for-profit institutions of higher education?  Subquestions:  How do these women academic leaders experience their roles as leaders at for-profits?  How would these women academic leaders describe their professional relationships within their institutions?  How do these women academic leaders portray their leadership development? 12 Research Problem & Purpose

13. Study Details:  Qualitative/Phenomenological  Narrative  Interviews (Open ended/semi-structured)  Sampling Type: Purposeful (Theory/Concept)  Proposed Subjects: 5 women; Academic leaders in the rank of Dean or higher ; Anonymous  Research site: Various for-profit colleges and universities  Methodology: Interpretative/Critical Inquiry  Theoretical Lens: Feminist  Data collection: Open-ended/semi-structured interviews 13 Research Problem & Purpose

14. Targeted Audience A targeted audience that would want to know more about the study 14 Research Problem & Purpose

15. The Audience:  By examining the experiences of women academic leaders at for-profit colleges and universities, using a qualitative approach, I hope to better understand their experience and perspectives in order to gain insight into what feminine leadership traits might contribute to their success at these institutions.  This understanding will further allow me to analyze the leadership requirements of these colleges and universities, and gain perspective as to why women are advancing in leadership roles there.  This research, in turn, can provide higher education in general with insight as to what measures can be taken to make women successful in academic leadership positions regardless of institutional type. 15 Research Problem & Purpose

16. Questions? 16 Research Problem & Purpose

17. Bibliography (as of 7/29/12)  Antonaros, M. (2010). Gendered leadership styles and the climate for women leaders in higher education. On Campus with Women, 39(2), 7.  Collings, S., Conner, L., McPherson, K., Midson, B., & Wilson, C. (2011). Learning to be leaders in higher education: What helps or hinders women’s advancement as leaders in universities. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 39(1), 44-62. doi:10.1177/1741143210383896  Cook, B. & Kim, Y. (2012, March). The American college president 2012. Retrieved from http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPA&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CON TENTID=44473  The Lord Davies Report. (2011, February). Women on boards. Retrieved from http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-law/docs/w/11-745-women-on-boards.pdf  United States Department of State. (2012, March 1). Corporate advantage: How women leaders elevate the bottom line. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/2012/184988.htm  White, J. S. (2012). HERS institutes: Curriculum for advancing women leaders in higher education. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 14(1), 11-27. doi:10.1177/1523422311429732 * Please see attached bibliography to date (separate Word document) 17 Research Problem & Purpose

18. 18 1. American Public University System (APUS). (2011). Senior management. Retrieved from http://www.apus.edu/leadership/ Capella University. (2011). Administration. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/administration.aspx#fwilliamson Grand Canyon University. (2011). Leadership team. Retrieved from http://www.gcu.edu/About-Us/Grand-Canyon-Education-Inc-/Leadership-Team.php Walden University. (2011). Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/About- Us/18879.htm 2. United States Department of State. (2012, March 1). Corporate advantage: How women leaders elevate the bottom line. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/2012/184988.htm 3. Cook, B. & Kim, Y. (2012, March). The American college president 2012. Retrieved from http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPA&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay. cfm&CONTENTID=44473 References Research Problem & Purpose