Hey sis, let’s talk about Black women in the college presidency pipeline

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Hey Sis, Let’s Talk About Black Women in the College Presidency Pipeline
by
Aysia T. Brown

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

August 2022

© Copyright by Aysia T. Brown 2022
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Aysia T. Brown certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Marilyn Harvey
Patricia Tobey
Kenneth Yates, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2022

iv
Abstract
Using the needs analysis and innovation adaptations of the gap analysis problem solving
framework (Clark & Estes, 2008), the purpose of this study was to ascertain the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational needs necessary for Black female administrators to achieve
executive level leadership positions within higher education. Also, this study sought to inform
the design of a mentoring program that is meant to increase the number of Black women in
higher education leadership. Semi structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative
data from 10 participants to identify and validate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences necessary to create an effective program. Findings from this study show that in
general, a successful mentoring program for Black women in higher education must focus on
building self-efficacy, professional networks, and social capital. These findings were used to
develop the mentoring program. Once HeySis is fully implemented, ongoing evaluation and
program assessment will be utilized to further improve the program. This study begins to address
one segment of the complex issue that is the chronic underrepresentation of Black women in
higher education leadership.
Keywords: Black female leadership, higher education leadership, mentoring, mentorship
program, professional development, social capital, underrepresentation

v
Dedication
To the love of my life, Kevin Brown, thank you for being my partner in all things. Thank you for
being my voice of reason, my listening ear, and my [redacted] lol. You are the person I most
look forward to talking to each day, and I could not have done this without you. Cheers to many
more moments together.

To my girls, Austyn Noelle and August Glory, you can do all things. You come from a long line
of electric lady earth angels that have prayed for you for generations. You are my most perfect
work, and I love you to life.

To my parents, Ahshema and Russell Pennell, thank you for always encouraging me to dream
bigger and go harder. I never doubted that “more” was possible because you always found a way
to make anything possible.

To my brothers, Tyler and Cadyn, wow you are so lucky to be gang. Just kidding. You will shake
up the world. I am proud to bear witness. I can’t imagine doing life without ya’ll.

To my sister Amahri, you are the best friend I’ve ever had. What is understood doesn’t have to
be explained, but I appreciate you more than you know. Thank you for being my person.

Lastly, to me, thank you for everything that you survived, tried, gave, sacrificed, and beat back
with a stick to get us to this moment. Good run so far, let’s see how far we go from here.

vi
Acknowledgements
This has been an amazing ride. I always knew that this day would come, but no one could
have predicted this journey. A wedding, a new baby, a kindergartener, a promotion, an ongoing
pandemic, a new job, and another global shut down later—here we are.
Thank you to Dr. Patricia Tobey and Dr. Marilyn Harvey for coming in clutch and
helping me put out the best project possible. Dr. Harvey, thank you for being a mentor, sounding
board, and friend. I look forward to many more endeavors together. Words do not begin to
express how thankful I am to my committee chair, Dr. Kenneth Yates. You have truly taught me
what it means to be a teacher, and how to support your students. I have taken you over the river
and through the woods with my shenanigans, but you never gave up on me once. Thank you for
believing in me when I wasn’t sure.
Thank you to all the women who participated in this study. Each one of you are titans in
life and in higher education, and I am blessed to know you. Your introspection and honesty have
filled up my cup and given me permission to design my own career journey with abandon.
Finally, major shoutout to Jordan Greer and Christopher Sweeten. One of the best things
to come out of this program was becoming TLC. I am constantly in awe of your genius and am
thankful for our friendship. Fight on!

vii
Table of Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication ........................................................................................................................................ v
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... x
Chapter One: Overview of the Study .............................................................................................. 1
Organizational Performance Goal ....................................................................................... 6
Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap ............................................ 7
Definition of Terms ............................................................................................................. 8
Organization of the Study .................................................................................................... 9
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ......................................................................................... 10
The Whitewashing of Current Research ............................................................................ 12
The Demographics of Higher Education Administration .................................................. 13
The Black Female Candidate Pool .................................................................................... 14
Benefits of Diverse Leadership ......................................................................................... 15
The Impact of Campus Climate ......................................................................................... 16
Psychosocial Functions of the Mentoring Experience ...................................................... 17
Mentorship of Black Female Leaders ................................................................................ 18
Knowledge and Skills ........................................................................................................ 20
Motivation ......................................................................................................................... 25
Organizational Influences .................................................................................................. 28
Chapter Three: Methodology ......................................................................................................... 33
Knowledge Assessment ..................................................................................................... 35
Motivation Assessment ...................................................................................................... 37
Organization/Culture/Context Assessment ........................................................................ 38

viii
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection ............................................................. 40
Chapter Four: Results and Findings .............................................................................................. 44
Factual Knowledge ............................................................................................................ 47
Conceptual Knowledge ...................................................................................................... 52
Procedural Knowledge ...................................................................................................... 55
Metacognitive Knowledge ................................................................................................. 58
Value .................................................................................................................................. 61
Self-Efficacy ...................................................................................................................... 64
Emotions ............................................................................................................................ 67
Cultural Setting .................................................................................................................. 71
Cultural Models ................................................................................................................. 75
Chapter Five: Recommendations and Evaluation ......................................................................... 79
Community Cultural Wealth and Ancestral Tradition in Action: Knowledge
Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 81
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Motivation Recommendations ................................. 83
Fight the Powers That Be: Organization Recommendations ............................................. 84
Implementation and Evaluation Framework ..................................................................... 86
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ........................................................................... 87
Level 3: Behavior .............................................................................................................. 90
Level 2: Learning ............................................................................................................... 93
Level 1: Reaction ............................................................................................................... 97
Evaluation Tools ................................................................................................................ 99
Data Analysis and Reporting ........................................................................................... 100
References ................................................................................................................................... 103
Appendix A: Interview Protocol .................................................................................................. 112
Appendix B: Sample Post Event Survey ..................................................................................... 114

ix
Appendix C: Delayed Program Evaluation Interview ................................................................. 115

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Stakeholder’s Ability 24
to Achieve the Performance Goal

Table 2: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Stakeholder’s Ability 28
to Achieve the Performance Goal

Table 3: Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Stakeholders’ Ability 31
to Achieve the Performance Goal

Table 4: Assumed Knowledge Influences and Interview Items 35

Table 5: Assumed Motivation Influences and Interview Items 37

Table 6: Assumed Organization Influences and Interview Items 39

Table 7: Participants in Study 46

Table 8: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 89

Table 9: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods and Timing for Evaluation 91

Table 10: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 92

Table 11: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program 97

Table 12: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 98

Appendix B: Sample Post Event Survey 114

1

Chapter One: Overview of the Study
Globally, women are disproportionately represented in lower-level and authoritative
leadership positions with lower levels of power (Northouse, 2010). However, the leadership
experiences of Black women navigating compounding marginalized identities have been largely
ignored. In 2006, 88% of college presidents nationwide were White males with doctoral degrees
who had been college presidents for an average of nine years (Association of American Colleges
and Universities, 2007). Among the 7% of members of the American Association of Community
Colleges (AACC) (2016) that are led by Black presidents, 62% are male and 37% are female.
The most traditional pipeline to the college presidency begins by securing a tenure track faculty
position, but in both two- and four-year institutions minoritized faculty are underrepresented
(Perrakis, 2009). The path of least resistance for hiring Black female administrators is to recruit
from within, where they are already employed (Perrakis, 2009). This wisdom has been largely
disregarded as Black women continue to be overlooked, specifically within the leadership
pipeline.
Proposed Organization and Mission
Due to the race ascribed to them at birth, Black women’s multiple intersecting identities
can be extreme barriers to their professional success in higher education administration. A long
and complicated history of exclusion, discrimination, and outright hostility provides few clear
paths to success (Akos & Krerchmar, 2017; Arday & Mirza, 2018; Crenshaw, 1991; Patton,
2016; Steele, 1997). A culturally intelligent mentorship program for aspiring leaders will give
Black female practitioners the rare opportunity to be affirmed and uplifted in a professional
setting. HeySis is a proposed mentorship program that connects the lived experiences of Black
women who have achieved, or plan to pursue, executive level leadership positions within higher
2

education. The name of this organization was chosen to pay homage to the familial and cultural
bonds that have sustained the Black community throughout history. The primary mission of this
innovative organization is to engage Black female professionals in a rich cultural network that
assists them in developing the professional skills and social support required to successfully
navigate the higher education field as a Black woman. This level of support will be imperative as
the need for strong leadership within higher education becomes urgent.
Colleges and universities are facing an impending leadership crisis as a significant
number of current college presidents prepare for retirement. According to AACC, in 2013 75%
of community college presidents planned to retire within 10 years (Cooney & Borland, 2018).
The ascension of women of color to executive level leadership roles within institutions of higher
education will directly contribute to closing the gap of racial and gender inequity in these spaces
(Bates, 2007). Prospective mentee participants of this program will be individuals that self-
identify as Black women, who currently hold entry to mid-level administrative positions and plan
to pursue executive level positions. Prospective mentor participants of this program will be
individuals that self-identify as Black women, who currently hold, or have retired from,
executive level positions within higher education administration.
Global Organizational Performance Status/Need
The number of Black female presidents at public institutions of higher education is
disproportionate to the available population of qualified candidates. The backdrop that this
underrepresentation is superimposed on, is the low success rates of Black students across both
four-year universities and community colleges (Nichols & Bell, 2017). These negative outcomes
have been exacerbated by both the disproportionate rates of infection for Black people
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the “pandemic within a pandemic” of police brutality
3

hallmarked by the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd (Murty & Payne, 2021).
Ascension to a college presidency is no small feat for any candidate, but Black women navigate
this treacherous journey while fighting against the agents of white supremacy that academe was
designed to protect. This journey is the byproduct of a racial history fraught with tension
between the Black identity and U.S. racial hierarchy.
Background and Related Literature
To desegregate the University of Alabama in 1963 after 132 years of exclusively white
attendance, federal troops had to order the then governor of Alabama to step aside and allow the
entry of two Black students (Morris et al., 1994). At the University of Oklahoma, Ada Lois
Sipuel Fisher was a Black female lawyer who became so only after a 3-year fight and partial win
before the U.S. Supreme Court to grant her admission to the law school (Synnott, 2008). Once
Sipuel Fisher enrolled, the lone Black female student among 300 white males, she had to climb a
flight of stairs and sit at a single chair separated from the rest of the lecture hall by a rail and a
large sign labeled COLORED (Synnott, 2008). The creation of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, which predates both events, was in direct response to the segregation of
predominantly white institutions (Johnson, 2017). Black people were forced, literally and
figuratively, to pry open the doors of the academy at great personal risk. The desegregation of
higher education, which is an ongoing battle, began within the lifetimes of educators who may
still be employed today. To assume that this sordid history was eradicated when Black students
made their way into White educational environments, is to deny the current realities of being
Black in those same spaces. The same challenges that students face in the classroom, which lead
to disproportionate achievement disparities for Black students, are being navigated by Black
professionals. Black women have the added burden of excelling despite tension stemming from
4

racism and sexism. Despite these obstacles, Black women lead minoritized populations in
gaining advanced degrees (McFarland et al., 2019). This demonstrates that there is a strong pool
of Black female candidates that could be developed for future college presidencies, but systemic
racism and hiring flaws serve as gatekeepers to their promotion to leadership positions.
Increasingly, higher education is seeing women earn professional degrees and compete
for traditionally male dominated roles, including college presidencies, which can make them
vulnerable to experiencing isolation, exclusion from informal networks, and systemic
discrimination (Glazer-Ramo, 2001). Despite achieving leadership positions, their intersecting
identities require Black women to navigate gendered racism and higher levels of scrutiny in their
professional lives (Jean-Marie et al., 2009). Black female leaders have been studied from a
sociological perspective, but few scholars have researched how race and gender interact to
inform these women’s’ leadership development (Byrd, 2009; Collins, 1990; Stanley, 2009).
Notable inroads have been made by Black women administrators at both predominately and
historically White institutions, but this accomplishment has illuminated the hostile environment
and general invisibility that Black women experience regularly throughout their career pursuits
(Jean-Marie et al., 2009).
Black female students, faculty and administrators are faced with isolation that leads to
stress, feelings of invisibility and insecurity, and the belief that they are voiceless at their
institutions (Hughes & Howard-Hamilton, 2003). If a Black woman is one of few or the only
Black female professional on campus, she is more likely to suffer from physical and/or mental
exhaustion than women from other races (McKenzie, 2002). This social isolation causes many
Black women in higher education administration to seek out social support groups to contend
with what they conceive as their “outsider within” status (Collins, 2000). The term “outsider
5

within” describes the marginalized social locations occupied by groups of unequal power
(Collins, 1999). This inner turmoil, one of many shared experiences between Black female
administrators, further demonstrates the need for HeySis, which will be designed to serve as the
culturally affirming support group that is being sought.
Importance of the Organizational Innovation
It is important for the academe to normalize creating a space for Black women to safely
navigate the intricacies of their professional experiences amongst a supportive in-group. If
women from minoritized backgrounds are not afforded a safe space to process their professional
experiences authentically, their paths to college presidencies will continue to be subjected to
undue burden. Black women administrators will be forced to bear the brunt of racism, gender
discrimination, and isolation in professional spaces. The creation of HeySis facilitates
connections within a peer group that may otherwise be difficult to identify.
As demonstrated by the peaceful protests, riots, and firestorm of engagement around the
Black Lives Matter movement and the human rights issue of police brutality that is captivating
the country at the time of this writing, the effects of systemic racism in the United States are
reaching a boiling point. Higher Education is not exempt from the growing number of industries
that must face its racist past and make decisive strides toward equity. This progress will not be
accomplished without Black women in leadership. Any attempt to improve education without the
empowerment of Black female and other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) female
leaders will result in missteps that will only further marginalize Black students, faculty, and
administrators.

6

Organizational Performance Goal
By May 2023, HeySis will launch its first cohort with at least 20 participants to include
10 mentors and 10 mentees. This goal will involve all aspects of program design including the
creation and dispersion of data-driven marketing and communication to Black female
professionals and the identification of a program director. The achievement of this goal will be
measured by the number of participants in the inaugural cohort. The data gathered from
participants in this innovation study will be used to further define the program for future
participants.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
There are many stakeholders that will contribute to the organizational goal of increasing
the number of Black female college presidents through a culturally affirming mentorship
program that serves as a social and professional support for participants. Stakeholders include
individuals that will act as mentees, mentors, and program directors. The program directors will
be responsible for promoting and recruiting participants for the program, while creating and
monitoring its success by previously established benchmarks. Mentors must commit to guiding
their mentees through support, sharing of resources, encouragement and even networking
assistance while maintaining an agreed upon level of contact with their mentee. Black women
who have achieved senior leadership positions within higher education maintain a wealth of
insight and experience with navigating the professional sector while holding multiple
marginalized identities. Black women who seek to ascend to senior leadership positions can
benefit greatly from the wisdom of Black female administrators who already have. These are the
stakeholder groups of focus for the study.

7

Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap
The study stakeholders are Black women who have achieved senior leadership positions,
or aspire to, and were willing to reflect upon their own career paths to identify best practices.
Each participant currently holds, previously held, or aspires to hold an executive level position in
higher education administration at a college or university. For the purposes of this study, few
limitations were placed on the type of college or university due to the limited potential
participant pool. While women of all races face career challenges due to gender discrimination,
the stakeholder participants were women who self-identified as Black females.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project is to use the experiences of Black female professionals who
have achieved, or aspire to achieve, executive leadership positions within higher education to
inform the design of a culturally affirming mentorship program called HeySis. This program is
for Black female administrators who intend to pursue the pathway to senior leadership positions
in higher education. The goal of HeySis is to facilitate the hiring of more Black female college
presidents, which is related to a larger problem of practice. This analysis focuses on the assets
and needs in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational resources required
to design and implement the HeySis program.
While a complete needs analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes
the stakeholders of focus in this analysis were Black females who have achieved executive level
leadership positions at colleges or universities, and those who aspire to do so. Two questions
guided this study:

8

1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs necessary for Black
female administrators to achieve executive level leadership positions at colleges or
universities?
2. What recommendations in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational
resources can be made to inform the design of a mentoring program that is meant to
increase the number of Black women in senior leadership positions?
Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis, a systematic, analytical method that helps to clarify
organizational goals and identify the gap between the actual performance level and the preferred
performance level within an organization, will be adapted for needs’ analysis. Assumed
knowledge, motivation and organizational needs will be generated based on personal knowledge
and related literature. These needs will be validated by using interviews, literature review and
content analysis. Research-based solutions have been recommended and evaluated in a
comprehensive manner.
Definition of Terms
The following terms have specific definitions in this study:
Bicultural perspective refers to the lived experience of being a minority in a majority
space (Johnson & Thomas, 2012).
Black is a term used in everyday, political, and social life to denote a non-White person
with African ancestral origins.
Code switching is the temporary adjustment of behaviors to optimize the comfort of
others through mirroring the norms, behaviors, and attributes of the dominant group (McCluney
et. al, 2021).
9

Mentoring is an active development activity that involves bi-directional information flow
and collaboration between mentor and protégé to develop specific skills and capabilities as part
of a development plan (Baruch & Peiperl, 2000; Sanfey et. al, 2013).
Outsider within describes the marginalized social locations occupied by groups of
unequal power (Collins, 1999).
Professional development are activities that lead to the acquisition of new knowledge and
skills that contribute to personal growth. Activities that include cognitive and interpersonal skill
developments are most effective (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009).
Organization of the Study
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provided the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about Black female leadership
development within higher education. The organization’s mission, goals, and stakeholders, as
well as the initial concepts of gap analysis adapted to needs analysis were introduced. Chapter 2
provides a review of current literature surrounding the scope of the study. Topics of racial equity,
racial disparities in higher education leadership, culturally affirming mentorship programs, and
Black women’s professional experiences within higher education will be discussed. Chapter 3
details the methodology as it relates to the choice of participants, instruments, data collection and
analysis. In Chapter 4, the data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter 5 provides
recommendations, based on data and literature, for addressing the needs in the design of the
HeySis program and an implementation and evaluation plan for evaluating the HeySis program.

10

Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
Breonna Taylor was murdered in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13, 2020. George Floyd
was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020. Both murders, at the hands of police
officers, resulted in Black Lives Matter demonstrations all over the country, and have awakened
the public consciousness to the historical and structural racism that exists in the United States.
These events have proven that now more than ever, higher education must be responsive to the
diverse student population it serves. The American College President Study (ACPS) by ACE’s
Center for Policy Research and Strategy indicates that the average college president today is a
White male (ACE, 2017). According to the same study, 30% of college presidents are women
and less than 10% of that figure are Black women (ACE, 2017). These statistics are often
supported by the unsubstantiated claim that there is a lack of qualified candidates among Black
women for the presidency. However, from 2000–2009, Black women earned 17% of awarded
education doctorates (Blalock & Sharpe, 2012). The historically and majority White male
academy has long benefitted from the work of Black female pioneers of higher education, but
their contributions have not been rewarded through representation. This is largely due to racism
at the highest levels of higher education administration (Chesler, et. al, 2005; Harper, 2012;
McGee, 2020).
Historical Perspective
Racism and sexism are central themes in American society, and Black women
administrators within the academy must navigate these double barriers, first as students then
employees. The history of Black students in higher education has been directly impacted by a
series of historic social movements and legal battles that have intended to radically shift the
psyche of academia from denying Black students an education toward equitable outcomes (Fries-
11

Bitt & Turner, 2002). The 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decision, Brown v. Board of Education,
gave Black students the theoretical ability to attend the institution of their choice, but it did not
guarantee them representation at the highest levels of leadership. The experiences of Black
women administrators are largely a continuance of the marginalization they experience as
students.
In 1921, Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander became the first Black woman to receive a
PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Mossell Alexander never worked in higher education,
despite her obvious qualifications, due to sexism within the Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) and racism at predominantly White institutions (PWIs; Battle, 2004). Dr.
Mary McLeod Bethune was the child of former enslaved people and an education pioneer. Dr.
McLeod Bethune became the first Black woman college president in 1936 when she developed
an elementary school into a baccalaureate degree granting institution called Bethune-Cookman
College (Alexander, 2010). Bethune, a woman who advised 15 presidents of the United States
and was known for her political savvy, called being a Negro woman the greatest known handicap
in her famous speech “Closed Doors” (Alexander, 2010). Opportunities for Black women in
higher education began to expand in the 1950s and 1960s, but sexism and racism led to their
erasure by refusing to recognize them for their contributions to the field (Henry et al., 2013).
Black women’s achievements in higher education have led to greater access to the academy for
students of color, increases in faculty in administrative roles, and a student population that grows
more diverse with every incoming class. These achievements, however, have not resulted in the
development of clear pipelines for Black women to ascend to executive levels of administration.
Women’s progress in education and the workforce has enabled them to close the pay gap
slightly, earning 80% of what men working full-time in 2017 earned, but the disparity in pay
12

widens to almost 90% when Black women’s annual earnings are analyzed (Miller & Vaggins,
2018). Gaps in education attainment, generational wealth, and social mobility exist because they
are perpetuated through barriers to executive leadership and education administration
opportunities in American society (Carter-Frye, 2015). The gaps that exist in research mirror
these issues.
The Whitewashing of Current Research
Most of the literature on leadership in higher education has focused on the experiences of
White males and their leadership styles. Leadership is the process by which an individual
influences a larger group of other individuals in the pursuit of a common goal (Northouse, 2013).
In the early 20th century, scholars sought to determine traits that made certain people more
effective leaders than others. These “great man” theories concentrated on identifying the innate
characteristics possessed by accomplished social, political, and military leaders and were
primarily associated with White men (Northouse, 2013). The theories are intrinsically flawed due
to their failure to account for the lived experiences and leadership traits of historically
marginalized populations. This foundational erasure in the study of leadership, through theories
that are still taught today, can be a contributing factor to the lack of diverse representation in
college presidencies and executive cabinets.
Research that is specifically focused on women in higher education uses White women as
the benchmark for progress within the field (Holmes, 2008). This tradition disregards the dual
oppression and subsequent impact of racism and sexism on the upward mobility of Black women
administrators. There has been an increase in research on female managers and their lived
experiences designed to identify success factors and pitfalls, but most of these studies have
focused on women at lower levels or within small organizations (Davis & Maldonado, 2015).
13

Research that has emerged on women college presidents classifies women as a monolith without
considering the potential impact of race, or the range of experiences of Black women specifically
(Holmes, 2008). Black female leaders have been studied from a sociological perspective, but few
have researched the way that the interaction of race and gender informs their leadership
development (Davis & Maldonado, 2015). The positionality of White women as the universal
female subject within leadership development further isolates Black women throughout their
career pursuits. The number of Black women within the academy has increased, but they are still
largely invisible. College presidencies continue to be occupied overwhelmingly by White males
(Davis & Maldonado, 2015). Researchers’ focus on the leadership traits and lived experiences of
White men and women in higher education is not surprising in a field where executive level
leadership is predominantly White.
The Demographics of Higher Education Administration
Black women in higher education are an endangered species, a fact supported by their
historic and continued underrepresentation in senior level positions. In 1986, women represented
9% of all college presidents, which represents significant progress for White women (Oikelome,
2017). Women of color represented approximately 9% of college presidents in 2011, and that
low level of representation diminished to just 5% in 2016 (Oikelome, 2017). This drop in Black
women college presidents is particularly disconcerting at a time when data trends are pointing to
a significant number of the White male majority retiring from leadership positions in the
immediate upcoming years. Diversifying the college presidency would uniquely poise
institutions of higher education to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse student
population.
14

Higher education has long purported itself as the great equalizer, but the racism deeply
embedded within the system has prevented Black women from being represented at the highest
levels of leadership. Black women who are leaders in higher education occupy spaces that cause
them to regularly experience exclusion that is reinforced by sociocultural norms which then
cause further marginalization (Johnson & Thomas, 2012). These circumstances are beyond the
control of the women themselves but require Black female leaders to navigate spaces that do not
validate their personal or professional identities. The Black women who succeed in the field of
higher education are in danger of having to adopt strategies for success that further suppress their
identities by balancing their culture with academic politics (Johnson & Thomas, 2012). The
experience of Black men is normalized and generalized as encompassing the Black experience,
while White women’s experiences are considered the typical female experience. This reinforces
the privilege of both groups at the expense of Black women (Johnson & Thomas, 2012). Despite
their lack of representation, there is a competitive pool of Black women qualified for both middle
and senior level positions that could diversify the middle management to presidency pipeline.
The Black Female Candidate Pool
The path of least resistance to diversifying the pipeline to college presidency would be
for institutions to invest in the professional development of Black women currently within their
employ. Unfortunately, many institutions of higher education do not provide the social support
needed for their historically marginalized employees to be successful. There is an unrelenting
misconception within higher education that too few women are viable candidates for leadership
positions, but the pipeline currently prepares more women than men (Johnson, 2017). The
community college system boasts the most diverse student population in the nation, but most
campuses do not have senior level leadership that reflect the student demographics (Perrakis et.
15

al, 2009). To thrive in leadership, Black women must cultivate a personal network of supporters
that include cultural translators, cultural mediators, and role models to help them function
effectively (Delgado & Ozuna Allen, 2019). Without developing a strong network that features
all these elements, which is nearly impossible for Black women employed at predominantly
White institutions, the feeling of isolation can be an impediment to professional success.
Black women in higher education endure an almost constant isolation that results in what
Patricia Hill-Collins (2000) refers to as “outsider-within” status. The lack of cultural sensitivity
that Black women with aspirations to become higher education administrators encounter directly
impacts their long-term career prospects negatively (Delgado & Ozuna Allen, 2019). By
developing a bicultural perspective, which refers to the lived experience of being a minority in a
majority space, they hold on to their Black identities while surviving White dominated culture
(Johnson & Thomas, 2012). Black women, even when they are successful in their career
pursuits, can only possess borrowed power while the dominant culture serves as the “final
authority” (Johnson & Thomas, 2012). The lived experience of professional isolation in Black
administrators necessitates the creation of spaces that foster support and culturally intelligent
career connections.
Benefits of Diverse Leadership
Due to increasing globalization, students need to be educated within institutions that
accurately reflect the diverse national and global society that they will navigate as professionals
upon graduation (Chen, 2017). Increasingly diverse student populations at institutions of higher
education across the country necessitate the urgent need for these institutions to cultivate a
diverse workforce that is prepared to respond to the needs of minoritized students.
16

The successful recruitment of historically underrepresented student populations is a good
indicator that a college or university is interested in diversity, but often the racial composition of
the faculty and staff that support these students is disregarded (Chen, 2017). Without visible role
models, students from historically marginalized backgrounds may feel isolated within their
educational institutions. A diverse body of faculty and staff positively enhances the quality of
education that students receive, and ensures that new approaches to student services, teaching,
and pedagogy are included (Chen, 2017). The diversification of academic and administrative
leadership at colleges and universities has a direct impact on the quality of education that
students receive. The realization of diversity within higher education will not be accomplished
until Black women are included in, and advanced within, the pipeline to college presidency.
The Impact of Campus Climate
Measuring campus climate has become an integral component to diversity initiatives
nationwide because of the unique impact it can have, not just on marginalized populations, but
for all (Worthington, 2008). An individual’s perception of general campus climate is developed
through the judgment process of evaluating their environment at multiple levels of observation
(Radhakrishnan, 2003). The concept of climate demonstrates how environmental variables can
directly impact psychological ones such as knowledge, motivation, and organizational
perception.
Using critical race theory (CRT) as a framework to analyze education illuminates
academia’s long history of undervaluing and outright silencing the experiences of people of color
(Yosso, 2005). The CRT framework can also be applied to examine the ways in which race and
racism impact social structures (Yosso, 2005), and subsequently, the general climates attached to
these structures. Within the context of this study, the racism embedded in the social structure, or
17

institution, of higher education can directly impact the career trajectory of Black female
administrators. The absence of a variety of cultural viewpoints relevant to minoritized students
can negatively impact their learning, development, and identity within their institutions (Gusa,
2010). Without intentional intervention, this adverse impact can extend to their careers within
academe.
Psychosocial Functions of the Mentoring Experience
An effective way for young professionals to gain leadership experience is to develop
mentor relationships with established professionals within their career field (Baruch & Peiperl,
2000; Sanfey et al., 2013). The primary benefit of mentoring, an active development activity, is
the bidirectional exchange of information between the mentor and the mentee for the
development of leadership skills within the protege (Baruch & Peiperl, 2000; Sanfey et al.,
2013). Mentors can be integral in helping young professionals develop formal and informal
networks while providing career guidance and ongoing support (Sanford et al., 2015).
Mentoring is a collaborative development activity that facilitates the mutual exchange of
information for the professional development and social support of both parties. Mentoring can
only be successful when both individuals are actively engaged in the development of the
relationship and commit to following a development plan for the mentee. Both parties involved
must have the knowledge, motivation and organizational support required to thrive. Mentorship
has proven to be a valuable resource in the development of leaders and can positively impact the
retention and promotion of Black female leaders if these professional relationships allow for
cultural fluency.
18

Mentorship of Black Female Leaders
The multidimensionality of Black women administrators' experiences is best understood
by other Black women within the field who have navigated the same multiple oppressions. Black
women’s status at the margins of higher education can be counterbalanced by the social support
of a woman who has conquered the same circumstances. Mentorship works best when the
mentor and the mentee share commonalities such as background, experiences, value, and outlook
(Dunbar & Kinnersley, 2011). Intentional mentoring relationships can be the gateway to
organizational advancement that would not otherwise come about without assistance from others
(Murray, 2016). The glass ceiling that White women must shatter to ascend to executive
leadership positions in higher education has been likened to cement for Black women. Mentors
who have navigated this peculiar set of circumstances can have a direct impact on the retention
of Black female professionals. Race should be salient in designing mentorship programs to
provide social support strong enough to combat the marginalization that Black women face in
higher education.
Black women have long had their access to influential academic and administrative
positions limited, but mentorship can mitigate the problem if approached with cultural
competence (Grant, 2012). One of the primary benefits of same gender and race/ethnicity
mentoring is the role modeling that can be provided by mentors in the upper echelon of higher
education to their mentees (Grant, 2012). Having a mentor of the same race and gender is ideal
for cultivating a cultural connection, sense of belonging, trust and open communication (Holmes,
et al., 2007). Creating a space for Black women to provide mutual support for one another
directly impacts higher education’s ability to diversify the college leadership pipeline and reap
the benefits of diverse representation at the executive level.
19

Clark and Estes’ (2008) Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis is an analytical method designed to clarify
performance goals through assessment and identify the human behaviors impacting performance
gaps within organizations. This assessment also extends to identifying gaps in performance
compared to stated organizational goals and the stakeholder knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences that contribute to those performance gaps. In this study the Clark and
Estes (2008) framework will be adapted as a needs analysis for innovation.
According to Krathwohl (2002), four types of knowledge contribute to a stakeholder’s
ability to accomplish a performance goal: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive.
Other contributing factors include influences on stakeholder motivation such as active choice,
persistence, and mental effort (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Each of these elements of
Clark and Estes’ (2008) will be addressed below in terms of the knowledge, motivation and
organizational needs of Black women aspiring to become executive level leaders within higher
education. The first section will be a discussion of assumed influences on the stakeholder
performance goal in the context of knowledge and skills. Next, assumed influences on the
attainment of the stakeholder goal from the perspective of motivation will be considered. Lastly,
assumed organizational influences on achievement of the stakeholder goal will be explored.
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
With the goal of creating a mentorship program that increases the retention and
advancement of aspiring Black female administrators in higher education, this study analyzes
three contributing variables: knowledge, motivation, and organization. In contrast to an
increasingly diverse student population, the profile of the college president has not changed in
over a quarter century, with women of color remaining the most underrepresented in the
20

presidency (Oikelome, 2017). Generally, field research is in concert with the belief that higher
education leadership should reflect the same level of diversity as the student body to prepare
pupils for the globalization they will face upon graduation (Kim & Cook, 2012; Gagliardi et al.,
2017; Longman & Anderson, 2016). The impact of increasing the number of women of color in
executive leadership positions goes beyond achieving equity in numbers or filling a diversity
quota. The absence of female academicians directly relates to the scope of research and
knowledge available to the world, as experiences that are unique to women will go largely
unconsidered (Madsen, 2011). The myriad of challenges facing higher education have produced
a critical need for competent leadership; institutions are struggling to fill this need partially
because fewer women have been positioned to ascend into critical roles (Madsen, 2011).
Organizations and stakeholders can only achieve their goals when the gap between ideal
performance and actual performance is closed (Clark & Estes, 2008).
According to Clark and Estes (2008), the central factors to consider when analyzing
performance gaps are: knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational support. Knowledge
and skills measure whether the stakeholder has the technical ability to achieve their performance
goal. Motivation considers the stakeholder’s willingness to, and reason for, persevering to
achieve a performance goal. Organizational support measures the conditions of the organization
that the stakeholder belongs to, and its willingness (or lack thereof) to empower the stakeholder
to achieve a performance goal by removing institutional barriers and ensuring the availability of
necessary resources.
Knowledge and Skills
Higher education, like most modern corporations, is dependent on its employees’
adaptability in an almost constantly changing landscape; institutions must constantly recruit,
21

develop, and retain a workforce that can meet that demand (Clark & Estes, 2008). According to
Krathwohl (2002), there are four knowledge types: factual, conceptual, procedural, and
metacognitive. Factual knowledge refers to the terms, facts, or concepts related to the field that
stakeholders need to know to achieve their performance goals. Conceptual knowledge is
demonstrated by an understanding of the interrelationships between individual elements within a
larger structure. Procedural knowledge refers to the subject-specific skills needed to accomplish
a performance goal. Metacognitive knowledge is the stakeholder’s awareness of their own
cognition, as it relates to how they learn and perform. In the following section, four knowledge
influences that relate to the stakeholders’ ability to participate effectively in a culturally
intelligent mentorship program are described.
Factual Knowledge: Avoiding Leaks in the Pipeline
For Black women aspiring to obtain leadership positions within higher education, the
interlocking oppressions of race and gender has a defining impact on their career journey with
race as the salient factor (Oikelome, 2017). The knowledge that this stakeholder group possesses
regarding structural racism and barriers to their professional advancement must be fully
articulated for these women to avoid common pitfalls that lead to significant drops in Black
female employee retention. The mentor and mentee relationship is key to ensuring that this
dialogue can be explored and explained within a safe social environment to create strategies for
addressing these barriers.
Aspiring Black female administrators must be familiar with the traditional pathways to
the college presidency, and the impact their race and gender will have on their personal career
journey. This reality has already been navigated by senior Black female administrators, who
understand the impact of outsider-within status on the pipeline to the college presidency (Hill-
22

Collins, 2000). According to Wilder, Jones, and Osborne-Lampkin (2013) there are personal,
organizational and political factors that can derail Black women’s achievement in the classroom,
and at the departmental and administrative levels. Understanding the experience of Black women
and supporting them through overcoming the set of obstacles particular to their identities is best
done by other Black women who have navigated parallel experiences (Wilder, et al., 2013).
Conceptual Knowledge: Career Advancement Through Mentoring Relationships
Black women in higher education administration face a complex career ladder to climb.
The intersectional identities that define their lived experiences as professionals can significantly
impact their career advancement at any stage, but mentor relationships can create strong social
support networks. Participating in formal and informal mentoring relationships, for both aspiring
and established administrators, increases their likelihood to persist and succeed in higher
education (Holmes et al., 2007). Mentoring programs focused specifically on Black women
provide opportunities that support the psychosocial development of Black female professionals
at both the onset and culmination of their careers (Walkington, 2017). Access to these types of
programs or even access to senior administrators who are Black women can be limited at
predominantly white institutions, which ultimately serves as another systemic obstacle within the
academy (Walkington, 2017).
Procedural Knowledge: How to Survive Higher Education
To successfully achieve promotional opportunities within higher education and retain
these roles, aspiring Black female administrators must be able to identify and secure
opportunities for professional development (Sanford et. al, 2015). Researchers have found that
mentoring has been connected with career benefits such as higher levels or career satisfaction,
higher likelihood of promotion, and a higher likelihood of job retention for mentees (Crisp et. al,
23

2017). Senior Black female administrators have successfully navigated the impact of racism and
sexism on their career prospects (Grant, 2012), and are best positioned to advise aspiring
administrators facing the same obstacles.
Metacognitive Knowledge: Aspiring Black Female Administrators Need to Know How to Set
and Obtain Career Goals
Women are often excluded from the informal “good-ole-boy” networks, which bars them
from becoming knowledgeable about the dominant organizational culture and participating in
career advancing opportunities (Murray, 2016). Establishing a mentor relationship with an
administrator who has both navigated and infiltrated this informal network can facilitate granting
access to the mentee in this network. Senior Black female administrators need to understand how
to positively impact the diversification of their institutions through establishing mentorship
relationships (Dunbar & Kinnersley, 2011; Grant 2012). Table 1 shows the stakeholder’s
influences and the related literature.

24

Table 1
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Stakeholder’s Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal
Assumed knowledge influences Research literature
Declarative factual
Aspiring Black female administrators know the traditional
pathways to executive level leadership positions in
higher education.

Oikelome, 2017
Senior Black female administrators know the impacts of
outsider-within status on Black women within the
pipeline to college presidency.

Patricia Hill-Collins, 2000
Declarative conceptual
Aspiring Black female administrators need to know the
relationship between mentoring relationships and career
advancement.
Delgado and Ozuna Allen, 2019;
Baruch & Peiperl, 2000; Sanfey
et al., 2013
Senior Black female administrators know the importance
of establishing mentor relationships to counterbalance
marginalization.

Delgado and Ozuna Allen, 2019;
Sanford et al., 2015
Procedural
Aspiring Black female administrators need to be able to
identify and secure opportunities for professional
development.
Sanford et al., 2015

Senior black female administrators know how to navigate
the impact of racism and sexism on their career
prospects.

Grant, 2012
Metacognitive
Aspiring Black female administrators need to know how
to set and obtain career goals.
Murray, 2016

Senior Black female administrators need to understand
how to positively impact the diversification of their
institutions through establishing mentee relationships.

Dunbar & Kinnersley, 2011;
Grant 2012

25

Motivation
Aspiring and senior Black female administrators in higher education need to place value
into both mentorship relationships and being a higher education professional. The constant
barrage of various obstacles they face can negatively impact their self-efficacy and the value they
attach to their career. It is important to examine the motivational factors that contribute to their
confidence and ability to persist (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011).
Stakeholder motivation is demonstrated by mental effort, active choice, and persistence
(Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda,2011). Mental effort is the amount of cognitive effort an individual
contributes toward completing an activity (Clark & Estes, 2008). Active choice is delineated by
an individual’s conscious commitment to begin an activity. Persistence is the ability to continue
a course of action despite obstacles or difficulty. The variables that directly impact an individual
levels of motivation are self-efficacy, attribution, value, and goal orientation (Rueda, 2011).
Value
Aspiring Black female administrators need to value seeing themselves represented within
executive leadership in higher education and reflect this value within their chosen career goals
(Chen, 2017). Senior Black female administrators need to value the importance of mentorship
relationships in both their own careers and that of aspiring administrators (Murray, 2016). The
experiences of Black women in leadership roles within organizations are unique and contribute
directly toward advancing the organization by empowering others and breaking down barriers
(Murray, 2016).

26

Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the variable most integral to stakeholder success. Self-efficacy describes
the extent to which an individual believes they can accomplish a stated goal or task (Bandura,
1977). Aspiring Black female administrators need high levels of self-efficacy to sustain their
career journeys. Without self-efficacy, they will have no reason to persist (Pajares, 2006) through
the obstacles that may face them as a direct result of their intersecting identities as Black women.
In addition, sufficient levels of self-efficacy are necessary to participate in a successful
mentorship relationship because participants must believe in the mutual benefits associated with
the relationship.
Attribution
Attribution theory contends that learning and motivation are enhanced when an
individual attributes their success or failure to effort rather than their own ability (Andermann &
Andermann, 2009). Aspiring Black female administrators need to believe that they can ascend
the career ladder with adequate effort, despite the institutionalized obstacles that they are
navigating. The mentorship relationship is key in bolstering this perspective because seasoned
mentors can deter their mentees from attributing failure due to racism and sexism to a lack of
personal ability. Senior Black female administrators must be able to provide accurate feedback
that identifies the areas that their mentees are lacking in while communicating that these skills
can be learned and then teaching them (Andermann & Andermann, 2009). This level of
scaffolding stresses the importance of individual effort and empowers the mentee to feel in
control of their career journey which encourages a positive outlook on their professional
prospects.

27

Mood
Senior administrators need to feel positive about serving as mentors to aspiring Black
female administrators (Murray, 2016). A lack of diversity within the higher education
community impedes colleges and universities from fulfilling their mission to prepare students for
an increasingly global society (Chen, 2017). Formal mentorship for Black women can bolster
institutional efforts at developing and retaining diversity within its faculty and staff population.
The social support established in mentorship relationships facilitates an individual’s ability to
cope with and overcome difficult workplace situations that may otherwise lead to the termination
of their career goals (Chen, 2017). Both the mentor and mentee can benefit from this social
support. Table 2 shows the stakeholder’s influences and the related literature.

28

Table 2
Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Stakeholders’ Ability to Achieve the Performance
Goal
Assumed motivation influences Research literature
Value
Aspiring administrators need to value Black female representation in
higher education leadership and reflect this in their career goals.
Chen, 2017
Senior administrators need to value the importance of mentoring
relationships
Murray, 2016
Self-efficacy
Aspiring administrators need to have confidence they can take the
steps to achieve the promotional prospects within higher education
leadership
Grant, 2012
Senior administrators need to have confidence that they can take the
steps to positively impact the diversification of the pipeline to
college presidency
Sanford et al., 2015
Mood
Senior Administrators need to feel positive about serving as mentors to
aspiring administrators
Murray, 2016;
Sanford et al., 2015

Organizational Influences
Stakeholder knowledge and motivation are imperative to developing a successful
mentorship relationship, but they are not the only relevant variable in attempting to predict the
likelihood of a successful relationship. Organizational influences impact whether the
achievement of a stated performance goal is possible. It is counterproductive to disregard the
greater organizational context when designing a culturally intelligent mentorship program for
aspiring Black female administrators.
29

Resources
According to Clark and Estes (2008), a lack of material resources and effective practices
within the workplace can be another cause for performance gaps. Institutions of higher education
should commit themselves to supporting diversity initiatives that increase the number of Black
female administrators in positions of executive level leadership at their college or university.
This commitment should be reflected both within the written policies and procedures of the
organization, and through the execution of those policies.
Policies and Procedures
Colleges and universities have found themselves in a perpetual state of emergency as the
student body becomes increasingly multicultural while the faculty and staff bodies have
remained monocultural (Kayes, 2006). There has been an increased attempt to remedy this
educational and political issue, but it is difficult to create policy that provides remedy to a lack of
diversity when a monocultural group is drafting it. Administrative leadership is imperative to
recruiting and retaining faculty and staff of color (Kayes, 2006), which underscores the need for
Black women to be represented at the highest levels of leadership so that true shifts in
institutional culture can occur.
Cultural Settings and Models
Institutional culture is created and sustained by shared group assumptions. These
assumptions, if they are sustained without challenge, informs the behavior of individuals within
the organization. Institutional culture is a source of stability that can be positive and negative and
can be defined through cultural settings and models.
According to Rueda (2011), a cultural model is a shared mental schema that creates
parameters for understanding how the world works. This model is the rubric for determining who
30

is allowed to participate, who is valued, how events are interpreted, and what the purpose of the
organization is. An institution cannot change, especially regarding matters of diversity, unless its
larger culture and subsequent cultural model changes with it. Cultural settings are defined as the
interplay between groups in a specific population that defines the cultural model (Rueda, 2011).
Cultural models and settings are interconnected and constantly evolving. You cannot
initiate or sustain positive change without analyzing and paying consideration to an
organization’s cultural model and settings (Rueda, 2011). A successful mentorship program that
focuses on increasing the representation of Black women within executive leadership roles in
higher education is dependent on cultural models shifting to value diversity, equity, and
inclusion in these professional spaces. The shared group assumptions must be adapted to support
an environment focused on actively being antiracist. Table 3 shows the stakeholder’s influences
and the related literature.

31

Table 3
Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Stakeholder’s Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal
Assumed organization influences Research literature
Resources
Senior administrators need to be supported in recruiting and
retaining mentees.

Aspiring Administrators need to be allowed release time to engage
in professional development opportunities such as a mentorship
program
Grant, 2012

Holmes et. al, 2007
Policies, processes, and procedures
Aspiring administrators need to have policies that align with
equitable access to promotional opportunities

Senior administrators need to have policies that align with hiring
practices focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Woods & Tharakan,
2021

Woods & Tharakan,
2021
Culture
Aspiring administrators need to be part of a culture that aligns with
supporting faculty/staff from historically marginalized groups

Senior administrators need to be part of a culture that values
recruiting, retaining, and empowering a diverse group of
employees.
Dunbar & Kinnersley,
2011

Murray 2016

The proposed female mentorship program will address the gap in Black women in
executive leadership positions within higher education by developing a professional and social
network to support Black women as they promote within the field. The importance of this
program is amplified by the pervasive racism and sexism that permeate both higher education
and society at large. This compounded oppression has become a barrier to Black women in
32

pursuit of executive leadership positions at colleges and universities. The knowledge, motivation
and organizational influences identified in this Chapter 2 will be used as a foundation for data
collection in Chapter 3.

33

Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this project was to draw upon the experiences of Black female
professionals who have achieved executive leadership positions within higher education, and
those who aspire to, to inform the design of a new culturally affirming mentorship program
called HeySis. This program is designed for Black female administrators who intend to pursue
the pathway to senior leadership positions in higher education. The goal of the program is to
facilitate the hiring of more Black female college presidents, which is related to a larger problem
of practice. This analysis focused on the assets and needs in the areas of knowledge and skill,
motivation, and organizational resources required to design and implement the HeySis program.
For practical purposes the stakeholders of focus in this analysis were Black females who have
achieved executive level leadership positions at colleges or universities, and Black females who
currently aspire to reach an executive level leadership position. The questions guided this gap
analysis were the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs necessary for Black
female administrators to achieve executive level leadership positions at colleges or
universities?
2. What recommendations in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational
resources can be made to inform the design of a mentoring program that is meant to
increase the number of Black women in senior leadership positions?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis is a systematic, analytical method that helps to
clarify organizational goals and identify the gap between the actual performance level and the
preferred performance level within an organization. For the purposes of this study, the gap
34

analysis framework was be adapted for a needs assessment to inform the larger innovation
analysis. Assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational needs were generated based on
personal knowledge and related literature. These needs were confirmed using interviews and
content analysis.
The Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis model used in this study was adapted as an
innovation model. The innovation model is utilized when organizations are attempting to design
something novel and revolutionary, such as the proposed mentorship program in this study --
HeySis. A knowledge and skills, motivation and organizational needs assessment was necessary
to determine the components for a successful mentorship program that will achieve its stated
performance goal.
Assessment of Performance Influences
The Chapter 2 literature review identifies several knowledge, motivation and
organizational (KMO) influences that impact the ability of aspiring and senior Black female
administrators to maintain a mutually beneficial mentor relationship and diversify the pipeline to
college presidency. The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge and skill, motivation,
and organizational (KMO) needs necessary to achieve the performance goal of launching a
culturally affirming mentorship program called HeySis for Black female administrators by May
2023. The Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis model was used to understand the KMO variables
necessary for accomplishing this performance goal. The section below describes the qualitative
methods, including survey and interview questions, that were deployed to assess the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational needs.
35

Knowledge Assessment
In Chapter 2, the literature review presented several assumed knowledge influences that
impact both senior and aspiring Black female administrators as they navigate the career pipeline
to college and university presidencies. Four knowledge types—factual, conceptual, procedural,
and metacognitive (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)—are the foundation for the influences
observed in this study. These influences, and the assessment methods used for collecting data
specific to each influence, can be found in Table 4.

Table 4
Assumed Knowledge Influences and Interview Items
Assumed knowledge
influences
Interview items
senior admin
Interview items
aspiring admin
Declarative factual
Aspiring Black female
administrators know the
traditional pathways to
executive level leadership
positions in higher
education.
Please outline the positions
you held prior to your
executive level leadership
position, and how each role
prepared you for the next
promotion.
What is your next
immediate career goal
and how will it prepare
you for eventually
becoming a
college/university
president?
Senior Black female
administrators know the
impacts of outsider-within
status on Black women
within the pipeline to
college presidency.
Think about the beginning of
your career in higher
education. If you could give
an earlier version of
yourself career advice,
what challenges would you
tell her to prepare for?
How, if at all, has your
positionality as a Black
woman contributed to
your decision to pursue a
career in higher
education?
Declarative conceptual
36

Assumed knowledge
influences
Interview items
senior admin
Interview items
aspiring admin
Aspiring Black female
administrators need to know
the relationship between
mentoring relationships and
career advancement.
How much influence does a
successful mentoring
relationship have on career
advancement?
Please explain the
relationship between a
successful mentoring
relationship and career
advancement.
Senior Black female
administrators know the
importance of establishing
mentor relationships to
counterbalance
marginalization.

Tell me about a mentor that
was integral to your
professional development.
How, if at all, did this
relationship impact your
likelihood to persist on
your career path?
Tell me about a mentor that
was integral to your
professional development.
How, if at all, did they
validate your identity?
Procedural
Aspiring Black female
administrators need to be
able to identify and secure
opportunities for
professional development.
How do you go about finding
professional development
opportunities?
How do you go about
finding professional
development
opportunities?
Senior black female
administrators know how to
navigate the impact of
racism and sexism on their
career prospects.
How do you navigate the
relationship between
racism, sexism, and the
Black female
administrator?
How do you navigate
challenges to achieving
your career goals?
Metacognitive
Aspiring Black female
administrators need to know
how to set and obtain career
goals.
Describe for me how you
determined what your
career goals would be, and
the strategies you used to
obtain them.
What strategies do you
currently employ to set
and obtain your career
goals?
Senior Black female
administrators need to
understand how to
positively impact the
diversification of their
institutions through
establishing mentee
relationships.
How important to
diversifying academia is it
for Black female
administrators to have
mentors from the same
racial and gender
background?
How can you be an effective
leader to impact
diversification of your
institution?

37

Motivation Assessment
The literature review in Chapter 2 outlines several motivational influences that impact
Black female administrators as they participate in a culturally affirming mentorship program
with the goal of diversifying the pipeline to college presidency. These influences are listed in
Table 5 alongside assessment methods for collecting data specific to value, self-efficacy, and
mood.

Table 5
Assumed Motivation Influences and Interview Items
Assumed motivation
influences
Interview items
senior admin
Interview items
aspiring admin
Value
Aspiring administrators need
to value Black female
representation in higher
education leadership and
reflect this in their career
goals.
Please explain the relevance,
if any, of seeing Black
female administrators in
executive leadership roles
at colleges and
universities.
Please explain the relevance,
if any, of seeing Black
female administrators in
executive leadership roles
at colleges and
universities.
Senior administrators need to
value the importance of
mentoring relationships
What is your main goal
when you enter a
mentoring relationship as
a mentor?

Self-efficacy
Aspiring administrators need
to have confidence they can
take the steps to achieve the
promotional prospects
within higher education
leadership
Tell me about your
confidence in your ability
to achieve promotional
prospects within higher
education leadership.
Senior administrators need to
have confidence that they
can take the steps to
Tell me about your
confidence in your ability
to positively impact the

38

Assumed motivation
influences
Interview items
senior admin
Interview items
aspiring admin
positively impact the
diversification of the
pipeline to college
presidency
diversification of the
pipeline to college
presidency.
Mood
Aspiring administrators need
to feel positive about
pursuing a career in higher
education administration

What makes you excited
about pursuing a career in
higher education
administration?
Senior Administrators need to
feel positive about serving
as mentors to aspiring
administrators
How do you feel about the
career prospects for the
next generation of Black
female administrators and
your role as a potential
mentor?

Organization/Culture/Context Assessment
The literature review in Chapter 2 outlines the organizational influences that will impact
Black female administrators as they prepare to participate in a culturally affirming mentorship
program with the goal of diversifying the college presidency. These influences are listed in Table
6 along with inquiry methods that will be deployed to collect data on the organizational aspects
of resources, policy and procedures, and culture.

39

Table 6
Assumed Organization Influences and Interview Items
Assumed organization
influences
Interview items
senior admin
Interview items
aspiring admin
Resources
Senior administrators need to
be supported in recruiting
and retaining mentees.
How, if at all, has your
institution empowered
you to recruit and retain
Black female
employees?

Aspiring Administrators need
to be allowed release time
to engage in professional
development opportunities
such as a mentorship
program
How has your current
workplace demonstrated a
commitment to your
professional development?
Policies, processes, and procedures
Aspiring administrators need
to have policies that align
with equitable access to
promotional opportunities
Describe the institutional
policies that align with
promoting equitable access
to promotional
opportunities.
Senior administrators need to
have policies that align
with hiring practices
focused on diversity,
equity and inclusion.
Please share a policy or
initiative at your
institution that is aligned
with hiring practices
focused on diversity,
equity and inclusion.

Culture
Aspiring administrators need
to be part of a culture that
aligns with supporting
faculty/staff from
historically marginalized
groups
Think about your current
workplace. How have they
demonstrated their
commitment to support
faculty/staff from
historically marginalized
groups?
40

Assumed organization
influences
Interview items
senior admin
Interview items
aspiring admin
Senior administrators need to
be part of a culture that
values recruiting, retaining,
and empowering a diverse
group of employees.
Do you feel that you are
part of an institution that
values recruiting,
retaining, and
empowering a diverse
group of employees?
How can you tell?

Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection
The stakeholder groups of focus and population for this study were Black females who
have achieved executive level leadership positions at colleges or universities, and Black females
who currently aspire to reach an executive level leadership position.
Sampling
The criteria used in the sampling for this study are self-identification as a Black woman
currently aspiring to, holding, or are retired from an executive leadership position in higher
education administration. All participants were classified as either senior or aspiring
administrators. At the time of participation, all participants qualified as senior administrators
have attained a vice president level position or higher. Aspiring administrators will have reached
a role that qualifies as entry-level management or higher. The study sought 10 total participants
including five senior administrators and five aspiring administrators. It was anticipated that all
participants would offer valuable insight into the components necessary to create a successful
culturally affirming mentorship program. All participants were de-identified in the data analysis
to maintain their confidentiality.
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Recruitment
All senior and aspiring administrators were asked to participate in an interview on a
voluntary basis. This study utilized convenience sampling from the researcher’s own vast
professional network followed by snowball sampling to identify participants (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). Interview recruitment was conducted via email. The request for the interview was
included in the recruitment email.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation used for this study was interview protocols based on Tables 4, 5 and
6. The interview protocol for senior administrators included eight items for knowledge, four
items for motivation, and three items for organization. The items were prioritized as Round One
to include approximately 10 total questions, and a second round of less priority items if time with
the senior administrator allowed. The interview protocol for the aspiring administrators included
eight items for knowledge, three items for motivation, and three items for organization. These
items were also prioritized as Round One to include approximately 10 total questions, and a
second round of less priority questions if time allowed.
Data Collection
Following University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval,
participants were solicited by email followed up by another email to identify a day and time for
the interview. The interviews were approximately 30 minutes to one hour depending on the
availability of the participant.
Interviews
Higher education professionals who indicated their interest in participating in a thirty
minute to one hour interview were asked to provide their preferred method of communication
42

between phone and Zoom. For example, if the participant indicated that a phone call was their
preference, they were asked to provide their phone number. Follow-up information regarding
interview logistics including date, time and location were communicated via email. Participants
were asked if they were available for follow-up questions once the interview data was
transcribed and analyzed.
Data Analysis
For the interviews, the data analysis process began with preparing the audio recordings of
the interviews for transcription. Once the interviews were transcribed, data was extracted from
the text for coding using a priori codes derived from the KMO influences identified in Chapter
2. Open coding was also used to identify influences outside of interview questions. The coding
process and subsequent data analysis guided the recommendations for designing a culturally
affirming mentorship program for Black women to diversify the pipeline to college presidency.
Interview data was kept confidential and all personal information was de-identified to protect
participant privacy.
Trustworthiness of Data
The purpose of this study was not to generalize the experiences of Black female
administrators, but present specific actions based on the participants’ lived experiences that
guided the development of a mentorship program. To maintain the credibility and
trustworthiness of this study, the researcher’s positionality as a Black female administrator in
higher education was shared. In addition, participants were assured that their responses would
only be used for the purposes of this dissertation.
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Role of Investigator
Although the investigator in this study is employed within the field of higher education as
an administrator, no supervisory conflicts were evident. As a result, with permission from the
IRB, the principal investigator selected the sample for the study, recruited participants, obtained
informed consent, and collected interview data. The investigator was the main point of contact
for the study and will present findings and discussion in Chapters 4 and 5.
Limitations
The limitations of this study included the professional relationship between the
stakeholders of focus and the researcher and the researcher’s positionality as a Black female
administrator within higher education. As a result, answers in the interviews from the
stakeholders may have been influenced. This presents as a limitation because the study was
dependent on the truthfulness of the participants, of which there were a limited number. Bias
management was a consideration from the earliest conceptions of this study. Rather than make
broad assumptions based on personal experiences, this research sought to tap into the community
cultural wealth among Black female administrators to determine what elements the proposed
mentorship program would need.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated the opportunity to conduct data
collection in person. This was a serious blow to the study because community and fellowship are
at the heart of Black cultural tradition.

44

Chapter Four: Results and Findings
This needs assessment study sought to identify variables within the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources necessary to inform the design and implementation of a
culturally affirming mentorship program for Black women in higher education administration.
Qualitative data was collected to corroborate the assumed needs following the data collection
processes outlined in Chapter 3. Specifically, semi-structured interviews were conducted to
understand the knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources necessary for Black women
to succeed at ascending to executive level leadership positions within higher education
administration. Ten women who met the research criteria were interviewed via Zoom video
conferencing using the protocol in Appendix A. All participants met the participant requirements
outlined in Chapter 3 and provided verbal agreement to the formal consent. Interviews, on
average, lasted at least 40 minutes but were no longer than 1 hour. All recordings were
transcribed by Zoom.
This chapter commences with a description of participating stakeholders, an overview of
how the results were analyzed, followed by an in-depth results analysis. The chapter concludes
with a summary of the validated influences of the assumed knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences as detailed in Chapter 2. Those influences are used to frame the results
of the interviews.
Participating Stakeholders
The participants for this study were self-identified Black females working within higher
education. For the purposes of this study, they were categorized into two stakeholder groups:
aspiring administrators and senior administrators. Within this study, senior administrators are
defined as a Vice President (or equivalent) and above. Aspiring administrators are defined as a
45

dean (or equivalent) and below. The study’s sample consisted of five aspiring administrators and
five senior administrators. All participants expressed interest in participating in the study, and
then fulfilled the commitment. While all participants currently work in higher education spaces,
none were employed by the same institution at the time of their interview. The ten women who
participated in the interviews were recruited via snowball sampling of the researcher’s own
network. Table 7 shows the participants, and role within their respective organizations.

46

Table 7
Participants in the Study
Participant Title/occupation/role
Aspiring administrators
1 Coordinator, African American Student Center
2 Assistant Director, Research Center
3 Project Lead, Student Experience
4 Dean, Business & Applied Technology and Economic Development
5 Associate Dean, Educational Partnerships
Senior administrators
6 Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
7 Provost
8 Vice president
9 Retired chancellor
10 Vice president

Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
The following section is a synthesis of the results and findings of 10 semi-structured
interviews with Black female aspiring and senior administrators within higher education. The
results and findings are reported using the knowledge, motivation and organizational categories
and the assumed causes for each as identified in the conceptual framework outlined in Chapter 2.
This section begins with factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge influences, followed by
47

motivation influences, and concludes with organization influences and an assessment of these
findings.
Factual Knowledge
The factual knowledge of both stakeholder groups was assessed through interview
questions. Due to the pandemic, data collection was limited. The questions were designed to
assess the participants’ ability to identify career pathways to college presidencies and analyze the
impact of their racial and gender identity on their professional experiences.
Aspiring Administrators
Aspiring administrators were asked: How, if at all, has your positionality as a Black
woman contributed to your decision to pursue a career in higher education? All five participants
referenced their own experiences as Black students and members of Black communities as
driving factors in their decision to pursue this career path. Participant 1 referenced what she
describes as the value system of higher education, stating: “Higher ed typically holds middle
class Eurocentric values that everything and everyone else is judged by.” She continued on to
say, “more needs to be done to make sure the social capital of marginalized populations is
valued...so in short, my positionality contributes to every part.” Participant 2 echoed this
sentiment when she recounted her experiences as a student, navigating declining rates of Black
representation amongst school staff:
Being born and raised in Los Angeles and growing up with many Black administrators
and leaders within my K–12 system, and then getting to higher education and seeing
Black representation within leadership decline completely. … It really inspires me to
push forward as a Black female administrator.
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When analyzing her undergraduate experience, Participant 3 reflected this experience by stating,
“I didn’t see a lot of women that looked like me, meaning Black women, so I knew I wanted to
do something impactful with my voice and work.” In contrast, Participant 4 cited an altruistic
lens for how her identity connects to her work within higher education administration:
I realized that a lot of people that look like me [Black people], that look like us, need
help. They need the support, and I was in a position to provide that help and support. That
is one of the reasons why I got into higher ed, and one of the reasons why I stay in higher
ed.
All participants shared answers that spoke to a common theme of serving and building the
community. Participant 5 demonstrated this when she discussed the importance of building
community within higher education:
When you’re in an institution that is 2% Black, I’ll speak for myself, I sought out others
who would make me feel comfortable. I wanted to be the same for other students and
staff as well.
The assumed influence was that aspiring Black female administrators know the impacts of
outsider-within status on Black women within the pipeline to college presidency. Based on their
responses to this interview item, all five aspiring administrators are aware of the importance of
building a culturally affirming community for themselves within higher education spaces. All the
participants indicated that they began to build these support systems, to counteract feelings of
being an outsider, from the time they were undergraduate students themselves.
Senior Administrators
Senior administrators were asked the following questions to assess their factual knowledge:
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1. How, if at all, has your positionality as a Black woman contributed to your
decision to pursue a career in higher education?
2. Think about the beginning of your career in higher education. If you could give an
earlier version of yourself career advice, what challenges would you tell her to
prepare for?
In response to the first question, all participants recalled a time within their professional journey
when they noticed the lack of diversity within higher education. More specifically, the lack of
Black women within the highest positions of leadership. Participant 6 demonstrated this by
stating:
I had to do everything in my power as I rose to change the system… to help people be
more accepting and realize that others, specifically Black women, are being marginalized
within higher education. There are not a lot of us out there.
Most participants also spoke about their own experiences as Black students within higher
education spaces and using those experiences as a touchstone for their commitment to expanding
access to post-secondary education for marginalized populations. Participant 6 continued to say:
There were a lot of times [in my career] that I was the only one [Black woman], and it
reminded me of my student experience. Any time there was an upset African American
student, there was an expectation that I would know how to talk to them or how to save
them. It reminded me every single day that I was Black and did not belong.
Participant 10 also cited her own student experience as a driving factor for her commitment to
her career:
50

I see a lot of myself in the students that I serve as a first-generation college graduate. My
own experience as an undergraduate and graduate student contributed to me wanting to
go into the field because I did not see a lot of folks at certain levels that looked like me.
In contrast, Participant 7 did not pursue her career based on her racial identity but was
confronted with the realities of underrepresentation after she had begun her career journey. She
communicated this by saying, “For me it was never a consideration, as far as being a Black
woman, but once I was there, I realized there weren't a lot of us.” She further expanded on how
this impacted her professional journey by saying, “It was my desire then, not only to pursue and
maintain, but to bring other Black women forward into the realm of higher education and
specifically administration.”
While Participant 7 has focused on combating underrepresentation, particularly within
administration, Participant 8’s reflection on her experiences led her to question marginalization
itself:
Going through higher education with different marginalized identities, I experienced the
kind of barriers that students of color and low-income students experience all the time in
higher education. I always found myself in positions of [student] leadership, always
wondering why Black people are marginalized in these spaces. Why don’t these spaces
feel like ours?
As if in answer to that speculation, Participant 9 reported how her commitment to creating
opportunities for access to higher education for all, has driven her career:
My identity as a Black person is what drove me to make sure that education was available
and was not preserved for the elite, but that indeed anybody who wanted to have access
to education, could and should have access to it. That is combined with being raised in
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the segregated south. … What I am acknowledging is that the construct and structural
foundation of white supremacy is everywhere in this nation.
In response to the second question, advising their earlier selves, four out of five participants
spoke about the need for developing resilience. Participant 7 stated, “I would tell her to be
prepared for disappointment, but not to let the disappointments sway her from being motivated to
continue, because one thing that I have faced on my journey here is, even for all the right
reasons, the disappointment will come.”
Participant 6 expresses the burden of the Black female administration by describing an
inequitable workload, “I would tell myself to be prepared to work harder and longer than your
peers without the same recognition or pay. … You have to prove you belong there.”
Participant 9 was unique in that she described one of the potential penalties of success to
be the exotification of the Black female administrator. In illustrating the dangers of this potential
pitfall, she stated:
If she’s successful and able to, what I call walk on water, she will be exotified. You
won’t be assumed to be representing all that is possible within people of your identity,
and as long as it is not normalized it can be written off and dismissed as a fluke. Be
intentional and deliberate that you are carrying the message of normalization.
In sum, the assumed influence was that senior Black female administrators know the impacts of
outsider-within status on Black women within the pipeline to college presidency. All participants
were able to clearly articulate both how their positionality as Black women has impacted their
career choices, and how they could have better prepared themselves as aspiring professionals for
the challenges associated with attempting to ascend the career ladder as an individual
representing multiple marginalized identities.
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Conceptual Knowledge
The conceptual knowledge of both stakeholder groups was assessed through interview
questions. Due to the pandemic, data collection was limited. The questions were designed to
assess the participants’ understanding of the relationship between successful mentoring
relationships and career advancement.
Aspiring Administrators
Aspiring administrators were asked the following question to assess their conceptual
knowledge: Tell me about a mentor that was integral to your professional development. How, if
at all, did they validate your identity? All participants were able to identify a mentor relationship
that positively impacted their careers. In addition, four out of five participants identified their
most impactful mentor being a Black woman with the fifth being another woman of color. When
speaking to how her identity was validated by her mentor, Participant 2 stated, “they reminded
me of extended aunties who checked on my wellbeing at work and supported me and gave me
feedback in ways that I could understand.”
Participant 1 also acknowledged the contribution to her career by a Black female mentor
when she described how that mentor makes race salient in her guidance:
Not only does she tie it back to our identities, because she also identifies as a Black
woman, but she brings up all of these opportunities for me to apply my knowledge and
she is a very strong believer in Black excellence. Her knowledge bank of theory, both
student development and counseling theory, has been more helpful than the master’s
program I am currently in.
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Participant 3 also demonstrated how her identity was validated by her Black female mentor when
she shared some of the words of encouragement she has received from her, “She said you know
what, you are Black and beautiful, and you are purposefully made.”
Participant 4 was unique in that the mentor she identified was a woman of Asian descent.
When describing whether she felt validated by this mentor the participant said, “The information
that she was imparting on me was important because she knew I would bring other people along,
so I got that feeling … but whether the racial validation was direct or not, I don’t recall.”
The assumed influence was that aspiring Black female administrators need to know the
relationship between mentoring relationships and career advancement. Based on their responses
to this interview item, all participants are aware of the positive relationship between having an
impactful mentor and advancing on their career paths. Additionally, the importance of being
mentored by a woman from a like racial group or historically marginalized racial background
was indicated by the reported high levels of validation perceived within these mentoring
relationships.
Senior Administrators
Senior administrators were asked the following question to assess their conceptual
knowledge: Tell me about a mentor that was integral to your professional development. How, if
at all, did this relationship impact your likelihood to persist on your career path?
In response to this question, most participants identified a mentor who had pushed them
to consider promotional opportunities before they had considered it themselves. Participant 7
captured this when she stated:
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He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself, and he pushed me. He said there is so
much more you can do and give, and I thought I was doing that in the classroom. …
Instead of impacting a class of 30, I could be impacting 300 or 3000.
Participant 6 demonstrated the symbiotic nature of a successful mentoring relationship when she
shared her mutually beneficial experience with her mentor:
He came from outside of the community college system, so I was able to give him the lay
of the land, and he was able to show me the ropes of what you need to do to progress and
maintain a high level of professionalism, even while playing politics.
Participant 9 uniquely identified the multiple forms of mentorship that have been useful to her
throughout her career:
I use the work mentor rather loosely because I use it to be somebody or something that I
learned from on a regular basis. My mentors were many and it was structured and
unstructured, but I learned what to do and what not to do from people making courageous
decisions. It was not a mentoring program; it was what I would call my board of
directors.
Participant 8 also spoke about a long-term mentor that has served as an example for her own
professional behavior:
She’s a Black woman currently serving in a Vice President Role, and she continues to be
a mentor to me to this day. I met her early on in my career and she created space for me
to engage with her, and talk to her, and she was so strong in her authenticity that it
resonated with me.
55

In addition to themes of encouragement and career guidance, most participants spoke of
mentoring relationships being a contributing factor in their career persistence. Participant 10
said:
I have come into contact with some extraordinary people that have helped me gain a level
of resiliency and recognition of how challenging these circumstances are … but also how
to navigate that so you can get to the real work. It has helped me to survive.”
In short, the assumed influence was that senior Black female administrators know the importance
of establishing mentoring relationships to counterbalance marginalization. All participants
confirmed that mentoring relationships have been imperative to their survival within the senior
executive leadership pipeline.
Procedural Knowledge
The procedural knowledge of both stakeholder groups was assessed through interview
questions. Due to the pandemic, data collection was limited. The questions were designed to
assess the participants’ ability to successfully counteract the impact of racism and sexism on
their career prospects.
Aspiring Administrators
Aspiring administrators were asked: How do you go about finding professional
development opportunities? Responses to this question varied slightly in that some participants
rely heavily on their professional networks to keep them informed of upcoming opportunities for
development, while others are isolated in their efforts. Participant 3 referenced her network when
she stated, “I reach out to other women in the profession to say hey, can you tell me a little about
this conference or opportunity.” She continued by describing how this initiative has benefitted
56

her by saying, “I sought some things out myself, but also opportunities were afforded to me
based on these relationships.”
Participant 1 spoke about the influence of her direct supervisor, and how her guidance is
helping to shape her career:
It is usually from my coworkers or my cohort members, or my mentor, or my current
supervisor who is also Black. She’ll be like, you need to sign up for NASPA, you need to
sign up for xyz organization, take this strengths test, let’s identify your goals.
Participant 4’s response represented the opposite experience, and in stark contrast to other
participants’ experiences, she primarily relies on her own skills to identify opportunities:
One thing that I try to do is think about the gaps in information that I have, and the gaps
in my skill sets, and find out if there are institutionally sponsored programs that can fill
those gaps. I also consider how much support I will receive in seeking out those
opportunities to get more information.
Participant 2, while navigating a very similar experience as Participant 4, related a unique
experience in that she is both responsible for the professional development of others, and left to
her own devices to develop her own skills:
I work in DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], and while I am constantly providing
professional development to our partners, I essentially have to take it on myself for my
own development. There is no one sending me opportunities for growth.
The assumed influence was that aspiring Black female administrators need to be able to identify
and secure opportunities for professional development. Four participants were able to describe
how they determined to pursue opportunities, whether with the support of mentors or as
individuals.
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Senior Administrators
To assess their procedural knowledge, senior administrators were asked: How do you
navigate the relationship between racism, sexism, and the Black female administrator? In
response to this interview item Participant 10 quipped, “Very carefully and in tennis shoes,
because it’s exhausting, and I don’t know many people who can do it in heels.” On a more
serious note, Participant 10 went on to say:
This is where you really have to know who you are and decide if you even want to
respond to the -isms [racism, sexism, etc.]. I stay in prayer and surround myself with
people who can support me in navigating these issues.
Similarly, Participant 7 demonstrated being grounded within her spirituality when she said,
“With a whole bunch of prayer. Just remembering that I am a woman, a Black woman, and an
administrator in that order.”
Participant 6 described honing a specific set of social skills when she stated, “You have
to become a pro at reading the room. There are already labels that exist for your experience, and
people like to assume your story. You have to know your audience.” Participant 8 explains that
she is still honing her skills in how to navigate racism and sexism:
I think that’s something I’m still learning. I have definitely experienced racism and
sexism, but it appears more in the micro since we live in the day of equity, and people are
more covert. Some of my mentors, who entered the field earlier than me, have had more
overtly racist experiences.
Participant 9 contends that acknowledging racism is the key to navigating its impact, she
explains:
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First of all, just to understand that racism is normal. It is part of every institution in
society, education, religion, and finance. When you understand that’s what you’re dealing
with, you aren’t caught by surprise. Race is a social construct that was created and
designed in order to categorize people and maintain a certain world order. That order is
domination for the full benefit of people who classify themselves as white.
The assumed influence is that senior Black female administrators know how to navigate the
impact of racism and sexism on their career prospects. Each participant was able to articulate a
strategy that they have successfully deployed to protect themselves and their career pursuits.
Metacognitive Knowledge
The metacognitive knowledge of both stakeholder groups was assessed through interview
questions. Due to the pandemic, data collection was limited. The questions were designed to
assess the ability of Black female administrators to set and obtain career goals.
Aspiring Administrators
To analyze the metacognitive knowledge of aspiring administrators, they were asked the
following: How can you be an effective leader to impact diversification of your institution? Two
participants spoke to the importance of leadership styles, while three focused on the importance
of analyzing and adjusting procedures. In response to this interview item, Participant 1 contends
that intentional action is necessary when she states, “Diversity is a noun and inclusion is a verb.
You have to act to build an inclusive environment.” She continues to note the importance of
leadership style, “when you have an open leadership style that is culturally relevant … they’ll
[employees] feel more comfortable and thrive.”
Similarly, Participant 3 has given strong consideration to the leadership concept of lifting
as you climb, a concept in contrast to the example she has witnessed other women of color set:
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For a while I’ve seen women get to those high peaks, those vice presidents, presidents,
and chancellors, and they forget about the rest of us that are still back here. I think my
intention is to finish this doctoral degree, get the title, then pull others up. This degree,
and pursuing the doctoral degree, it’s not just for the title. It’s because I have got to help
my people.
Participant 4 echoed the need for personal responsibility when she stated, “One of the things
you’ll have to do is keep the diversification as part of the conversation.” Participant 2 took a
macro approach to how she might impact the diversification of her institution when she said, “By
examining our policies and procedures, and creating criteria for what we value and what we are
communicating in job placements.”
Participant 5 demonstrated the last impact that focusing on equitable employee
experiences creates when she said:
I am serving on higher committees and the student equity committee. To impact student
equity, we have to deal with faculty and staff equity as well. Especially equity within
hiring, but also equity in retaining and affirming our faculty and staff. It is so important.
The assumed influence was Black female administrators need to understand how to positively
impact the diversification of their institutions. Each participant demonstrated a clear possession
of ideas and strategies for how they might strengthen the cultures of diversity, equity, and
inclusion at their respective institutions.
Senior Administrators
To assess the metacognitive knowledge of senior Black female administrators, they were
asked to address the following interview item: Describe how you determined what your career
goals would be, and the strategies you used to obtain them. Two participants shared that they did
60

not embark upon their career journey with a specific end goal in mind. As Participant 9 stated, “I
kept stumbling up. I ran into people that said do this and try that. I would go back to my younger
self and tell her to have some goals.” Participant 10 echoed this sentiment when she stated:
I don’t know if I had specific career goals. My goal was completion [of her education].
Along that path of completion, other opportunities presented themselves. After
completion, I realized I wanted to break down as many barriers as possible that prevent
students, particularly minoritized students, from receiving college degrees.
Participant 6, who currently serves as the highest-ranking human resources officer within her
district, embodies a contrasting experience in that she set very specific career goals:
I knew that long term, I needed to own this process. If I truly wanted to work in HR, I
needed to figure out a way to become that role. That meant me going back to the K12
system and working to get the experience I would need to eventually come back to higher
education. What motivated me was again remembering what I needed from HR when I
was classified. … Knowing that my calling was not necessarily to work directly with the
students. My calling was to be the person that helped train and create the people that
would be working directly with the students.
Participant 7 also referenced taking great care when considering promotional opportunities when
she said, “I have had opportunities, and if it’s not something aligned with my morals and values,
then I said no thank you. When I step into a position it is well thought out and prayed upon.”
The assumed influence was that Black female administrators know how to set and obtain
career goals. Although some of the participants may have initially found themselves on an
upwardly mobile track serendipitously, all participants expressed an understanding of the
importance of setting career goals.
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Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
Value
In his foundational text Lewis (1938) defines value, or valiance, within the context of its
importance to the individual. Later, Higgins (2007) defined value according to relative worth,
and the psychological experience of being attracted to or repelled by something. Additionally,
Higgins (2007) identified value as more than a belief, but a motivational force. This study
utilized interview questions to analyze the value motivations of both senior and aspiring
administrators. Data collection was limited due to the pandemic.
Aspiring Administrators
To analyze the intrinsic values that motivate them, aspiring administrators were asked to
respond to the following question: Please explain the relevance, if any, of seeing Black female
administrators in executive leadership roles at colleges and universities. Participant 1 indicated
that seeing, or not seeing, Black women represented within executive leadership roles caused her
to consider her prospects when she said, “When I see Black women in leadership, I think that’s
how it should be. When I don’t, I wonder if I will fit in at the institution.” Participant 1 also drew
parallels between the student and employee experience when she explained, “For students, when
Black faculty and staff leave, they’re not being replaced with Black people. For them, it feels
like their community is shrinking. I think it’s the same for working professionals in higher ed.”
Participant 2 echoed the importance of building community through representative
leadership when she said, “It’s important to see a familiar face, but it goes back to the common
[Black] cultural norm of checking in.” She went on to tie this norm to her lived experience of
Black female leadership when she reflected:
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Both Black female administrators I worked under were more interested in the health and
environment of our workplace than anything. They knew that if folks could not thrive in their
full identity, then we would not produce our best work.
Participant 3 also referenced the importance of community through the lens of shared
ancestry when she said:
It makes a profound statement in terms of the journey from where we have been, and I’m
talking about in terms of our ancestry. It’s like I cannot give up now, I just cannot. I think
it’s inspiring to see just how far we’ve come but we still have so far to go because we’re
still not accepted in a lot of places. We’re still seeing a lot of equity gaps in terms of
[Black women] being in positions or fighting for positions.
Participant 4 also noted the lack of representation of Black women, citing how inspirational it is
when someone does ascend to the highest levels, but also a rarity:
Number one, it is highly inspirational. We are not used to seeing women like us in those
positions of leadership. You can probably count on your hands in this state how many
women of color are leading any instructional roles, or who are CEOs of campuses. I’m
hoping it will become more normalized.
Participant 5 was unique in that she drew parallels in how important representation is to students
by referencing an interaction she had after her campus reopened for the first time during the
COVID-19 pandemic. She described the moment and its impact when she stated:
At the beginning of the year, we put our [COVID-19] vaccine mandate into effect and it
was complete chaos. These two Black students came to me and asked if I was vaccinated
and why, and I was able to explain my choice. They later got vaccinated and followed up
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to tell me about it. There were other people they could have asked, but I think seeing
someone who looked like them played a significant factor in them getting vaccinated.
The assumed influence was that aspiring Black female administrators need to value
representation in higher education leadership and reflect this in their career goals. All
participants responded to this interview item with a clear appreciation for the achievements of
Black women who have ascended to the highest levels of leadership within higher education.
Senior Administrators
Senior Black female administrators were asked the following question to assess their
values: What is your main goal when you enter into a mentoring relationship as a mentor?
Participant 9 outlined both her expectations for her mentees and how she supports them in their
journeys when she said:
They have to stand for something bigger than themselves. If they don’t, I am going to
help them clarify what they value. My main goal is about making sure that her
relationship with me, and experience with me, leaves her a strong proud Black woman
who has self-agency and determination to navigate her own path.
Very similarly, Participant 6 said, “My goal is to be able to listen to the mentee’s goals and
provide a pathway.” Participant 8 reflected the importance of building a strong rapport between
mentor and mentee when she said, “I think my main goal is always just to be present and a
constant source of support for that person, wherever they are, and to develop an authentic
relationship with them.” Participant 7 demonstrated how mentors can be instrumental to the
career persistence of their mentees when she explained, “My goal is to help that mentee find a
seat at the table and keep that seat at the table. To be resourceful for them through either my
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storytelling or whatever resources I have available to me to help them get a seat at the table and
keep it.”
While Participant 10 also discussed how she uses her own skillset to build her mentees,
she was unique in that she ensures that her mentees are specifically prepared to handle adversity.
She explained her reasoning when she stated:
Helping them to build their emotional intelligence and to lend a good ear. I am always
looking for my replacement. My goal is to ensure they are successful and can handle
conflict. If you are conflict adverse or avoidant, you cannot work in higher education.
You will cause more problems than you solve.
The assumed value was that senior administrators need to value the importance of mentoring
relationships. All participants demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that those they identify as
mentees thrive under their guidance. Each participant outlined ways that they seek to empower
their mentees to both set and obtain their goals.
Self-Efficacy
In his seminal work, psychologist Albert Bandura defined self-efficacy as people’s belief
in their capabilities to produce given attainments (Bandura, 1997). Plainly, to accomplish a goal,
the participant must believe that the achievement is possible. This study used interview questions
to measure the self-efficacy of both aspiring and senior Black female administrators. Data
collection was limited due to the pandemic.
Aspiring Administrators
To measure their self-efficacy, aspiring administrators were asked the following question:
Tell me about your confidence in your ability to achieve promotional prospects within higher
education leadership. Most participants felt confident in their personal abilities, just as
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Participant 3 demonstrated when she said, “I paid my dues to be where I am, and my
contribution is valuable.” However, Participant 3 also communicated the immense pressure that
she is under as a Black woman in the workplace when she said, “Every day that I wake up, I’m
in an interview. As a woman and especially a woman of color, my responsibility is to rise to the
occasion.”
Similarly, Participant 4 demonstrated confidence in her ability to achieve promotional
prospects, while analyzing the drawbacks of the social environment she would ascend to when
she said:
I am confident in my ability. The question is, do I want some of these roles? That is the
flip side that no one really talks about. Lots of people I know at those levels say that it is
really lonely. No one wants to eat lunch with the President.
Participant 1 echoed the observation of a shrinking community when she said, “I have seen a lot
of Black women leave [higher education] and go into the public sector, but I still love students.”
She goes on to explain how she is confident in her abilities, but also recognizes the need for
having exemplary credentials when she states, “It is not completely hopeless, but I know if I do it
without a doctorate it’s going to be much more of a struggle.”
Participant 2 demonstrated the tension between being prepared for promotional
opportunities and the scarce availability of those opportunities when she said, “I don’t see myself
moving up the ladder [at her current institution] because I don’t think there’s any space for me.”
Participant 5 was unique in that she maintains confidence in her own professional capability, but
also noted how external factors within her personal life have impacted her career pursuit when
she explained:
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I don’t know if I’m moving up as fast as some people would like. I’ve made different
choices, a lot based on being a mom, and staying in a position for a very long time
because I had a flexible work schedule. I had to come to grips with that. I don’t need to
be higher, but I could get there.
The assumed motivation was that aspiring Black female administrators need to have confidence
they can take the steps to achieve the promotional prospects within higher education leadership.
All the participants were confident in their own ability to climb the professional ladder within
higher education but had concerns on how organizational and personal factors would impact
their success.
Senior Administrators
To measure their self-efficacy, senior administrators were asked the following question:
Tell me about your confidence in your ability to positively impact the diversification of the
pipeline to college presidency. The responses to this question were very mixed as demonstrated
by Participant 7 who said, “At my current institution, I would say I have no influence
whatsoever. They would ask for my opinion, but I am not sure how influential it would actually
be.” Similarly, Participant 8 was unsure about the strength of her impact on the pipeline when
she said:
I don't know how confident I am that I, as an individual, can impact that diversity.
Hopefully, maybe one day I'll be a president and then can impact in that way. I think that
collectively through the relationships that I've built with other black women we can hold
space together.
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In contrast, Participant 6 was very confident in her ability to influence positive change at her
institution when she stated, “I am confident because I have been willing to audit the system and
the way we are doing things and say that is not the right way.”
Similarly, Participant 9 was able to speak at length about how she has helped to diversify
the highest levels of leadership within higher education:
At the risk of sounding immodest I am extremely confident because I have a track record
of supporting people. There are people who are in a Chancellor position right now that
got there with my support and guidance. This is something I do that is as natural as rain.
Participant 10 was unique in her assessment that the diversification of the presidency pipeline is
directly tied current leaders’ resilience when she explained:
I think the best way to affect the pipeline is to survive longer in it, and to be willing to
create pathways for those who want to come in behind you. Since I have been a college
president 3 or 4 times now, it is always my goal to make myself accessible and groom
those coming behind me. My goal is leaving the field stronger than I found it. We still
have these unicorn moments that should not be firsts in the year 2021, but that goes to
show you how diverse that pipeline is not.
The assumed motivation was that senior administrators need to have confidence that they can
take the steps to positively impact the diversification of the pipeline to college presidency. While
three participants were confident in their ability to make a lasting impact, two participants were
doubtful.
Emotions
Emotion is an integral aspect of achievement in that positive emotional environment
supports motivation (Clark & Estes, 2008). Individuals are more likely to sustain their
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motivation for success if they feel positively about the process. This study used interview
questions to determine what emotions Black female administrators associate with their careers as
it relates to motivation. Data collection was limited due to the pandemic.
Aspiring Administrators
Aspiring Black female administrators were asked the following question to analyze their
emotions toward their career journey: What makes you excited about pursuing a career in higher
education? The theme of creating change emerged for multiple participants as was demonstrated
by Participant 4 when she said:
The ability to affect change, I would say, and I think right now the exciting thing about
being in higher education is we are at such a turning point in history in defining what
education looks like for all of us. The pandemic has made us really rip the band aid off.
Participant 3 echoed these sentiments when she stated, “In the pandemic we saw so much
enrollment decline across this nation, especially within our Black community, and I want to be
the change I’d like to see.”
Participant 1 also acknowledged that our social order seems to be shifting, but expressed
doubt about the rate of said change when she explained:
It’s the opportunity for abolition actually that excites me. Higher education is incredibly
flawed because it was not built for us [Black people], and even though the world is
changing it’s not changing at the rate, I think, where we can tell Black students to go into
higher ed and it will be a mentally and physically safe space for them. Abolition is
radical; I feel like often the response is to not go for full abolition, but for compromise,
which can breed complacency. There is no time to be complacent anymore.
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Participant 5 was reflective in her response when she said, “Sometimes it is more fear than
excitement, but the excitement is that I get to be the supervisor I always wanted to have. I think
that’s what keeps me pushing along.” Similarly, Participant 2 acknowledged how the field of
higher education has influenced her professional growth when she shared the following response,
“I think what makes me excited is that I feel supported along the way, I feel supported in my
ideas, I feel motivated to think outside the box, but ultimately, I feel challenged.”
The assumed motivation was that aspiring administrators need to feel positive about
pursuing a career in higher education administration. All participants were able to identify
specific aspects of the administrative field that allow them to feel positively overall about
pursuing this career path.
Senior Administrators
Senior administrators were asked the following question to analyze their emotions
regarding their motivation to serve as mentors: How do you feel about the career prospects for
the next generation of Black female administrators and your role as a potential
mentor? Participant 10 shared a bleak outlook on the future for Black women in higher education
when she shared:
I feel incredibly sad. The hostility, the negative tone, the divisiveness of this country
since 2016 has made it more difficult than it was ten years ago when I started. We still
have to be 10 times more qualified, and they may let you in the door, but once you’re in
the seat, the things that happen have been very hard for me to watch. I think they’re
making it harder and less people want to do this work. There is not a lot of support out
there, there’s not a lot of resources. We say to folks to kill yourself and get your degrees
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and after that it will be easier. I think we need to be more truthful with them.
Administration is a contact sport.
Participant 8 shared a tentatively more optimistic perspective when she shared her perspective on
how the next generation of Black female administrators might carve a path for themselves in
certain niches of higher education administration:
I think their career prospects are strong, but I hope that they stay that way. I think in
particular I've seen this trend in administration. You can climb, you can go go go, as
much as you're willing to put yourself out there and as much as you're willing to
withstand the pressure, but the path for Black women within the faculty is where the cloth
gets pulled over our eyes and the path has been blocked.
Participant 7 shared the values that she admires within the next generation of Black female
administrators when she said, “When I think about our younger generation and their tenacity, and
a much more strong-willed desire to know what they want, it is going to be hard to keep them
away from the table.” Thinking upon her role as a mentor, she went on to say, “If I could play
any role in cracking open a door or a window for them to get through, that would be a legacy I
would be extremely proud of.”
Participant 6 outlines how colleges and universities can support Black women by
institutionalizing opportunities for formal mentorship:
We have to organize colleges and districts to make space for us to get together and share
and talk and mentor and support, because even though you could have a strong
mentorship program, if it is not institutionalized it will always be a burden on the
mentor/mentee. What I would want to advocate for is mentorship programs being
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intentional and institutionalized because that is going to be the change agent in on in
really, really bringing up this next generation of strong Black women leaders.
In stark contrast to participants who expressed doubt about the future career prospects for the
next generation of Black female administrators, Participant 9 explained how she believes that
social norms are shifting more than even in their benefit when she said:
I think the prospects are tremendous because there is such a leadership void and vacuum.
Some of it is because of retirements and people moving but, since we don’t have the
luxury of mediocrity and we are preparing and positioning ourselves to take on those
roles, there will be a tremendous amount of opportunity. It could be naive of me. I could
be wrong, but I think that there's a different kind of racial consciousness, not better, but
there's a different kind of racial consciousness. I just have my hopes up that in the
struggle against people’s assumptions and stereotypes, at least there’s a little more
literacy and consciousness around that.
The assumed influence was that senior administrators need to feel positive about serving as
mentors to aspiring administrators. Whether they felt positively or negatively about the future
career prospects of up-and-coming Black female administrators, all of the respondents shared a
willingness to personally support aspiring administrators.
Results and Findings for Organization Causes
Cultural Setting
According to Clark and Estes (2008), effective organizations ensure that everyone has the
resources, policies and procedures, otherwise known as the cultural setting (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001), needed to thrive within their roles. If there are resource shortages then
resources are aligned with organizational priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008). Simply stated, a
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cultural setting is a visible location where policies, practice, and groups of people coming
together to accomplish a goal all intersect (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). This study used
interview questions to measure participant perception of how, if at all, the cultural setting is
impacting the lived experience of Black female administrators. Data collection was limited due
to the pandemic.
Aspiring Administrators
Aspiring administrators were asked the following question to measure their perception of
the organizational resources available to them: How has your current workplace demonstrated a
commitment to your professional development? Providing funding for professional development
opportunities is one distinct way that the participants felt their respective institutions had
supported them. As Participant 1 explained, “They provide funding for it [professional
development] which is great. They also give me a lot of creative freedom, which I have always
enjoyed.” Participant 4 echoed these sentiments when she reflected on the investments that have
been made into her development:
Introducing me to and allowing me to be part of additional professional development
opportunities that are fairly expensive, I have to say, for the institution to undertake….those are
some things that let me know the institution is interested in making sure I get the development I
need and desire.
In contrast, Participant 2 expressed not receiving the same level of support. She expanded
on this when she said, “I essentially take it upon myself. There is no one sending me professional
development opportunities for me to grow.”
Participant 3 expressed the value of the leadership at her institution expressing their
confidence in her when she shared, “I have been in my new position not 60 days, and my direct
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report is already talking to my vice chancellor about promoting me to assistant director.”
Similarly, Participant 5 demonstrated the value of executive leadership being willing to invest
their time into her development as an invaluable resource when she stated:
I have only been in this role for about 8 months, but I will say that I have talked to the
President here more than I have in any other role which is good. I get to see a different take on
things at the college, which he is fully supportive of.
The assumed motivation was that aspiring administrators need to be allowed release time
to engage in professional development opportunities such as a mentorship program. Three
participants expressed the importance of funding to their professional development. Two
participants shared the importance of having a strong rapport and sense of support from
leadership within their respective institutions.
Senior Administrators
To analyze their perception of organizational resources available to them and cultural
setting, senior administrators were asked the following question: How, if at all, has your
institution empowered you to recruit and retain Black female employees? Participant 8
demonstrated the lack of support within her institution when she said, “I don't think that they
have necessarily, not intentionally at all.” Participant 7 shed light on a slightly more nuanced
reality, still fraught with microaggressions, when she shared:
I would say they definitely don’t get in the way. The last time I expanded my leadership
team it was with two Black deans and I was asked if I knew they were both Black by
another cabinet member. I responded that I knew they were the best. It’s kind of funny
but very disappointing.
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Participant 9 expressed an inability to actively recruit and retain anyone until she had reached a
certain level of power within her organizational structure:
When I was faculty, I would say those institutions did not position me to do anything.
When I got to a dean position, I did not have that much as well. When I got to be a vice
president, that’s when I was in position to influence who was hired. The president didn’t
hire a single person I did not want.
Participant 10 expressed the impact of her individual efforts when she said, “I have actively
sought out to diversify teams and institutions. I have navigated to ensure students have
representation at the highest levels of people who look like them who are making decisions.”
Uniquely and in contrast with the other respondents, Participant 6 shared her experience
in an environment that is very supportive of her efforts within the realm of diversity, equity, and
inclusion:
Now I have a leadership that not only supports the hiring of black women, but that wants
to make sure that every single screening committee gets training on unconscious bias.
Every committee gets training that really, really, really drives the point home that we
have to check our biases at the door and that those things need to go out the window, and
we need to learn how to hire the best person for the job.
The assumed motivation influence was that senior administrators need to be supported in
recruiting and retaining mentees. Overall, four out of five participants expressed that their
institutions have been either hostile or passive in their support of recruiting and retaining Black
women employees.
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Cultural Models
According to Clark and Estes (2008), effective organizations ensure that everyone has the
shared belief and value system, otherwise known as the cultural model (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001), needed to thrive within their roles. The cultural model constitutes the
invisible aspects of an organization including, but not limited to, behavior and reward structures
(Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). This study used interview questions to measure the impact of
cultural models on the experiences of Black female administrators. Data collection was limited
due to the pandemic.
Aspiring Administrators
Aspiring administrators were asked the following question to assess their interaction with
the cultural model of their respective institutions: Think about your current workplace. How have
they demonstrated their commitment to support faculty/staff from historically marginalized
groups? Participant 1 was able to identify both positive and negative aspects of her workplace
when she said, “I do see effort, but there is still a lot of invisible labor.” She went on to further
describe this labor by saying, “If you are of a certain identity, any student from that identity is
instantly yours. You are responsible for the whole community and fixing any tragedy that
happens within it.”
Participant 5 echoed similar sentiments when she recalled her experience as a member of
a very strong Black faculty and staff association when she said, “We did a lot of great things for
the community, but it was all homegrown. The institution didn’t give us a budget that we could
depend on.” Participant 2 diverged slightly in her reflection, as she recounted her experience of a
cultural setting misaligned with its cultural model when she said, “I think there are resources that
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are available and they are advertised, but the people that go are the ones that want to be there, not
the ones ruining the work environment.”
Participant 4 discussed how the ideals of leaders within the organization can impact
inclusion efforts when she stated, “There are different committees and councils, but when your
leadership displays that ethos, it makes it plain and clear that the institution stands for equity and
inclusion from the top down.” Participant 3 also implicated the highest levels of organizational
leadership when she responded:
Yes and no, we just went through a phase where a lot of people were laid off because the
district was saying hey you need to have at least an associate’s degree to continue on in
your position. So many were laid off. How is that equitable in a global pandemic?
The assumed influence was that aspiring Black female administrators need to be part of a culture
that aligns with supporting faculty/staff from historically marginalized groups. None of the
participants expressed that their current workplace had shown an unqualified commitment to
supporting faculty and/or staff from historically marginalized populations.
Senior Administrators
Senior administrators were asked the following question to assess their interaction with
institutional cultural models throughout their careers: Does the general climate on your campus
indicate that you are part of an institution that values recruiting, retaining, and empowering a
diverse group of employees? How can you tell? Participant 9 demonstrated the inconsistency that
can be present between cultural setting and cultural model when she said, “There were words
that said that, yes, there were words at every institution. If there was a climate and reality, no
there was not. That was an uphill battle of resistance.”
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Participant 6 raised similar concerns when she stated, “people know it’s the right thing to
do and say they are on board with the changes and things we are institutionalizing, human
behavior indicates something different.” Participant 7 echoed this experience when she said:
We did all the box checking, and I know that there is a will and the desire to incorporate
the changes we made, but when you have a tradition of inequity and the players’ mindsets
haven't changed, then you don’t see any change associated with the box checking we’ve
done.
Participant 8 focused on the recruitment of a diverse workforce when she said, “When it comes
to recruitment, yes, everyone wants to recruit a more diverse pool but we have not empowered
people. That impacts retention.”
Participant 10 indicated similar feelings when she stated, “I am not in an institution or
system that is doing that work. Striving, yes, but not retaining.” She illustrated this point further
by saying, “Just look at our numbers. I am the only Black woman in a vice president level
administrative role in my entire university. It’s a goal. Are we reaching it? No.”
The assumed influence was that senior administrators need to have policies that align
with hiring practices focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. All participants were able to
identify why changes to policy are ineffective without changes to institutional practice and
widely held beliefs.
Summary and Discussion of the Findings
In developing this innovation study, I set out to gather information to guide the
development of a culturally affirming mentorship program for Black female administrators. In
my personal experience as a Black woman, we are rarely afforded the opportunity to build
professional communities without the necessity of code switching from a communication style
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rooted in the lived experiences of the Black community, to a communication style more closely
aligned with the predominantly white culture of academia. To mitigate my own biases while
building this program, I sought out the experiences of ten other Black women who have either
ascended to the highest levels of higher education leadership or aspire to.
To design a meaningful program, I sought to understand how the knowledge, motivation,
and organizational setting intersect and impact the careers of Black female administrators. I
assumed that despite having a strong knowledge (factual, procedural, and declarative) base and
high level of motivation, that organizational deficiencies would negatively impact their
persistence. The data suggests a reality that is much more nuanced than this researcher
anticipated.
The participants interviewed in this study, proved to be extremely knowledgeable about
their chosen career field. Overall, most respondents have taken great care to ensure that their
skills are, and remain, competitive. The interviewees attested to drawing their motivation from
long held personal beliefs like the importance of equity within access to education, and their own
experiences as students from a historically marginalized group. These convictions are often
tested by cultural models misaligned with cultural settings. All participants expressed moments
of discouragement within these conditions, but also surges in their own resilience. Chapter 5 will
present solutions for designing a mentorship program that addresses these solutions via strategies
based in empirical evidence.
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Chapter Five: Recommendations and Evaluation
The purpose of this project is to use the experiences of Black female professionals who
have achieved, or aspire to achieve, executive leadership positions within higher education to
inform the design of a culturally affirming mentorship program called HeySis. Two questions
guided this study:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs necessary for Black
female administrators to achieve executive level leadership positions at colleges or
universities?
2. What recommendations in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and organizational
resources can be made to inform the design of a mentoring program that is meant to
increase the number of Black women in senior leadership positions?
The sections that follow will describe HeySis’ key performance components, as determined by
the data collected throughout this study and informed by the literature.
Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences
The cornerstone of a mentoring program that successfully propels the careers of Black
women must be love. As bell hooks (2001) opines in her timeless text, All About Love:
Many jobs undermine self-love because they require that workers constantly prove their
worth. … Bringing love into the work environment can create the necessary
transformation that can make any job we do, no matter how menial, a place where
workers can express the best of themselves. When we work with love, we renew the
spirit; that renewal is an act of self-love, it nurtures our growth.
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The professional growth and development of Black women typically happens within
environments that were not designed for our success. Our intersecting identities have made us
moving targets for racism, sexism, classism, and a myriad of other attacks (King, 1988).
All the participants in this study expressed an understanding of the need for resilience to
facilitate their own survival. Both stakeholder groups have, despite being at opposite ends of
their career journey, developed strategies to protect themselves from the othering they have come
to expect within professional spaces. Higher education does not approach the identities and lived
experiences of Black women with any level of nuance. However, our experiences, strengths and
talents are as varied as the cultures found across the African diaspora.
The task of HeySis is to create a space where we might lean into our differences for the
sake of building community. According to Audre Lorde (2020), “Difference is that raw and
powerful connection from which our personal power is forged… without community, there is no
liberation, only the most vulnerable armistice between an individual and her oppression.” Lorde
(2020) continues:
It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths. For the master’s tools
will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at
his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.
In the interest of creating genuine change, the following sections will contain recommendations
to address knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that impact the Black female
administrator’s experience and propose a radical divergence from traditional professional
mentoring programs. Each section will include a prioritized cause supported by the data collected
during this study and grounded in relevant literature.

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Community Cultural Wealth and Ancestral Tradition in Action: Knowledge
Recommendations
The Black community within the United States has a sustained history of trading cultural
capital amongst us. This is done typically via storytelling and advice, for both the development
of social capital and ultimately survival within an oppressive and racist society (Yosso, 2005).
Because this wealth of cultural wisdom does not mirror that of the dominant race, it is often
devalued by normative culture. As early as elementary school, students from historically
marginalized backgrounds are forced to contend with one of the most prevalent forms of
contemporary racism, deficit thinking (Yosso, 2005). Schools, and those employed by schools,
espouse these beliefs (Yosso, 2005), which follow marginalized populations into adulthood as
they navigate employment within education.
Black female administrators within higher education experience this as outsider-within
status (Collins, 1986). The most important knowledge that must be transferred from senior to
aspiring Black female administrators is how to survive in a professional environment founded
upon the exclusion of marginalized populations. According to critical race theory, communities
of color establish community cultural wealth through six forms of capital: aspirational,
navigational, social, linguistic, familial and resistant capital (Solorzano & Delgado Bernal,
2001).
Amassing aspirational capital, the ability to maintain hope in the face of real and
perceived barriers (Yosso, 2005), is integral to building resilience. Each senior Black female
administrator interviewed for this study deemed resilience as imperative to their journey up the
career ladder, and one of the most important lessons they learned from their own mentors.
Multiple aspiring Black female administrators within this study indicated that they have
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witnessed the departure of Black female colleagues from higher education due to compounding
oppressions.
The highest priority knowledge cause that was validated in this study is that Black female
administrators need to know the impacts of outsider-within status on Black women within the
pipeline to college presidency. The data outlined in Chapter 4 implied that the participants in this
study not only understand their precarious position within the academy but have taken steps
individually and within carefully cultivated communities to protect themselves from its effects.
Senior administrators have developed strong survival tactics that should be utilized
within the next generation of Black female leaders. A mentoring program that recognizes the
relevance of this skill set will create an environment that fosters the transmission of this
knowledge, thereby encouraging resilience building behaviors (Tuckman, 2009). There are
leadership programs currently in existence that claim to teach the skills necessary for career
advancement. However, leadership and mentoring opportunities tailored specifically to Black
female administrators in higher education are significantly less represented. Modeled behavior
with a functional value demonstrated by a gender and culturally appropriate model, is more
likely to be adopted (Denler et. al, 2009). Additionally, only Black women can provide other
Black women with learning tasks that are rooted in familiar cultural settings thereby promoting
learning and knowledge transfer (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
HeySis will create a space for Black women to commune with one another in ways that
are native to our cultural expressions and experiences. The trope of the strong Black woman can
be motivational and encourage resilience and can have a negative impact on the mental health of
women struggling through hostile environments (Shavers & Moore, 2014). The assumption that
Black women can and will handle any obstacle or workload handed to them by nature of some
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supernatural strength, necessitates a space for rest. Identifying as a strong Black woman is a
reimagination of black womanhood to counter harmful stereotypes such as the mammy or
jezebel, but when Black women are expected to maintain super strength, they have no
opportunity to simply be human (Perry, 2011). HeySis will provide an opportunity for the
centralization of Black women’s wisdom in higher education administration. Additionally, an
opportunity to share and create best practices for navigating the complex relationship between
racism and sexism in the workplace.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Motivation Recommendations
From the time that enslaved Africans arrived on the shores of what would become the
United States of America, Black women have served our communities as activists. This activism,
though constant, has been expressed in many forms. Angela Davis’ (1972) analysis of the
realities of slavery discussed Black women’s survival as a form of resistance when she said:
Even as she was suffering under her unique oppression as female, she was thrust by the
force of circumstances into the center of the slave community. … Not all people have
survived enslavement; hence her survival-oriented activities were themselves a form of
resistance. Survival, moreover, was the prerequisite for all higher levels of struggle.
Survival, in service to the greater good of the Black community, was a central theme in this
study. All participants confirmed the assumed motivation that administrators need to value Black
female representation in higher education leadership and reflect this in their career goals.
Further, all participants reported entering the field of higher education, and remaining within it,
as directly related to wanting to increase positive educational outcomes for both Black students
and the larger Black community. Superseding any desire for personal attainment, the Black
female administrator is driven by a desire to both simplify the journey for future Black females
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working within higher education and serve as a beacon for Black students within their
educational pursuits. This motivation is deeply personal and serves as a touchstone for Black
female administrators.
As theorized by Schraw and Lehman (2009), activating, and building upon personal
interest can increase learning and motivation. Black female administrators within higher
education are motivated by using their work to create pathways to freedom from oppression for
others. HeySis creates an opportunity for remaining connected to those driving desires without
becoming burdened by the myth of the strong Black woman. This mentoring program will tap
into the strength of the Black female collective to bolster rising Black female administrators'
self-efficacy and commitment to the value of their career pursuits.
A successful mentoring relationship within this program will foster high levels of self-
efficacy within mentees; thereby positively influencing their motivation and likelihood to have
positive career outcomes (Pajares, 2006). By connecting Black female administrators to senior
leaders that provide guidance specific to their intersecting identities, mentees will be
participating in goal-directed practice while receiving credible career feedback (Pajares, 2006).
This regular interaction with an intentionally supportive environment will help to counteract the
effects of organizational tension within the workplace.
Fight the Powers That Be: Organization Recommendations
To fully comprehend the organizational factors impacting Black female administrators,
the Antiblack tendencies that permeate the United States must be intentionally acknowledged.
Over 150 years after the formal end of slavery within the United States, power in this country
remains dependent on proximity to whiteness (Dumas, 2016). As explained by Dumas (2016),
though slavery is no longer an official practice, the slave lives on in America’s social
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imagination and in the contemporary suffering of Black people. Hartman (2007) describes this
reality as the afterlife of slavery. Hartman (2007) further explains this civic estrangement when
she states:
Black lives are still imperiled and devalued by a racial calculus and a political arithmetic
that were entrenched centuries ago. This is the afterlife of slavery—skewed life chances,
limited access to health and education, premature death, incarceration, and
impoverishment.
It is unsurprising then, that the field of higher education is hallmarked by its predisposition to
standardize the behaviors and experiences of White males as the benchmark for success (Iverson,
2007). However, neither the global nor higher education markets support this standard any
longer.
One of the latent effects of globalization has been the urgent mobilization of colleges and
universities to prepare their students for the workforce by making their campuses resemble the
global market (Iverson, 2007). The diversity initiatives born from this market need have left the
underlying systems that perpetuate discrimination and racism within institutions uninterrogated,
while simultaneously positioning people from marginalized backgrounds as at-risk for
victimization (Iverson, 2007). As a result, their effectiveness can only be measured as far as their
own denial of the normalcy and insidious nature of racism. Aspiring and senior administrators
need to be part of a culture that aligns with supporting faculty/staff from historically
marginalized groups.
HeySis will provide a viable alternative to the well-intentioned but misguided diversity
initiatives by creating a space for Black women to interrogate their experiences within higher
education without the responsibility of educating their colleagues on the Black experience. This
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program will fill gaps that organizations are not prepared to fill without a careful interrogation of
the ways that they promote oppression.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
The primary mission of the proposed program, HeySis, is to engage Black female
professionals in a rich cultural network that assists them in developing the professional skills and
social support required to successfully navigate the higher education field as a woman of color.
The design of this program is informed by the KMO recommendations extracted from the
experiences of aspiring and senior Black female administrators. Aspiring Black female
administrators, or mentees, will contribute to the organizational goal by providing constant
feedback on the current climate of higher education for Black female professionals. Senior Black
female administrators will support their mentees through the navigation of that climate by
providing them with targeted support in building social capital. Ultimately, aspiring Black
female administrators who participate in this program will have better career outcomes overall.
Senior Black female administrators will have another pathway for expanding their personal
legacies as they positively impact the next generation of leaders in education. These program and
stakeholder goals directly align with addressing the impending leadership and representation
crisis in higher education.
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
Being able to evaluate program effectiveness is paramount to creating sustainable change.
The new world Kirkpatrick model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) will be adapted to measure
the reaction, behavior, learning and results as related to activities and initiatives deployed
through HeySis. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) recommend this method of evaluation to
both constantly improve the program and to maximize transfer of learning to behavior and
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organizational results. The model is delineated into four levels which are presented in reverse
order to maintain focus on program outcome throughout the planning stages (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). Level 4 of the model measures internal and external results while accounting
for leading indicators and desired outcomes that bridge the gap between the micro and macro.
Level 3 analyzes behavior, or the degree to which program participants are able to apply what
they have learned to their personal experiences (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Level 2
measures the degree to which mentors and mentees acquire the intended knowledge, skills,
confidence, and commitment based on their participation in HeySis (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Level 1 measures how engaging and relevant participants find HeySis and the activities
deployed within the program to be. The new world Kirkpatrick model was developed as an
adaptation of the historical Kirkpatrick model, to effectively evaluate modern talent development
and performance (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The following sections will further explain
how the model will be applied to the implementation and evaluation of HeySis.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Chapters 1 and 2 of this study mention the historic contributions to the field of higher
education by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Ada Louis Sipel Fisher, two of numerous Black
female titans in the world of education. The contributions of Black women, both historic and
contemporary, have been devalued at the expense of those who dared to execute them. HeySis,
will provide a dedicated space for establishing a counternarrative to the version of academic
history sponsored by the dominant culture, and profoundly change the Black female
administrator experience. The desired external outcome for this program is a statistically
significant increase in the number of Black female administrators within executive leadership in
higher education. The desired internal outcome for this program is for aspiring Black female
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administrators to experience less resistance within their career journeys as demonstrated by
promotional opportunities that are commensurate with their efforts. This change will be
measured by the Level 4 of the New World Kirkpatrick (2016) model.
Level 4 measures the degree to which targeted outcomes are happening because of the
program (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). To disaggregate progress, leading indicators are
identified. Leading indicators are custom designed targets that contribute to the overall desired
organizational outcome (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). While results are indicative of
arriving at a goal, leading indicators measure progress toward it. Table 8 shows the proposed
results and leading indicators.

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Table 8
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External outcomes
Increase in the number of
Black female admin.
promoted to executive
leadership roles
Number of Black women in
executive positions where
HeySis chapters exist
College and
university
demographic data
Increased interest in joining
HeySis as a mentor or
mentee
Number of program
participants
Number of program
applications
Internal outcomes
Increase in aspiring Black
female administrators
promoted to Vice
President or higher-level
positions
Percentage of mentees
promoted to executive level
leadership positions
Employee
demographic data
at partner
institutions
Increased commitment to
mentoring relationships
Number of contacts made
between mentor and
mentees
Internal report on
mentee/mentor
participation
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
Increase in levels of self-
efficacy among aspiring
Black female
administrators
Self-reported survey results
by mentees
Semi-annual survey
among
participants
Participant
generated
testimonials
(request for
validation)
Expansion of the
professional networks of
aspiring Black female
administrators
Number of contacts made
with HeySis as
demonstrated by program
activity participation
Number of event
attendees and
“touchpoints” for
mentors and
mentees

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Level 3: Behavior
Critical Behaviors
Level 3 measures the degree to which participants can perform critical behaviors in order
to achieve (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Critical behaviors are specific actions that, if
performed as directed, will lead to target outcomes. The first critical behavior for aspiring Black
female administrators is that they must regularly engage with their assigned mentor and program
activities. This behavior will be measured by the number and quality of mentoring meetings
initiated by the pair of participants. Quality of meetings will be measured by a quarterly
satisfaction survey. The second critical behavior for this stakeholder group is that they must
actively reference their personal action plan, as developed by their mentor. This will be measured
by the number of action tasks achieved within a year. If they actively perform these critical
behaviors, they will be successful in this program and have better career outcomes. Senior Black
female administrators, or mentors, will be successful in this program if they actively pursue
opportunities for quality engagement with their mentees. Table 9 shows the critical behaviors for
both the mentees and mentors.

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Table 9
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical behavior Metric(s)
Method(s)
Timing
1a. Mentees must
engage regularly
with their assigned
mentor and program
activities.
Number and quality of
mentor and program
engagements
Satisfaction survey
generated by the
program
Quarterly
1b. Mentees must
actively reference
and execute their
personal action
place.
Progress against the
action plan
Mentor assessment of
mentee progress

Self-report on progress
and achievements
Quarterly

Monthly
2a. Mentors must
pursue
opportunities for
quality engagement
with mentees.
Number and quality of
mentee and
program
engagements
Satisfaction survey
generated by the
program

Self-report on mentor
achievements
Quarterly

Quarterly

Required Drivers
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), required drivers are paramount to target
outcomes being executed accurately and successfully. Required drivers provide both support and
accountability for program participants by facilitating processes and systems that reinforce,
monitor, encourage and reward the performance of critical behaviors within the program
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 10 lists the required drivers for selected critical
behaviors.

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Table 10
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical behaviors supported
Reinforcing
Provide an infographic that
shows the components of
the personal action plan
based on proposed career
goals
Ongoing 1a, 1b
Provide workshops that allow
mentors to model goal
setting by analyzing
resumes for gaps and
proposing activities to gain
necessary skills.
Ongoing 1b, 2a
Create communities of
practice for mentees with
similar action plans/ yearly
goals
Ongoing 1a, 1b
Encouraging
Online discussion forums and
fireside chats designed for
mentors and mentees to
share their experiences
Ongoing 1a, 2a
Regular email newsletter
sharing participant
accomplishments, advice
for self-care, and
opportunities for
professional development
and connection
Monthly 1a, 2b
Rewarding
Recognition awards at annual
HeySis retreat for self-care
and community
Annual 1a,2b
Recognition at Bi-Annual
participant meet up
1a, 2b
Monitoring
Touch-base meetings by
program director
Ongoing 1a
Action plan monitoring for
quality assurance by
program administrators
Ongoing 1b
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Method(s) Timing Critical behaviors supported
Create internal policies that
utilize participant
satisfaction and outcome
data as primary driver
Ongoing 1a, 2b

Organizational Support
The success of HeySis is rooted in mentee/mentor relationships and participation. To
support the critical behaviors of both stakeholder groups, multiple platforms and outreach
methods will be utilized. The required drivers indicated in Table 10 will be overseen by the
program director to ensure that the cultural models and settings are supporting a dynamic of
stakeholder success (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Level 2: Learning
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) define learning as the degree to which participants
acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitudes, confidence, and commitment based on their
participation in the program. These categories bridge the gap between learning and behavior.
Learning Goals
Following the implementation of the HeySis program, after 1 year of participation the
stakeholders will be able to:
● Identify both traditional and nontraditional pathways to executive level leadership
positions in higher education.
● Identify and mitigate the impact of outsider-within status on Black women within the
pipeline to college presidency.
● Establish mentoring relationships to counterbalance marginalization.
● Identify and secure opportunities for professional development.
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● Utilize strategies for minimizing the impact of racism and sexism on their careers.
● Set and obtain career goals.
● Communicate the importance of Black female representation in higher education
leadership.
● Maintain high levels of motivation needed to persist on their career paths.
● Identify and maintain a strong network of Black females within their career field.
● Indicate program value by maintaining high levels of engagement with activities,
mentors and peers while completing personal action plans.
● Design and execute efficient career plans commensurate with their personal
professional goals and effort.
The Program
The proposed HeySis mentoring, and training program was designed based on the KMO
needs analysis conducted in Chapter 4, and recommendations outlined in Chapter 5. This
program will support the stakeholder learning goals listed in the previous section through a
yearlong cohort experience delivered across multiple platforms. The following four tenets are the
hallmarks of the program: Recalibration Ceremony, Mentor/Mentee Meetup, ongoing monthly
workshops, and the Family Reunion.
The HeySis experience will commence with an in-person event called the Recalibration
Ceremony. The purpose of this day-long experience is to begin the work of shedding previous
professional traumas and affirming program participants within an environment that validates
and celebrates their Black female identities. The day will begin in African tradition with libation
pouring, a ritual pouring of liquid intended to honor ancestors or those who have preceded us in
death. Participants will progress through several activities and workshops designed to establish a
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strong program foundation of identity exploration and goal setting. Cohort members will be
matched with their mentors, arranged into larger “neighborhoods” based on their current career
placements (i.e., student services, academic affairs, etc.), and become members of family trees.
Family trees will include a senior administrator, a mid-level administrator, and an entry-level
administrator. This level of layering will give program participants an opportunity to reinforce
what they learn from senior administrators through peer mentorship, and organic networking
opportunities. Family trees will be encouraged to meet regularly throughout the year to share
their experiences, trade knowledge, and provide support to one another. Under the guidance of
their mentors, mentees will identify personal goals based on both their career aspirations and
personal values. The activities completed at this event will set the foundation for the next in the
series, Mentor/Mentee Meetup.
Mentor/Mentee Meetup will be conducted independently by mentoring pairs announced
during the Recalibration Ceremony. While less formal, there will be a program established
deadline for the completion of this event. Mentors will be expected to work with their mentees to
complete a personal action plan in a template provided by the program. This action plan will
include both short- and long-term goals for the mentee to complete throughout their time in the
cohort. Mentoring pairs will also be expected to establish a schedule for future contact and
communication expectations. While mentor and mentee pairs are expected to meet
independently, there will be multiple opportunities for engagement throughout the year.
The program includes a monthly series of events delivered virtually including workshops,
fireside chats, social events, and networking opportunities. Workshops will cover topics relevant
to the Black female administrator experience including, but not limited to: managing racial battle
fatigue and burnout, recognizing and addressing microaggressions, maximizing mentorship
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opportunities for advancement, and how to identify co-conspirators in the workplace. All virtual
events will be recorded and compiled into a digital library for participant reference. After each
workshop, participants will be asked to complete a survey to measure the effectiveness and
relevance of the content.
The HeySis program will culminate with Family Reunion, a capstone event designed to
celebrate the successful completion of the program. As with the Recalibration Ceremony, the
event will begin with pouring libation followed by a series of activities. Once more, participants
will explore their personal identity and self-stated goals and consider what has changed over the
course of the year. There will also be a forum created for sharing “praise reports” or personal
testimonies of career and personal successes. A wisdom tree will be established to collect the
community cultural wealth and wisdom that is generated by the cohort for the benefit of those to
come.
Evaluation of the Components of Learning
HeySis integrates several learning components that reinforce one another to facilitate the
stakeholders’ ability to regularly executive critical behaviors. Mentees must develop robust
levels of self-efficacy in order to successfully implement the knowledge gained during this
program, further their careers, and achieve their learning goals (Bandura, 1997). Table 11 the
evaluation of the components of learning for the program and their timing.

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Table 11
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks by mentors Periodically during one-on-one meetings
Knowledge checks during workshops and
supplemental program activities
Periodically through participation and
discussion at monthly events
Procedural skills “I can do it right now.”
Feedback from mentors Throughout the year-long program
Feedback from peers Periodically during workshops and “family
tree” meetups
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Survey items assessing career outlook During the initial Recalibration ceremony, at
the midpoint of the program, and at end of
the program
Participant satisfaction survey items After each monthly event
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Teach back opportunity for resilience building
skills like addressing racism and
microaggressions
During monthly workshops
Action plan check-ins and adjustment Throughout the year-long program
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Goal identification During the initial Recalibration Ceremony
Action plan creation During the first mentor/mentee meetup
Mentor’s progress assessment Throughout the year-long program
Self-reported progress At the end of the program during “Family
Reunion”

Level 1: Reaction
Level 1 measures the participants’ level of engagement, relevance, and satisfaction to
determine the degree to which participants react positively to the program (Kirkpatrick &
Kirkpatrick, 2016). Engagement measures how actively involved participants are with the
program, which directly relates to how much knowledge they can potentially obtain (Kirkpatrick
& Kirkpatrick, 2016). Relevance and satisfaction describe whether or not the knowledge
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obtained within the program will be useful to participants outside of the program, and if they are
enjoying the program itself. Table 12 illustrates components to measure reactions to the program.

Table 12
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Completion of program activities Ongoing
Activity evaluation survey Immediately following program events
Attendance Ongoing
Relevance
Closing group and individual reflection Immediately following program events
Activity evaluation survey Immediately following program events
Customer Satisfaction
Activity evaluation survey Immediately following program events
Mentoring relationship satisfaction survey Ongoing
Program director assessments and check ins Quarterly

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Evaluation Tools
Immediately Following the Program Implementation
Throughout the program, participant attendance and number of activities completed will
be tracked. Participants will be presented with multiple opportunities to give feedback on each
component of the program through survey, discussion, and formal and informal check-ins with
both their assigned mentor and the program director. During events, polls will be deployed to
measure participant engagement. Post event surveys utilizing a number of Likert-style questions
measuring engagement, relevance, and satisfaction will be deployed. The survey will include
open ended questions to encourage participants to speak freely regarding their experience within
the program. See Appendix B for a representative event survey. Individual and group reflection
sessions will be encouraged during both program led and independent programming.
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
Approximately 90 days after the completion of the program, participants will be invited
to participate in an interview designed to measure the impact that their participation in HeySis
has had on their careers. The interview items will measure if they have been able to apply their
learned skills within the workplace, if the relationships they established during the program have
persisted, and how likely they are to recommend the program to someone else based on how
HeySis supported their goals. This evaluation instrument will also include items to measure
whether or not the participant believes that this program will have a positive impact on
diversifying the pipeline to college presidency. See Appendix C for a sample evaluation
instrument.
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Data Analysis and Reporting
An analysis of the findings will be shared with program participants and used as a
marketing tool for future participants. Findings will include results and themes that arise from
both immediate and delayed evaluation as well as data collected throughout the program.
Communicating these findings will both give future participants a deeper insight into the
program, and celebrate the accomplishments of the inaugural cohort. Program participants with
the highest levels of participation will be asked to record testimonials sharing information about
their experience and how the program has impacted their career goals. These testimonials will be
interspersed between recorded footage of other program events. Participants will also be asked to
give recommendations for future mentees and mentors and to consider how the program might
impact the Black female administrator’s experience if implemented on a larger scale. This
culminating video will be shared on the HeySis website, and through the digital magazine
distributed monthly by the program via email. The testimonials will be shared with other
professional organizations, and institutions of higher education so that Black women are
informed that there is a culturally affirming community available to them to support their career
plans.
Limitations and Delimitations
Every study presents challenges that result in limitations, and every study risks including
elements that produce unrepresentative data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The purpose of this
study was to assess the KMO influences of Black female professionals who have achieved, or
aspire to achieve, executive leadership positions within higher education to inform the design of
a culturally affirming mentorship program called HeySis. There were three key limitations to this
study: the sample size is small and could have resulted in sampling bias, data collection was
101

limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and most participants were geographically clustered in
one state.
There were several delimitations of the study. First, by choosing to utilize two
stakeholder groups, a broad dichotomy of career experiences were represented. This resulted in
data from multiple perspectives that would have been overlooked otherwise, and mirror what a
mentoring relationship should offer. Second, the use of KMO influences supported in literature
narrowed the focus of the study to remain aligned with the study goal while navigating one small
section of a complex issue. Third, the researcher identifies as a Black woman which created a
general rapport with participants that encouraged them to answer interview questions in earnest.
The researcher’s personal intersecting identity and career journey made it possible to design
relevant interview questions that facilitated the revelation of KMO influences and their
interactions.
Recommendations for Future Research
The experience of being a Black female administrator within higher education is a
complex topic that cannot be properly examined by a single study. As noted throughout this
study, Black women begin to feel the impact of racism and sexism as students and the potential
mental health implications of that journey cannot be ignored. This study did not delve into the
ramifications of being forced to develop high levels of self-efficacy in the face of hostility.
Additional research into the mental and physical health outcomes of Black women who pursue
this career path would complement this study’s findings by illuminating what mental and
physical health supports could be included within a mentoring program for Black female
administrators.
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Conclusion
Higher education is facing what this study characterized as a leadership crisis. In fact,
higher education is being presented with an opportunity to radically shift from its historic
conception of what leadership at colleges and universities looks like. Diversity, equity, inclusion,
and antiracism have been named as the ideals of the day, but higher education will not change
unless the contributions of Black women are valued and encouraged. History has proven that
Black women cannot depend on specific institutions to uplift them, so culturally affirming space
must be created for us to pour into ourselves and our communities. This dissertation examined
one aspect of this multi-layered issue, namely the KMO influences that would be useful in
contributing to the design of a mentoring program for Black female administrators in higher
education. As we have said to one another in many different languages and dialects across space
and time within the Black community, we gon’ be aiite. The struggle continues.

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Appendix A: Interview Protocol
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. As you know, I am affiliated with the
University of Southern California as a doctoral candidate, and this study is contributing to the
completion of my degree requirements as part of my dissertation. By agreeing to participate in
this interview, you are self-identifying as a Black/African-American woman pursuing a career in
higher education. Before we continue, please confirm that this is an accurate representation of
your identity.
[Interview Goals] The purpose of this interview is two-fold. First, I would like to
ascertain the knowledge, motivation and organizational needs necessary for Black female
administrators to achieve executive level leadership positions at colleges or universities. I believe
that your unique experiences as a senior/aspiring (whichever is applicable) administrator will
contribute significantly to my understanding in these areas. Secondly, I am interested in what
recommendations in the areas of knowledge, motivation and organizational resources can be
made to inform the design of a mentoring program that is meant to increase the number of Black
women in senior leadership in higher education.
[Time Frame] The interview will last no more than 1 hour. Do you have any questions
or concerns about anything I have shared thus far? The study in particular?
[Informed Consent] Before we begin, I would like your permission to tape record this
interview. I will be using the Voice Memo application on my phone in addition to the record
feature on Zoom. I will be using two different methods to ensure that I get everything I need the
first time around.
I will keep your responses confidential, and I will create a pseudonym to hide your
identity. Once our interview has been transcripted and de-identified, all recordings will be
113

deleted. The de-identified transcript will be shared with my dissertation committee chair, Dr.
Kenneth Yates.
[Voluntary] Please know that your participation is voluntary. You can stop the interview
at any time if you feel uncomfortable or change your mind. You can also tell me to stop
recording at any point.
Closing
Thank you for your participation in this study. Is there anything that you would like to
add or is there anything you would like to ask me? I will be transcribing your interview in the
next few weeks. It’s possible that I might have additional questions. May I follow up with you to
schedule another time to talk if necessary? Have a wonderful day and thank you again for your
participation.

114

Appendix B: Sample Post Event Survey
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
The workshop
materials were
easy to follow.
🔘 🔘 🔘 🔘
My learning was
enhanced by
the knowledge
of the
facilitator.
🔘 🔘 🔘 🔘
The activities
aided me in
learning the
concepts.
🔘 🔘 🔘 🔘
I was actively
engaged
throughout the
workshop.
🔘 🔘 🔘 🔘
I was
encouraged to
participate
throughout the
workshop.
🔘 🔘 🔘 🔘
What I learned
will help me
with my job.
🔘 🔘 🔘 🔘

How could this workshop have been improved?

115

Appendix C: Delayed Program Evaluation Interview
1. How are you currently using what you learned throughout the HeySis program on the
job?
2. How often do you keep in contact with your assigned mentor?
3. Were you able to make progress on the personal action plan that you developed at the
beginning of the program?
4. How often do you keep in contact with your assigned family tree?
5. What positive outcomes have you seen as a result of completing this program?
6. If you are not using the skills you learned during the program, what are the reasons?
7. What could have improved your experience as a participant in HeySis?
8. If you could offer any advice to members of the next cohort, what would it be?
9. How likely are you to recommend this program to a colleague?

Asset Metadata

Creator Brown, Aysia (author)

Core Title Hey sis, let’s talk about Black women in the college presidency pipeline

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Degree Conferral Date 2022-08

Publication Date 06/24/2022

Defense Date 04/15/2022

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Black female leadership,higher education leadership,mentoring,mentorship program,oai:digitallibrary.usc.edu:usctheses,OAI-PMH Harvest,professional development,social capital,underrepresentation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Advisor Yates, Kenneth (committee chair), Harvey, Marilyn (committee member), Tobey, Patricia (committee member)

Creator Email apennell@usc.edu,AysiaTBrown@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC111352067

Unique identifier UC111352067

Legacy Identifier etd-BrownAysia-10792

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Brown, Aysia

Type texts

Source 20220706-usctheses-batch-950 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email uscdl@usc.edu

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Using the needs analysis and innovation adaptations of the gap analysis problem solving framework (Clark & Estes, 2008), the purpose of this study was to ascertain the knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs necessary for Black female administrators to achieve executive level leadership positions within higher education. Also, this study sought to inform the design of a mentoring program that is meant to increase the number of Black women in higher education leadership. Semi structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from 10 participants to identify and validate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences necessary to create an effective program. Findings from this study show that in general, a successful mentoring program for Black women in higher education must focus on building self-efficacy, professional networks, and social capital. These findings were used to develop the mentoring program. Once HeySis is fully implemented, ongoing evaluation and program assessment will be utilized to further improve the program. This study begins to address one segment of the complex issue that is the chronic underrepresentation of Black women in higher education leadership.