WOMEN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS WHO BREAK THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING: AT WHAT PRICE?

On average, the American university president is a white man in his early 60s. Progress has been slow for women in this role. This study examined the university presidency with a focus on the woman president experience. The hypothesis was that based on factors such as the glass ceiling and glass cliff, gender affects the experiences of women university presidents. The purpose of this study was to understand the personal and professional meaning-making of breaking through the glass ceiling for women who have held or currently hold the position of president in higher education. The research methodology selected for this study was qualitative with a phenomenological design. There were two guiding research questions, which serve to understand the essence of the experiences of women who serve or have served in the role of president in higher education. The research questions are (a) how do women perceive the impact of the glass ceiling and/or the glass cliff on negotiating the role of university president from ascension to attainment? and (b) how do women university presidents perceive the price they have paid, personally and professionally, for breaking through the glass ceiling? The study sample size consisted of seven current or former women university presidents. The data collection method was semi-structured interviews. This study served to provide insight that may help identify support systems for women in the workplace, changes in perceptions of women in leadership, and how gender roles unfold in both the personal and professional lives of women university presidents