Date of Award
Spring 1996
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Martin, Thomas
Abstract
African Americans are severely underrepresented throughout American higher education. The lack of black representation among the ranks of faculty and administration has received increasing attention in recent years, particularly at the chief executive level. Research conducted in related areas identified literature which suggests a variety of factors which can be attributed to the lack of representation and participation. These factors included racial stereotyping and discrimination, lack of administrative development opportunities, the absence of support and guidance during graduate study, and public opinion. This study identified and supports the presence of institutional factors which hindered the career advancement of African Americans in higher education administration, specifically the presidency. It also identified those factors which were attributed to the career advancement of African Americans who were successful in obtaining presidential appointments. The literature offers mentoring, networking, professional affiliations, and administrative development opportunities as facilitating factors. This study identified and supports those factors and others which facilitated the career advancement of African Americans in higher education presidencies. It provides an in-depth account of the career experiences and perceptions of two presidents and two chancellors at predominantly white four-year institutions, in their pursuit of the chief executive officer position. Qualitative case study methodology was used to describe the career progression and experiences of African American presidents at predominantly white four-year institutions. Thirty-three presidents were identified using multiple sources of information and listings for accuracy of information. One president agreed to pilot the study to improve effectiveness of the study. An informational survey was used to gather preliminary information, and four respondents were selected for case study interviews. The preliminary gathering of information was used to further develop the questions used during the interviewing process. Two of the interviews were conducted on-site and two were conducted via telephone. The results of this study support the existence of racial stereotyping and discrimination to varying degrees. It further suggests other factors which hinder the advancement of African Americans to the position of president. These factors included public opinion, lack of administrative opportunities, and lack of guidance and support during graduate education. While results of the study support the existence of institutional barriers to advancement, it further suggests that there are methods by which such obstacles can be overcome to the extent necessary to achieve individual career goals.