Gender Trends in Senior-Level Leadership: A 12-Year Analysis of the CCCU U.S. Member Institutions

Abstract

This article documents the continued gender disparities evident across U.S. higher education. While more women than men attend college and now obtain the majority of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, women continue to be underrepresented in senior-level institutional leadership roles. This phenomenon is particularly evident among the member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). Given that the CCCU's 108 U.S. member campuses serve a collective student body that is more than 60% female, such gender imbalances are striking, especially noting the commitment of Christ-centered campuses to foster organizational climates that value diversity and promote the success and well-being of all students. Data over a 12-year period (1998–2010) have been collected to document trends in the gender composition of the senior-level leadership teams on these campuses. Over that period, the average number of individuals serving at vice presidential or higher levels across these institutions increased from 5.3 to 5.9. The percent of men grew 20% over the period, while the percent of women serving on those leadership teams grew 161%—from 8.4% to 17% of the total serving in these senior leadership positions. On average across these campuses, the mean of male senior leaders in 2010 was 4.9; the mean of women serving was just under 1.0 (.99). The background, results, and discussion/implications sections present trends and themes related to the composition of CCCU presidents’ leadership teams, with suggestions offered for changing the face of senior leadership in member institutions.