Researchers have identified some of the factors that inhibit the success of mothers in academia, including overt and covert discrimination, inequitable teaching and service assignments, and the lack of policies that support combining motherhood and academic work. Pretenure mothers are particularly vulnerable, as they attempt to balance increasing demands for achieving tenure and the overlap of the tenure and biological clocks. In addition to further exploring these factors, this phenomenological study of 10 women counseling professors considered the impact of rising cultural expectations related to motherhood. Results of this study revealed that combining pretenure academic work and motherhood seems to be increasingly more challenging. Themes highlighted include instances of incompatibility in academic and motherhood roles and barriers in academic culture. Also provided are positive aspects of academic motherhood, strategies for success under current cultural and academic systems, and suggestions for advocacy efforts to further support faculty mothers.

In her new book, Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide, Torie Weiston-Serdan offers an alternative to traditional, power-based mentoring relationships, which she calls critical mentoring. Weiston-S...

This qualitative study utilizes feminist media analysis to examine the depiction of college women in the U.S. TV show Greek. Overall women engage in and graduate from higher education at rates greater than men, but representations of higher education in popular culture tend to minimize women’s intellectual engagement within the academy. Our findings focus on two themes emerging from our analysis: that of the show’s depiction of college women as “intellectual-lite” through portrayals of their limited and stereotypical interests, and their depictions as “knowers,” portrayed through the ways they make sense of college and how they engage in it. As artifacts of popular culture, such as TV shows, provide templates of college student identity and behaviors for viewers, we close with recommendations to challenge continuing misrepresentations within personal and institutional practice in higher education by suggesting ways to recognize and counter these messages.

How women understand and practice leadership is a growing focus in research and in practice. This study was the first of its kind to examine different variables that drive college women’s leadership self-efficacy. The researchers sought to identify which of the 19 capacities of emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL) are significant drivers of college women’s leadership self-efficacy. Four EIL capacities emerged as significant: initiative, facilitating change, developing relationships, and managing conflict. The findings and discussion include specific strategies to support college women’s leadership development and suggest further exploration of gender disparities in college student leadership development.

The conversation about trans* college students can finally move beyond discussions of bathrooms. Nicolazzo’s book described the experiences of nine collegians on a campus marked by the twin cultura...

Nationally, the attrition rate of doctoral students is high, and it is often attributed to a lack of support. In higher education, the attrition rate of doctoral Students of Color and other underrepresented populations is even greater. This article briefly reviews the structure of one cohort model doctoral program and its impact on the overall experiences of six members. The six women, referred to as Weekend Warriors, retrospectively share personal and professional experiences and common themes that amalgamated through their dissertation research explained through applied critical leadership. This article also conveys how the Weekend Warriors organized into a writing group, which ultimately supported the completion of the doctoral program and fostered continued growth in social justice leadership.

Sexual assault on college campuses has become an epidemic requiring institutions to respond. Through Title IX, all educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education must have a Title IX coordinator and must respond to allegations of sexual assault. Little specific guidance for how to appropriately conduct an investigation of alleged sexual assault and harassment can be found in the mandates of Title IX. The authors offer a pilot model that can be used by interviewers conducting an investigation in which the victim is not re-traumatized or provided with negative reactions and that takes into account the emotional needs of the investigator. The CARING model focuses on skills necessary for interviewing individuals involved in sexual assault cases and on helping the helper.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of women in the Sistah Network, an affinity group at a predominantly White institution, with mentoring goals to enhance the educational and social experiences of Black women in master’s and doctoral programs and their mentors. The authors interviewed 18 women (faculty, staff, and students), conducted observations at Sistah Network meetings, and analyzed exit ticket data to get insight on how the program influenced the academic and social experiences of the women. Critical race theory and Black Feminist Thought were used as theoretical frameworks to interpret the findings. Findings suggest four main themes: (a) the Sistah Network advances identity and empowerment, (b) the Sistah Network contributes to social advantages, (c) the Sistah Network affords emotional benefits, and (d) the Sistah Network promotes academic success. Findings suggest that efforts can be made to implement and sustain variations of mentoring programs for this population of women and other marginalized groups.

Much warranted attention over the past few decades has been devoted to the problem of retaining women faculty in academe, particularly in areas where they are poorly represented such as in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study uses descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling techniques to identify factors related to STEM women faculty members’ intention to leave. Findings revealed several significant pathways and provide insight into this critical issue. Implications of the findings, in connection with extant research and higher education practices, are discussed.