Promoting Equity for Women Administrators of Color

The purpose of this study was to conduct trend and predictive analyses using both the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Fall Staff Survey and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data to examine changes in the proportional representation of women by race/ethnicity among higher education administrators from 1991 to 1997. Specifically, it sought to explore the progress of gender equity for women administrators in higher education by examining whether the increases for women by race/ethnicity have been comparable across various institutional characteristics and to determine the relative impact of these characteristics on the change in the proportional representation of these women. Analysis of the data indicated that the proportional representation of women administrators in five racial/ethnic groups increased between 1991 and 1997. White women experienced by far the largest increase in proportional representation, followed by considerably smaller increases for Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and American Indian women administrators, respectively. In addition, the change in the proportional representation of women administrators by race/ethnicity varied by institutional type, with some types showing much greater increases than others, and other types showing decreases. Women administrators of color continue to be disproportionately underrepresented at most every institutional type except minority-serving institutions. Specifically, the trend analyses suggested that increases for Black and Hispanic women administrators have occurred primarily at institutions that serve their respective underrepresented group. Institutions that had more women administrators of color were minority-serving, two-year, urban, or had high percentages of women faculty of color. (Contains 45 references.) (EV)