Women in Academic Leadership Roles at Research Intensive Universities: Examining the Recent Past Using NSOPF-93

Abstract

This study investigates gender differences in personal and institutional factors that impact women's advancement to academic leadership roles at research intensive universities. It uses data from a 1993 national collection of information on post-secondary faculty. Academic leaders were defined as faculty who served as department chairs, deans, provosts, vice-presidents of academic areas presidents and chancellors. In terms of personal factors, differences in marital status, average amount of time in leadership positions, and tenure status, were found between male and female academic leaders. No differences were found with respect to the institutional factors of private or public universities, student enrollment size, or percent of under-represented students enrolled.