Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development

Program/Concentration

Community College Leadership

Committee Director

Michelle E. Bartlett

Committee Member

James E. Bartlett

Committee Member

LaShica Waters

Abstract

Women remain underrepresented in higher-level administrative roles in community colleges, a disparity shaped by systemic barriers, limited mentoring, and inconsistent pathways into leadership. Department chairs occupy a critical midlevel position that influences faculty, students, and the implementation of institutional priorities, yet little is known about how women experience this role or how their pathways into leadership take shape. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how women community college department chairs experience leadership work and what experiences influence their entry into leadership roles. Guided by feminist standpoint theory and grounded in narrative inquiry methodology, this study centers the lived experiences of twelve women department chairs from community colleges in Maryland.

Semi-structured interviews provided rich narratives that were analyzed through an iterative, thematic process. Two overarching research questions guided the study: (1) How do women community college department chairs experience leadership work? and (2) What experiences influence women to become community college leaders? Findings revealed six interconnected themes: (a) reluctant and sponsored pathways into leadership, (b) leadership as service, care, and student advocacy, (c) invisible labor and gendered double binds, (d) resistance, agency, and innovation, (e) mentorship and collective knowledge-building, and (f) leadership identity and legacy-building. Participants described leadership work as relational, emotionally demanding, and shaped by personal identity, caregiving roles, and cultural standpoints. Their narratives highlighted both the structural inequities embedded within community college organizations and the creative, student-centered, and equity-driven approaches women bring to department chair work.

Interpreted through feminist standpoint theory, the findings affirm the value of lived experience as a source of leadership knowledge and illuminate the power dynamics and gendered expectations that women leaders must navigate. The study contributes to the literature by offering a nuanced understanding of midlevel leadership from the perspective of women department chairs and provides practical implications for strengthening mentoring structures, improving leadership preparation, and creating more equitable and sustainable conditions for department chairs. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research offer pathways for institutions seeking to cultivate inclusive leadership and support women’s advancement in community colleges.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

ISBN

9798197809230

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