Why Are There So Few of Us? Counterstories From Women of Color in Faculty Governance Roles [AERA Paper]

Since women of color are still underrepresented in tenure-track positions on college and university campuses, it is no surprise that they are underrepresented in faculty governance positions in post-secondary institutions, also referred to as institutions of higher education (IHEs) settings. This initial descriptive study described the successes and challenges faced by eight (n=8) women of color in current or former governance roles in California universities. A semi-structured interview schedule was administered to the participants that focused on their perceptions in three areas: competence, confidence and credibility. The findings were analyzed and implications as well as recommendations for further research were reported