A Qualitative Examination of the Lived Experiences of Black Women in Student Affairs as Middle-Management Professionals

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of Black women in student affairs as middle-management professionals. The study consisted of interviewing 10 participants who have served as middle management professionals for at least six-years. This study focused on understanding the experiences of the population under study and what and how they have experienced higher education, and how race, gender, and their positionality in this arena has impacted their overall experience. The study also sought to give a voice to a population that has been overlooked in the literature, and to create dialogue surrounding the experiences of staff. Themes that emerged from the study included Representation, Imposter Syndrome, Labor Intensive, Mentorship, and Networking. Recommendations and future implications for research were made to increase literature on the experiences of Black women in student affairs as middle management professionals, the experiences of staff in general, and the need for more diversity (e.g., increasing the number of Black women in senior leadership positions) in administrator roles in the academy