The Career Path of Successful Hispanic Women Holding Top Academic Administrative Positions in Higher Education

Although the literature has a wealth of information about the barriers that Hispanic women encounter to achieve senior leadership positions in higher education, there continues to be a lack of research focusing on the factors that positively influence the career path of successful contemporary Hispanic women in academe. This study bridged this gap by adding to the field about this population. The information provided will allow for a greater understanding of how to deal with those challenges and opportunities and may change societal perceptions associated with Hispanic women leaders in academe. The researcher’s indepth analysis of the factors that positively influenced the career path of the Hispanic female top administrators who participated in this study showed that several components were fundamental for the successful career path mobility of the aforementioned participants. An analysis of the data revealed that the following were found to be the most significant components that best describe the professional profile of the group of Hispanic female top administrators who participated in this study: (a) having the credentials and training, (b) following tenured and academic administrative tracks, (c) being mentored and empowered, (d) being able to balance career and family, (e) being politically savvy, (f) demonstrating leadership capacity, and (g) displaying high self- efficacy beliefs