| This research study investigated how women student affairs leaders learn to advance and succeed within the context of higher education senior leadership teams. The study focused on the significant events, experiences and persons that supported and hindered the career advancement and success of the study's participants and how the participants learned from their lived experiences. A qualitative methodology, specifically phenomenology, was used; since it emphasizes experience in the research setting. In-depth interviews were the major data collection tool as they are designed to ask participants to reconstruct their experience and explore the meaning they make of the experience. Data collection included face-to-face, in-depth interviews with 12 participants and the researcher's journal and interview notes.; The study's results are reflected in ten themes that emerged through analysis of the categorized data. The themes included relationships both professional and personal, campus culture, job satisfaction, gender issues, career success, the senior leadership team experience, leadership style, knowledge of self, securing resources, and career path.; Analysis of these themes suggests four conclusions that answer the major research question: How do women student affairs leaders learn to advance and succeed within the context of higher education senior leadership teams?; These conclusions are as follows: Women student affairs leaders learn to advance and succeed within the context of higher education senior leadership teams by: (1) Building and maintaining professional and personal relationships through a collaborative and team oriented leadership style. (2) Working in institutional cultures that support their professional and personal value systems, their career success, their skills, and their love and passion for their work; all of which contribute to their high levels of job satisfaction. (3) Understanding and acknowledging the gender issues that exist in their workplace. (4) Utilizing reflection and self directed learning to understand who they are and who they want to be. (5) Through constructive knowing. |
