| This study sought to identify contributing factors to the success of senior-level administrative women in Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) institutions. This was a qualitative study that consisted of personal interviews with 12 women in senior-level administrative positions in CCCU institutions. The interviews focused on providing an opportunity for each participant to share her story and the journey she had traveled to reach the professional level of responsibility that few women in the CCCU have been able to attain.; A phenomenological research approach was used. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed with member checking, offered to the participants for trustworthiness of the results. Seven themes emerged from the interviews. Those 7 themes were Deeper Purpose/Faith, Support, Mentoring, Contributing Characteristics, Institutional Climate, Preparation, and Nuggets of Knowledge. Each theme offers information regarding the experience of the participants and their perception of contributing factors to their attainment of senior-level administration in the CCCU. The findings of the study indicated several common factors among the participants. Two of these were a deep personal faith in God and a belief that the role they were playing was one to which they had been called.; Each participant verbalized a significant support network that she believed to be a significant contributor to her success. The source varied, but each participant reported a significant level of tangible support. For some of the participants, mentoring was an additional contributor to their success beyond the social support received. Again, the types of mentoring relationships differed considerably across the 12 women.; Each of the 12 women leaders described her leadership style in a manner that was consistent with transformational leadership. Although personalities among participants varied, at some level each participant described her leadership style as collaborative, team oriented, empowering, and relational.; The results of this study offer insights into the needs of women in leadership in CCCU institutions and provide recommendations to facilitate a change in institutional climate within the CCCU so more women can advance to senior-level administrative positions. The findings of this study challenge administrators, board members, and CCCU officials to address the issue of women in administrative leadership within the CCCU. This study also challenges CCCU institutional leadership to be faithful to God's call and to realize the role women in leadership play in that call. |
