Color Barrier and Glass Ceiling in Academia
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feature journey to leadership Breaking the Color Barrier and Glass Ceiling in Academia By Patricia Soochan, AWIS member since 2003 ccording to a 2017 American Council on Education 2006. In contrast, they have held only about 30% of full (ACE) report, progressive bottlenecks remain a professorships since 2015. Among all women who were Astubborn feature of the pathway to academic full professors, 84% were white, compared to just 5% who leadership for women—meaning the higher their rank, were Black.1 the fewer there are. At the predoctoral level, women have earned more than 50% of all bachelor’s degrees since An ACE report the following year revealed that while 30% 1982 and more than 50% of all doctoral degrees since of college presidents were women, fewer than 10% were FIGURE 1. Characteristics of Presidents, by Gender HIGHEST DEGREE EARNED RACE/ETHNICITY PhD/EdD Professional Master's African Asian White Hispanic doctorate American American Bachelor's Other American Middle Multiple races Indian Eastern WOMEN WOMEN MEN MEN 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 22 association for women in science feature journey to leadership Black women. The report also compared some differences in career characteristics between men and women When considering long-term presidents (Figure 1).2 Large-scale, organization-focused interventions to career aspirations, only promote gender equity in the ranks of academic science— like NSF ADVANCE in the United States and Athena SWAN 13% of women college in the United Kingdom— have had some promising results, but none have addressed both deans saw themselves as future race and gender. I recently had the opportunity presidents, compared to to speak with three Black women leaders in 30% of men serving as academia to get their insights about their college deans.3 journeys to leadership and to celebrate their accomplishments. SMCM president’s website, extols her many awards and accomplishments, including her recognition as a fellow of The President the American Association for the Advancement of Science Dr. Tuajuanda Jordan became and membership on the board of the Association of president of St. Mary’s College American Colleges and Universities. of Maryland (SMCM) in 2014. The INSTITUTION TYPE AVERAGE AGE Women Men Women 61.3 Men 61.8 IMMEDIATE PRIOR POSITION (WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION) Doctorate- Master's Bachelor's granting President/CEO/ Women chancellor Men Interim president/ CEO/chancellor Chief academic officer or provost Associate Special focus Other 0 10 20 30 40 awis magazine • spring 2021 23 feature journey to leadership Dr. Jordan received a bachelor’s DEANS OF ARTS AND SCIENCES degree in chemistry from Fisk University in Tennessee and a REPRESENTATION AND INSTITUTIONAL TYPE doctorate in biochemistry from Purdue University in Indiana. Earlier in Men Women her career, she served as an assistant professor of chemistry and then as associate dean and associate vice Baccalaureate president for academic affairs at Xavier University of Louisiana and as dean at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon. When Xavier had to close for a while, Master's due to Hurricane Katrina, she joined the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, where she stayed on as director of the Science Education Alliance (SEA). Doctoral/ Research In many ways Dr. Jordan’s path to SMCM’s presidency followed the predominant path of women college 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% presidents. First, she didn’t set out Source: https://www.aacu.org/diversitydemocracy/2015/spring/behr directly to attain this goal. At each professional stage, she strove to do her very best without thinking too Dr. Jordan and I observed that it is Dr. Jordan’s personal style and training far ahead to the next stage. However, during times of great crisis that boards as a scientist inform her approach as she mastered the next rung of seem most open to recruiting atypical to problem-solving, which begins leadership, she gained the confidence candidates. (The 2018 ACE report with a thorough assessment of a she needed to meet opportunities revealed that women are almost twice situation before moving into action. for advancement that were either as likely as men to be hired as interim For example, when she arrived at presented to her or that she sought out. presidents (Figure 1).) SMCM, she took a year to fully study the college’s structure and culture Second, she was reluctant to Having begun her professional before developing a strategic plan move away from teaching into journey as a first-generation college with the counsel of her entire cabinet. administration. Having initially turned student, she is deeply committed The plan has led to the establishment down an invitation from senior to the mission of SMCM as a public of a cross-functional division called administrators at Xavier to attend honors college. She reminds her staff Inclusive Diversity, Equity, Access, and HERS (Higher Education Resources that they are public servants with a Accountability. Services, https://www.hersnetwork. responsibility to the community. In org) Leadership Institute, she addition to diversity, she values team Under her leadership, SMCM has eventually relented. This institute chemistry, and both are reflected added six science majors, developed was where she learned a principle in her cabinet. Her call for ideas to a program in environmental that would become a touchstone of address the unexpected discovery of studies with a student living- her career: administration must be a the remains of slave quarters on SMCM learning community, and received creative act. extended to the entire SMCM campus accreditation for its biochemistry and surrounding communities and led program, while maintaining the Third, like most women who become to the development of an immersive importance of the liberal arts for all president her move from faculty art experience for the public: the students. into administration occurred via Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples a leadership position in academic of Southern Maryland. affairs (Figure 1). Lastly, she was hired as president of SMCM during a crisis incited by major drops in enrollment. 24 association for women in science feature journey to leadership A 2015 study found gender representation among deans of arts and sciences varied per institutional type.3 Dr. Jordan has benefited from the pandemic. Her research focuses on Dean Dance-Barnes has a collegial guidance of many mentors, including triple negative breast cancer, which and disarmingly modest manner. Dr. Deidre Labat, formerly dean and disproportionately affects Black Mentors and colleagues have often now professor emeritus of biology at women. recognized her readiness to take the Xavier. She, in turn, mentors others, next leadership step before she has. including men. Coming full circle, she Dr. Dance-Barnes earned her bachelor’s For example, while she was working is now chair of the board of HERS. degree at Elizabeth City State University as a research associate at Wake Forest in North Carolina and her master’s in and pursuing her master’s at North She inherited her mother’s love of biology at North Carolina A&T State Carolina A&T, a Wake Forest lab head continuous learning, but arguably the University. She was the first Black urged her to apply to the medical most influential person in her life was woman to earn a doctorate in cancer school’s PhD program in cancer her grandmother, who worked as a biology and toxicology from Wake biology. live-in maid but who maintained her Forest School of Medicine in North own home. Her constant refrains were Carolina. Her first faculty position was Similarly, Dr. Brenda Allen, the former to “never let them see you angry,” at Winston Salem State University provost of WSSU, recognized Dr. “always do your best,” and “make sure (WSSU) in North Carolina, where she Dance-Barnes’s talent for leadership you can support yourself.” Dr. Jordan’s served as cochair of biology, associate and pushed her to grow. The former rise to college president was driven by provost, and dean of University College provost observed Dr. Dance-Barnes’s those principles. and Lifelong Learning, as well as success in developing an information founding director of WSSU’s award- science course for science majors winning Women in Science Program. and recruited her to WSSU’s general During her tenure at WSSU, she won education curriculum task force. Later the 2019 University of North Carolina on, Dr. Allen invited her to become System Board of Governors Award cochair of biology. for Excellence in Teaching. Prior to becoming dean, she was an associate A career defining moment for professor and cochair of DePaul’s Dean Dance-Barnes was the HERS biology department, where she played summer leadership institute, which a vital role in integrating research into she attended while at WSSU. While the undergraduate curriculum. participating at the institute, she especially valued the chance to Dr. Dance-Barnes’s early life in a small engage in deep self-reflection about town in North Carolina instilled in her preferred style and her strengths her a deep commitment to giving and weaknesses as a leader. She also back to the community. Her older valued the opportunity to become sister graduated from WSSU, and her part of a network of prospective The Dean parents graduated from college after women leaders, and she credits the Dr. Stephanie Dance-Barnes was the their daughters. After witnessing the experience with mentally preparing first woman and first Black person toll that breast cancer took on the life her for the opportunity to become appointed as dean of the college of of her great aunt, she had a strong associate provost and dean at WSSU. science and health at DePaul University desire be on the frontline, helping to in Illinois. She stepped into this role diagnose, prevent, and cure disease.