A study was done to explore the perceptions of senior and junior faculty women regarding the barriers to success experienced early in their academic careers. The study population was drawn from a colleague pairing program at a major urban research university in the western United States and consisted of 22 junior faculty in tenure track positions matched with tenured senior faculty. A factor analysis of data from responses to surveys administered before the pairs met and after two semesters when the pairing program ended revealed three areas of concern: roles and responsibilities, a sense of belonging, and personal security. Further examination found significant differences between the senior and junior women's perceptions before and after the program on all three factors, namely that the perception of the importance of the factors decreased during the program for both junior and senior women. Also, junior women perceived most barriers as less problematic than their senior counterparts anticipated. The findings suggest important directions for programmatic efforts to retain and advance women as well as areas of needed research. Included are 4 tables and 27 references. (JB)