Although women lead several major universities, including Harvard, the number of women leading the more than 1100 community colleges is not a record in which women--or the community college--can take pride. The current study examines factors affecting the advancement of women to the presidency in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). The study identifies the unique challenges women face as they advance through the NCCCS, and it goes a step further by examining differences in the perceptions of men and women with regard to personal and institutional barriers to career advancement including the community college presidency. (Contains 1 table.)