This study was an investigation of the experiences and perceptions of barriers to the presidency of 43 African American female college and university presidents. Findings suggested that exclusion from informal networks, lack of preparation and lack of career goals were primary barriers. Strategies to overcome these barriers included exceeding job…

Leadership, or "the position or function of a leader; ability to lead; an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction; the leaders of a group," enables women to make societal change. Astin and Leland (1991) interviewed women leaders and noted that they are "Predisposed to leadership by their heritage, perhaps, or propelled by their special…

In this article, the author shares her career journey at Temple University, a major urban research university located in the heart of North Philadelphia. Temple is a place that believes in its mission of providing access to a quality education. After years of being in small or mid-sized isolated communities with black families accounting for less…

Leadership examples and women leaders can be found in many venues. This article profiles Beverly Sills (1929-2007), whose recent passing spawned a flurry of tributes recounting her legacy. Described by J. V. Serinus (2007) as "one of the finest high-flying sopranos of the latter 20th century," Sills leaves behind a rich legacy of recordings and an…

This article profiles Maria Montessori, an international ambassador for children who became known for her theories and methods of pedagogy, called the "Montessori Method." Montessori developed an educational theory, which combined ideas of scholar Froebel, anthropologists Giuseooe Serge, French physicians Jean Itard and Edouard Sequin, with…

This study looks at female relational aggression in an effort to illustrate factors involved in selecting appropriate responses for the situation. This ethnographic case study analyzes a principal's interview, personal journal, and artifact file to describe the situations and reactions present in a severe case of female relational aggression.…

The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of women university presidents related to becoming leaders or learning to lead. This manuscript highlights the research focused on the immediate family backgrounds and influences on these presidents. The research question was as follows: With regard to their family backgrounds and…

As this author looks back on her career, she realizes that so much has changed, but in some respects many things have stayed the same. As a novice in a leadership role, a mentor offered her what turned out to be sterling advice. In this article, the author shares this advice and her experiences "from the field" as a woman who has had a successful…

This article profiles Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard was born in Bermersheim, Germany, near Alzey in 1098 to the nobleman Hildebert von Bermersheim and his wife Mechthild, as their tenth and last child. Hildegard began prolific literary activity in the year 1141, with the first work of her visionary trilogy, the "Liber Scivias," on which she…

Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), mystic, writer, theologian, poet, and musician lived the majority of her life in an incredibly cloistered setting. She was often very ill, and had little formal education (even by the standard of the day), yet she composed music, lyrics and poetry. She described (dictated) exquisite visions in language which…

This study explores findings of interviews from 26 adolescent female participants residing in a correctional facility and ranging in age from 15 to 18 years (M = 17.12). All had experienced maltreatment and difficulty learning in school. The purpose was to examine participants' use of emotional language through modeling communicative strategies…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which organizational infrastructure and institutional leadership facilitated or hindered institutionalizing service learning as pedagogy at a small health professions college. Through interviews and content and discourse analysis, we found that data supported the notion that service learning…

This qualitative multi-site case study examines Kentucky's female superintendents: their professional work, identity, and entry to the role. Data sources were extensive interviews from twelve districts--superintendents, central office administrators, and school board members, plus questionnaires and district documents. Results revealed a web-like…

In this article, the author shares a story of a young couple who was arguing about the proper way to fold towels. The husband shared a story of how he had wanted to do something nice for his wife, who was studying. So he folded a load of towels and put them away. His wife then refolded the towels, explaining that he had folded them in half and…

With the global increase in networked forms of organizations come new challenges for the conceptualization and practice of management and leadership. Universities have a networked organizational form being composed internally of multiple groups with both complementary and conflicting characteristics and expectations, and interfacing externally…