This report asserts that in spite of increases in efforts by universities to recruit and hire women, progress in increasing women's representation among tenured faculty continues to be slow. To increase understanding of the complex factors that influence retention of women faculty, qualitative interviews were conducted with women who voluntarily left their untenured and tenured faculty positions at one research university. Informants included 8 former tenured faculty members and 13 former untenured faculty representing 6 of the colleges and schools at 1 university. Interviews were conducted by telephone, tape recorded, and transcribed for analysis. The reasons informants left university employment were not clear-cut and varied greatly, showing that influences on their decisions were multiple and interconnected. The key reasons cited included these benefits/opportunities that were denied them at the university in question and that may have been offered at a new position: (1) respect shown by colleagues; (2) opportunity for personal growth and contribution; (3) opportunities for promotion; (4) support of resources, including salary; (5) assistance in finding employment for spouses and partners; (6) assistance with dependent care responsibilities; and (7) fit with the institutions values about the kind of research they should conduct. (Contains 27 references.) (SLD)