Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to survey women in top administrative positions in California community colleges and to compare them demographically and attitudinally with a parallel group surveyed in 1972 and with a group of former middle-managers surveyed in 1976 who aspired to higher-level positions. Procedure. Women in the top three levels of administration were identified and sent a questionnaire seeking information in five categories: professional experience, attitudes toward administration, perceptions of sex discrimination and affirmative action, educational background, and personal data. The second study population was identified by contacting the original researcher and sending the same questionnaire. Of ninety-seven women in the first group, seventy-eight, or 80 percent, responded. Thirty women were accessible in the second group and twenty-six, or 87 percent, responded. Findings. Major findings of this study were: (1) women currently represent 13 percent of top level administrators, as compared with 4 percent in 1972; (2) current women are better educated, younger, of similar family backgrounds, have fewer children, and are more likely to be divorced; (3) two-thirds feel they have experienced discrimination based on their sex; (4) virtually all colleges have Affirmative Action Plans and administrators; and (5) 46 percent of the former middle managers have advanced administratively. Conclusions. Progress has been made for women in top administration during the last decade, but it has been neither uniform nor universal. Respondents attribute the scarcity of women in top administration to male attitudes, discrimination, and bigotry, and advocate women helping each other and improving training and preparation. Prospects for administrative advancement are best in instruction-related positions and in colleges headed by a woman or with a large percentage of women administrators. Recommendations. Concentrated efforts should be made to capitalize upon and extend recent advances made by women. Women must take a more active, aggressive role in their career preparation and development, and those responsible for implementing Affirmative Action must aggressively press forward toward equity. Some areas of possible research include the concept of career, motivational and self-esteem factors, leadership styles of women administrators, comparative studies, and training programs and internships.