Latina University Professors, Insights into the Journeys of Those who Strive to Leadership Within Academia

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of what may be contributing experiences or factors that lead Latina women on a successful career path within higher education to positions of leadership as professors.

METHODOLOGY
The convenience sample population for this study consists of (a) four female professors who hold a doctorate, and (b) who currently hold a position of professor at a Southern California university (with 17,000 undergraduates). In addition to being interviewed, each completed the Leadership Practices Inventory.

KEY FINDINGS
“The researcher felt that the sample size was too small to yield any significant conclusions from statistical calculations. The purpose of this table is to facilitate a visual comparison among participants. The most noteworthy distinction is that the three long-term professors all scored very high in the leadership practices with similar scores, while the younger professor had substantially lower ratings in three areas: Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, and Encourage the Heart. There were no significant correlations identified” (p. 53).