Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Major Professor

Amber Dumford, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Thomas Miller, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Deirdre Cobb-Roberts, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Dinorah Martinez-Tyson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert Nelson, M.D., M.S., FAAP

Keywords

Chilly Climate, Coaching, Leadership Characteristics, Mentorship, Race, Women

Abstract

In the United States, one in four girls attending K-12 is a Latina (Gándara, 2015). However, Latinas only make up 2% of all higher education administrators (Pritchard et al., 2019). Although the Latina population and medical school enrollment have increased in the past three decades, graduation rates have declined while the percentage of Latina administrators has remained stagnant for the past fifteen years. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the experiences of eight successful Latina administrators from various medical schools. A qualitative research study design was used with a narrative inquiry approach to explore the experiences of Latina administrators in medical schools. The theoretical framework for this study was CRT and, more specifically, LatCrit. The major themes of the study illustrate the study results. Latina administrators identified the perception of not being qualified, gender inequality in family responsibility, and the chilly climate as barriers to transition to administration. The experiences that prepared them for their current administrative role included being groomed for the position, mentorship, coaching, professional development, volunteering, and family support. The environmental factors influencing their success were a supportive work environment and ties to the community. The personal characteristics influencing their success were servant, inclusive, and curious leadership styles. Finally, race positively influences their success as the negatives experience motivated them to change institutional culture. The practical implications of this study show a need for more inclusive practices in leadership development programs such as grooming initiatives, mentoring, coaching, and cultural and diversity training to improve campus climate.

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