The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women who have children and work in mid-level student affairs positions. The study of this phenomenon was driven by four problems: (a) women face barriers in rising to upper-level leadership positions, (b) women are more likely than men to leave the field of student affairs, (c) there is a dearth of research related to women who have children and work in student affairs, and (d) the mid level has received inadequate research attention. These issues for women in student affairs called for further examination of career development strategies and work-life balance support and initiatives. Without meaningful support for career development and work-life balance, women professionals may continue to leave the field at a higher rate than men. Within the naturalistic inquiry research paradigm, I adopted a phenomenological approach. Fifteen women at colleges and universities in Texas, who held mid-level student affairs administrator positions and were mothers, were interviewed. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The findings indicated that the dual roles of being a mother and an administrator presented challenges and rewards for each participant. The women often experienced overlap or collision between the two roles and the navigation of the role collision prompted the women to develop strategies to address these challenges. The five most common strategies that participants used were (a) building support systems, (b) defining boundaries, (c) managing time efficiently, (d) focusing on family, and (e) taking care of self. An analysis of the women's experiences related led to five major conclusions: (a) mother + administrator = a potentially rewarding challenge, (b) acknowledging role interconnectedness is important, (c) combining the two roles comes at a cost, (d) career path is shaped by dual identifies, and (e) personalized strategies are key to success. Based on the findings, a new conceptual framework was developed to capture the essence of women administrators in student affairs. Implications for human resource development were drawn to address career development and work-life balance issues in the field of student affairs.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-155). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2000. / Bibliography: leaves 83-87.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2001. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-156). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-155). Also available on the Internet.

No description available.

As Student Affairs has developed as a profession, scholars and practitioners have identified deficiencies in classical identity development theory pertaining to women; gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or trans-gendered people; people of color, people with disabilities; and other historically underrepresented identities. Further, the school of thought is that student development theory is primarily based on research subjects who are middle/upper-class Caucasian men and thus is applicable to this population primarily. Thus, newer scholarship has emerged to explain identity development in particular minority groups and women. This project argues that classical theory not only fails to capture salient developmental processes of marginalized groups, but in fact fails to capture elements of male identity development. While the theories are gendered male per se (due to the subjects studied), they are resonant with hegemonic (socially constructed and imposed) masculinity rather than an authentic human masculine identity. There are consequences to this for men and women.The Student Affairs field has established knowledge, values, and best practices, which is inculcated into new practitioners through the professional socialization process. The purpose of this constructivist inquiry was to examine this process, its underlying values and norms, and its effect on professionals' conceptions of male students. Seventeen Residence Hall Directors with graduate degrees in Student Development or related disciplines were interviewed about their socialization into the field, thoughts about male students, and reactions to a case example depicting an incident on a college campus. Findings suggest a lack of theoretical or conceptual understanding of male gender identities, and consequently a difficulty in viewing male students developmentally. Moreover, without such understanding, new professionals' conception of marginalized identities can unwittingly reify rather than interrupt stratification and privilege.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin -- La Crosse, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-63).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-110). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, March, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-113)