In this study, I explored the career satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, friendship intimacy, and mentoring functions of female faculty in marriage and family therapy (MFT) programs. Study participants included 111 women affiliated with a MFT program in a research or liberal arts institution or training institute. Participants completed the Faculty Satisfaction Questionnaire (FSQ), Kansas Martial Satisfaction Questionnaire (KMS), Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), Mentoring Functions Questionnaire, and a demographics section with open-ended questions about their experiences. Faculty women reported higher levels of satisfaction with teaching than with service or research and higher satisfaction with service than research. Faculty who were part of a significant relationship reported high scores on the KMS while faculty who had a close friend indicated moderate intimacy levels on the MSIS. Those with a mentor reported that their mentor provided more psychosocial mentoring functions than career mentoring functions. Characteristics of the mentor and the mentoring relationship predicted the extent of the psychosocial and mentoring functions provided. Associations among career satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, friendship intimacy, mentoring functions, and demographic variables were determined using stepwise multiple regression analyses on a subsample of 37 faculty with complete data on key career and relationship functions. Expanded service duties, psychosocial mentoring functions, being Caucasian, and having received an award for research were associated with greater levels of career satisfaction. Career mentoring functions were associated with reduced levels of career satisfaction. Possession of a doctorate and psychosocial mentoring functions were associated with greater levels of friendship intimacy. Based on the results of this research and the literature of women in academia, implications and suggestions for improving the academic climate are presented for institutions, MFT programs, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to research the experiences of female academicians in traditional liberal arts academic disciplines at one institution. The challenges of being a female academician are revealed in statistical data about faculty rank, tenure, and salaries as well as in descriptive accounts of the environment that women encounter in the higher education institutions. However, the intersection of women and the academic disciplines rooted in the liberal arts tradition is a neglected arena of investigation. This research involved a series of qualitative in-depth interviews with three women representing biology, psychology, and English at a small public college and began as an examination of their experiences in these academic disciplines. Consistent with qualitative research, the themes that emerged from the interviews did not highlight the original research focus. Rather, the women discussed their lives as teachers as a priority over their lives in the disciplines. Through the interviews, the women revealed that their paths into their disciplines began when they were children, a finding not addressed in current literature. Their stories also reveal commonalities in their professional socializations, their quests to have satisfying personal and professional lives, and the impact of relationships on the formation of their academic and professional identities. As each woman fell in love with her discipline during graduate school, she also discovered teaching as her greater affection. In the context of agency and strength, rather than educational tracking or cultural pressure, they found conditions of possibility in academic careers primarily focused on teaching. The results of this research suggest alternatives to some assumptions prevalent in current literature, including assumptions about when the direction of a career path begins and assumptions that women accept teaching-focused careers through systemic influences. The experiences of these women highlight the vital role of personal agency and meaningful interpersonal connections in the careers of women in academia.

Racialized female faculty frequently experience discrimination in the academy. However, few scholars have attempted to understand such experiences. This study helps to fill this void by exploring the experiences of racialized female faculty within the university. More specifically, in this study, I interviewed racialized female faculty from Queen's University and asked them to discuss their experiences with discrimination on campus. I was interested in conducting this study at Queen's due to The Henry Report (2004) which examined the experiences of racialized faculty at Queen's and found that the university suffers from a 'culture of whiteness'. Moreover, I also wished to conduct this study at Queen's with racialized female faculty specifically because of the difficulties the university has in retaining these women, due to their experiences with racism on campus. From the interviews, I was able to conclude that racialized female faculty experience both racial and sexual discrimination at Queen's. Moreover, I was also able to conlude that this university still suffers from a 'culture of whiteness' and racism, and needs to make greater efforts to confront these issues or continue to have difficulties retaining racialized female faculty. / Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2009-05-21 12:54:47.649

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Book Summary: What does a path to become a faculty member look like? What are the merits? What are the roadblocks? How do I balance personal and professional aspirations? Looking for answers to these questions can be overwhelming and discouraging. This book offers inspiration and support to female faculty members in higher education who are at various stages of their professional development. Twenty-four educators share both their intuitive voices and practical knowledge on the topics of career development, balancing personal and professional life, cultural and individual identity, and spirituality. This collective sharing will help readers become free from an impasse, take a leap of faith, and see roadblocks from a slightly different perspective.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, 2007. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-86).