Women of Color Administrators: Entering, Disrupting, and Changing Higher Education Engineering Ecosystems

The purpose of this qualitative study is to highlight the trajectory of Women of Color (WoC) administrators in a key STEM discipline: engineering. WoC are underrepresented in higher education, representing fewer than 10% of administrators. Through this study, we provide a nuanced perspective on how the presence of WoC administrators change and potentially disrupt the space typically dominated by men. Drawing upon stereotype management and social capital, this phenomenological study examines eleven WoC engineering administrators’ experiences. Our findings show that WoC administrators entered administrative positions via social networks and opportunities that are usually associated with the “boys’ club.” Furthermore, WoC frequently operated as leaders prior to formally accepting and undertaking the roles and responsibilities associated with administrative positions, meaning that for some period they served as de facto administrators. Women of color administrators challenged the White misogynistic structures in their departments and institutions creating sustainable pathways for marginalized scholars such as themselves.