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Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

January 2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Department

Educational Leadership and Policy

First Advisor

Carolyn M. Shields

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the lived experiences of Latina higher education leaders at four-year predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The number of Latinas in leadership positions within higher education does not reflect the growing Latina college student representation. A qualitative research approach using the testimonio method was ideal in exploring the experiences of higher education Latina leaders. The testimonios were analyzed from a LatCrit lens which allowed to name some of the oppressions Latinas have encountered in search of administrative positions within the academy. The participants consisted of ten women identified as Latinas, holding roles of director or associate/assistant dean at a four-year PWI in Michigan. From the data, the following themes emerged: Experiences as a Latina Student and Professional, Family, Community, Mentorship, Support, Resources, Opportunities, Barriers and Challenges, Identity, Structural Issues in Higher Education, and Participant Recommendations. Moreover, these testimonios are intended to serve as an urgency to change higher education structural inequities, while motivating aspiring Latinas leaders to strive for senior-level positions within higher education.

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