Will women choose to lead our community colleges?

Dr. Bonnie Petterson sat in National Institute for Leadership Development (NILD) sessions in which women were asked if they hoped to become a college president. In rooms filled with very competent, knowledgeable community college women, very few said yes.

That's a problem, she said at the NILD/AAWCC national conference in Phoenix AZ in June. In 2001 women were only 28% of community college presidents, far less than their representation as the majority of students, faculty and administrators today. In 2000 women were 46% of senior administrators, including 41% of chief academic officers, a common path to president.

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Will they move forward into top leadership? The question has some urgency. In 2001 a survey showed more than half of community college presidents expected to retire within six years and nearly four out of five within ten years. Who will take their places?

To help more women consider applying for these openings, she studied eight women in their first or second year as community college presidents. They were scattered across the nation and ranged in age from early 40s to 50s. She explored their decision process using taped interviews, surveys, job ads and descriptions, and CV's.

This research led her to a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies at Arizona State University in 2003. In 2004 she received Maricopa CC District's Women's Leadership award for Phoenix College, where she chairs the Health Information Management department.

Professional preparation