The status of black women as administrators on four-year campuses in the University of Wisconsin System

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of black women administrators at the four-year coeducational campuses of the University of Wisconsin System; the status of these women as evidenced by the positions they held; the salaries they earned; their educational backgrounds; and the number of staff members who reported directly to them. Additionally, this study attempted to ascertain the perceptions of black women administrators regarding the effects of race and sex on their career progression and whether their administrative titles matched their administrative responsibilities. The population consisted of black women administrators who held executive/administrative/managerial positions at the thirteen universities in the UW System. The universities were: UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater. The status of black women administrators in the UW System was determined by data collected which pertained to the positions held, their salaries, educational backgrounds, length of time in current position, academic rank and the number of professional staff that reported directly to these black administrators. The results of this study were: there were no black women administrators employed as chancellors or in positions in the Office of Chancellor/President; most of these women held positions such as program directors and program assistants; over half of these women earned between $15,000 and $29,999; the majority of these women held master's degrees, but no academic rank; most of these women had no staff members reporting directly to them. Three null hypotheses were formulated to test the perceptions of black women administrators regarding whether their administrative titles matched their administrative responsibilities and their perception of race and sex on career progression. Most black women administrators perceived, that their administrative titles matched their administrative responsibilities; therefore; Hypothesis I was rejected. Most black women administrators perceived that race had an effect on career progression; therefore, Hypothesis II was rejected. Most black women administrators perceived that sex did not have an effect upon career progression; therefore, Hypothesis III was accepted.