Moving the Needle Together: The Demographics of the Leadership Pipeline

1. Moving the Needle Together:The Demographics of the Leadership Pipeline Diana Cordova, Ph.D. Director, CAREE Interim Director, OWHE

2. About Me • Women’s college graduate (Smith College) • Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from Stanford University • Research Areas - Cognitive biases in the perception of gender discrimination; intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation; affirmative action. • Member of the Yale University Psychology Department Faculty for nine years. Assistant Dean of the Yale Graduate School • Acting Associate Commissioner of the National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Dept. of Education • At ACE for 5.5 years - Director of CAREE (5.5 years) and for past year Interim Director of OWHE as well.

3. The American Council on Education (ACE) • Only higher education organization that represents presidents and chancellors of all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions: community colleges and four-year institutions, private and public universities, and nonprofit and for-profit colleges. • ACE seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

4. ACE’s Strategic Priorities • Advocating on behalf of key higher education issues. • Ensuring higher education has diverse, skilled and ample leadership. • Increasing the number of adult learners who are college and career ready (GED). • Positioning ACE as the most contemporary resource to guide colleges and universities in achieving their strategic goals.

5. Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) • Since 1973, OWHE has been committed to the advancement of women leaders in higher education. • OWHE is dedicated to identifying, developing, encouraging, advancing, linking, and supporting the tenures and transitions of women leaders throughout their career in higher education.

6. OWHE Programs • National Leadership Forums • Established in 1977 • Held twice/year in Washington, DC • Designed for women whose next logical move is to a presidency, vice presidency, major deanship. • Regional Leadership Forums • Established in 2003; 2-3 forums/year • Designed for women in earlier stages of an administrative career. • Held in locations across the country • ACE State Network - established in 1977 with a grant from Carnegie Foundation.

7. Key Questions • Why focus now on leadership for the future? • What is the state of the leadership pipeline - for women, in particular? • What are some recommendations for “moving the needle?”

8. Why leadership for the future? • Those who retire (eventually) will need to be “replaced.” • Higher education as an enterprise is expanding. • Higher education is in a high stakes environment, facing serious challenges with no tested solutions.

9. The Aging of Presidents: 1986 and 2006

10. Average Years in the Presidency: 2006

11. Growing Higher Education Enterprise Source: Department of Education, IPEDS

12. New National Leadership “…this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college andmeet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” - President Barack Obama

13. Convergence of Goals President Obama Gates Foundation Lumina Foundation Others

14. Convergence of Goals Gates Foundation Goal Double number of low-income adults who earn a college degree by age 26 Lumina Foundation Goal By 2025, increase to 60% Americans with “high quality” degrees and credentials The College Board Goal By 2025, increase to 55% young Americans who complete school with a community college degree or higher National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers Developing Common Core Standards for K-12 to align skills and knowledge of graduating seniors with college readiness

15. The Leadership Pipeline:View from the Top

16. The American College President: 2007 Edition • Sixth national study since 1986 • 2,148 respondents, 70% response rate. • Most comprehensive survey on the characteristics and career path of college presidents.

17. Progress on Presidential diversity has been slow Source: ACE. 2007. The American College President: 2007 Edition.

18. Minority Presidents: 1986 and 2006

19. Minority Presidents II: 1986 and 2006

20. Women Presidents by Institution Type: 1986 to 2006

21. Long-Standing Presidents’ Time Demands: Areas Most Likely to Occupy More Time: 2006

22. Time Demands: Areas Most Likely to Occupy Less Time

23. Areas Insufficiently Prepared for First Presidency

24. Pathway to the Presidency Source: ACE. 2007. The American College President: 2007 Edition.

25. The White House Project Report:Benchmarking Women’s Leadership Produced and released by The White House Project in 2009. Available online at: www.thewhitehouseproject.org/documents/Report.pdf

26. Motivation for the Report • Belief that most people think “Women have made it; it’s no longer an issue.” • Need to document that women are not adequately represented in top leadership positions. • Need to motivate conversations and actions around this issue

27. Synthesis of Data by the WHP from 10 Sectors Roper Poll Data Source: GfK/ Roper Public Opinion Polls conducted for The White House Project, 2007 and the White House Project

28. Why Women?The Business Case Catalyst Report: Fortune 500 firms wit higher percentages of women corporate officers experienced a 35% higher return on equity and a 34% higher return to shareholders. Ernst and Young Report: Diverse groups outperform homogenous groups even if the members of the homogenous group are more capable.

29. Source: The White House Project analysis

31. Sources: Catalyst 2005, 2006 (a), (b), 2007(b); Catalyst 2008 (a), (b); Catalyst 2009 (a); Daily et al. 1999

32. American Bar Association Commission on the Status of Women in the Profession

33. Source: The Face of Corporate Leadership by Toni Wolfman in the New England Journal of Public Policy, Spring 2007

34. Source: Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)

35. The Pathway Up

36. On the Pathway to the Presidency • Follow-up study to The American College President: 2007 Edition. • First-ever attempt to describe characteristics of senior leaders other than presidents.

37. Research Questions • What is the age profile of senior leaders? (Will the last person out please turn off the lights …) • Are those in position to be the next generation of presidents more diverse than the current group?

38. Methods and Data • Surveyed HR directors at 4,300 regionally accredited, degree-granting institutions. • Used CUPA-HR position taxonomy and ACPS results to identify 35 positions “on the pathway.” • Asked for information in HR databases. • 850 institutions responded with info on about 9,700 positions (20% response rate). • Response rate varied by institution type. Data weighted to reflect national distribution of institutions.

39. Senior Administrators are Younger than Presidents Sources: ACE. 2007. The American College President: 2007 Edition. ACE. 2008. On the Pathway to Presidency: Characteristics of Higher Education’s Senior Leadership.

40. And more likely to be women … Sources: ACE. 2007. The American College President: 2007 Edition. ACE. Sources: ACE. 2007. The American College President: 2007 Edition. ACE. Forthcoming. On the Pathway to Presidency: Characteristics of Higher Education’s Senior Leadership.

41. Senior Administrators No More Likely to be People of Color Sources: ACE. 2007. The American College President: 2007 Edition. ACE. 2008. On the Pathway to Presidency: Characteristics of Higher Education’s Senior Leadership.

42. CAOs’ Presidential Aspirations, by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

43. Select Reasons for Not Aspiring to a Presidency, by Gender

44. CAO Participation in Formal Leadership Programs, by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

45. The Spectrum Initiative: A Multi-Association Partnership • To build upon existing programs that identify, support, and advance future leaders; • To ensure that the presidential search and selection process is widely inclusive; and • To promote on-campus leadership development, mentoring, and succession planning.

46. Activities • Research:The American College President, On the Pathway to the Presidency, The CAO Census. • Programming: Moving the Needle Summit, Women of Color Summits, Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling • Resources: Preparing Leaders for the Future Online Toolkit www.acenet.edu/leadershiptoolkit

47. Moving the Needle: Developing a 21st Century Agenda for Women’s Leadership Identified major factors that stand in the way of women’s advancement to top leadership positions in higher education. Summit on Women’s Leadership • OWHE Commission and ACE State Network Executive Board are co-leading this effort. Convening of associations planned for Fall 2011 in Washington, DC. 47

48. Recommendations Derived from the White House Project Benchmarking Report • Collect and analyze the data.Surprisingly little information exists across sectors regarding the representation of women, and particularly women of color, in positions of leadership.  Regular tracking and reviewing of the numbers – including the wage gap - are essential for setting benchmarks and monitoring progress.

49. Recommendations • Work to achieve a critical mass of women in leadership roles in every sector. A critical mass of one-third or more women in leadership positions is essential for implementing and maintaining the changes recommended in White House Project Benchmarking Report.

50. Recommendations • Maintain accountability through setting targets. These targets should be specific in order to monitor real progress.