Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Lessons from Women Leaders in Higher Education

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Lessons from Women Leaders in Higher Education

Women make up the majority of college students and advanced-degree holders. So why do they still lead only about one in three universities—and far fewer of the most powerful ones?

Breaking the Glass Ceiling answers that question through the people who lived it.

Seven women who reached leadership positions at a public university in the American South share their experiences in their own candid words. Three are African American and four were born in China, with experiences spanning generations—from a woman who helped desegregate her high school in 1963 to a young professor still establishing her place in the academy.

They describe the mentors who helped open doors, the discrimination they outlasted, the families they refused to sacrifice, the challenges they encountered, and the institutions they helped strengthen.

Drawing from these experiences, authors Jing Chang, Ph.D., and Marcus L. Thompson, Ph.D., present the Three Core Layers of Women’s Leadership—a framework for understanding leadership development, advancement, and institutional change.

Ideal for: Academic courses • Leadership academies • Executive and cabinet retreats • Faculty/staff book discussions • Women’s leadership programs • Mentoring programs • Professional development • Executive coaching • Book clubs and discussion groups

Whether read individually, assigned in a classroom, discussed by a leadership team, or used to guide professional development, Breaking the Glass Ceiling invites readers to move from experience to understanding—and from understanding to action.

Concise enough to read. Substantive enough to teach. Practical enough to use.

Jing Chang, Ph.D.
Marcus L. Thompson, Ph.D.

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