A ‘hostile obstacle course’
Today, three-quarters of Ivy League presidents are women (including Harvard’s Claudine Gay), and 30 percent of the nation’s R1 research institutions are led by women.
But progress has been slow, as our Eric Kelderman points out in an insightful story about how women of color are navigating the role of college president.
For his story, Kelderman spoke with Suzanne M. Rivera, president of Macalester College, in St. Paul, Minn.; Lori S. White, president of DePauw University, in Greencastle, Ind.; and L. Song Richardson, president of Colorado College, in Colorado Springs. All are first-time presidents. All have a lot to say about why so few women who look like them are peers.
Rivera described the pathway to the presidency as “a hostile obstacle course that is rife with sexism and even misogyny.” Richardson surmises that women are less likely to apply for positions if they don’t feel as if they meet or even exceed all of the listed qualifications. “Men are more prone to apply,” she said, “even if they meet none of the criteria.”
Once in office, they contend with misconceptions and unrealistic expectations. White singled out diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some people of color regard her as an insufficiently staunch advocate of DEI. More-conservative alumni or board members may regard her as too radical, even if she’s adopting positions very similar to her predecessor’s.
“It’s heard differently when I’m saying it,” White told Eric.
While detailing their many struggles in landing the top job, the three presidents also discussed ways they’ve coped and strategies they’ve found to be helpful.
That includes what they do when they receive harassing messages, and what they think boards should do to better support presidents who are subjected to an abnormal amount of abuse.
Read the story in its entirety here.
