Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Nyunt, Gudrun
Committee Members
Wesner-Michael, Kelly; Hutchings, Quortne
Keywords
Motherhood, Leadership, Student Affairs
Abstract
This dissertation explores the lived experiences of mothers who hold senior leadership roles within student affairs in higher education. Despite women comprising the majority of student affairs professionals, mothers remain significantly underrepresented in senior leadership positions. This disparity is often attributed to gendered organizational norms and the “ideal worker” expectation, which privileges constant availability and lack of caregiving responsibilities. Using a narrative inquiry methodology and guided by Margaret Sallee’s “ideal worker” framework, this qualitative study amplifies the voices of five mother-leaders, examining how they navigate both their professional and personal responsibilities.
Data was collected through two in-depth, semi-structured interviews with each participant, providing rich narratives that were analyzed using Clandinin and Connelly’s process of broadening, burrowing, storying, and restorying. Thematic analysis revealed four central themes: (a) workplace flexibility as a non-negotiable for balancing dual roles, (b) the essential role of supportive family and partners, (c) the efficiency and resourcefulness developed by mother-leaders, and (d) resilience in overcoming institutional and personal challenges.
Findings highlight that while institutional policies often lag in supporting working mothers, individual flexibility, which is often dependent on supervisors, was critical to participants’ success. Support systems, both at home and at work, enabled mother-leaders to persist and thrive, though not without personal and professional sacrifices. The study underscores the need for higher education institutions to formalize flexible work policies, provide comprehensive support systems, and foster inclusive leadership to attract and retain mother-leaders.
By centering the narratives of mother-leaders, this research contributes to the understanding of gendered leadership dynamics in higher education and offers actionable recommendations for institutional change. Institutions seeking to recruit, retain, and advance women leaders must critically examine workplace cultures and structures that disadvantage mothers and create intentional policies to support them. Ultimately, fostering inclusive environments that recognize the value of motherhood in leadership not only benefits women leaders but also enriches the broader higher education community.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Brady Cullum, Allison N., "Educational Matriarchs and All Other Duties As Assigned: A Narrative Inquiry into Motherhood and Student Affairs Leadership" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 104.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/104
