Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Nyunt, Gudrun
Committee Members
Hutchings, Quortne; Broderick, Daniela
Keywords
Gendered Division of Labor, Community College, Women Faculty, Stress, Burnout
Abstract
At community colleges, a noticeable gender divide exists among faculty who participate in college operations, such as committee and service work, department chair and other leadership positions, as well as unpaid labor. This narrative inquiry explored how tenured community college women faculty experience the gendered division of labor and privilege. I was particularly interested in the ways in which their experiences influence burnout and how community college structures, policies, practices, and social norms perpetuate gender differences in labor distribution. Ten participants who represent three midwestern community colleges, a variety of academic divisions and departments, and who are in different stages of their career (e.g., mid-career or within a few years of retirement) participated in two 60-90-minute, semi-structured interviews. The findings, presented as an open letter addressed to community college administrators, illuminate women faculty’s values-driven approach to work in an environment that is created to make women do more work. My study indicates a need to transform organizational structures, policies, and processes to create a more equitable work environment for women faculty and prevent their burnout.
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
Carson, Lindsay Spence, ""This College Is Run by Women": The Narratives of Overburdened and Burnt-out Community College Women Faculty" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 76.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/76
Included in
Community College Education Administration Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons
