This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences, events, and circumstances that affected the ascension of Asian Americans to the community college presidency in California. Through in-depth, conversational interviews, the researcher recaptured the rich personal, professional, and cultural stories shared by each of the seven current Asian American presidents. At the time of this writing, the seven Asian American college presidents represented only six percent of all college presidents in the California community college system. A fundamental question that guided this study is why do Asian Americans, despite their recognized success in academia, have the lowest representation of all ethnic groups at the presidential level in higher education? What discrimination, if any, did Asian Americans experience in their quest to become a college president? By exploring the pathways, experiences, and situations of the seven sitting Asian American presidents, the aim is to discover whether these Asian Americans, given their racial identity, encountered any unfair treatment in their ascension to the presidency. The study utilized the Critical Race Theory and glass ceiling model as a lens to examine the under-representation of Asian American educators at the top executive level. The stories, as told by these seven Asian American presidents, revealed that while they had encountered some form of racial discrimination in their personal lives and professional careers, those challenges however did not impede their attainment of the presidency. Instead, the findings revealed this select group of Asian American educators was determined to excel in their careers and managed to overcome certain racial micro-aggressions and stereotypes through persistence, hard-work, and other values imparted upon them by their bicultural identity. Contrary to the common belief that the paths to the college presidency for Asian Americans are hindered by some degree of institutional barriers and racism, the accounts by these seven Asian American presidents suggest that personal factors, including but not limited to communication styles, leadership qualities, personal comfort, family consideration, and tolerance for failure are the reasons for the under representation of Asian Americans at the top administrative echelon in higher education. What emerged from the study is a model of the pathway to the college presidency; a model that incorporates both the glass ceiling theory and critical race theory. The study concluded with a list of recommended actions that Asian Americans aspiring to become college presidents can take to increase their representation at presidential level. The recommendations contain implications of transformational leadership and public policy. This study contributes to the paucity of literature on Asian American leadership in higher education and highlights the values of a diversified college administrative team.

This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored the experiences and perspectives of five Asian American females who have sought presidencies and/or vice presidencies in community colleges. All five of the participants are currently either a president or vice president in community colleges. This study found nine themes that capture the barriers and facilitators that these Asian American females encountered along their career path. The themes were mother as role model, biculturalism and bicultural efficacy, unplanned pathways and not self-identifying, earned leadership positions, strong work ethic, stereotyping and assumptions, Asian physicality and invisibility, fracturing the glass ceiling, and positive attitude and strength. Future implications for research and practice is also discussed.

This practical resource helps aspiring leaders demystify the challenges associated with becoming a community college president. Building on existing scholarship and research related to historical origins of the community college, this book explores the role and function of the presidency, discusses existing demographics and the importance of meeting the needs of a diverse student population, and unpacks the required competencies and leadership challenges related to becoming a community college president. Including real voices from award-winning and current presidents as well as a step-by-step approach to attaining the position, this is an important resource that speaks to the needs of today and tomorrows’ community college leaders.

Transforming Leadership Pathways for Humanities Professionals in Higher Education includes thirteen essays from a variety of contributors investigating how humanities professionals grapple with the opportunities and challenges of leadership positions. Written by insiders sharing their lived experience, this collection provides an authentic look at the multiple roles humanities specialists play, as well as offers strategies for professional growth, sustenance, and satisfaction. The collection also considers the relationship between disciplinary areas of study, academic training, and the valuable skill sets and habits of mind that serve higher education leaders. While Transforming Leadership Pathways emphasizes that a leadership route in higher education can be a welcome and positive professional move for many humanities scholars, the volume also acknowledges the issues that arise when faculty take on administrative positions while otherwise marginalized on campus because of faculty status, rank, or personal identity. This collection demystifies the path into higher education administration and argues that humanities scholars are uniquely qualified for such roles. Empathetic, deeply analytical, attuned to historical context, and trained in communication, teachers and scholars who hail from humanities disciplines often find themselves well-suited to the demands of complex academic leadership in today’s colleges and universities.

Asian American Students in Higher Education offers the first comprehensive analysis and synthesis of existing theory and research related to Asian American students’ experiences in postsecondary education. Providing practical and insightful recommendations, this sourcebook covers a range of topics including critical historical and demographic contexts, the complexity of Asian American student identities, and factors that facilitate and hinder Asian American students’ success in college. The time has come for institutions of higher education to develop more holistic and authentic understandings of this significant and rapidly growing population, and this volume will help educators acquire deeper and more intricate knowledge of Asian American college students’ experiences. This resource is vital for college educators interested in better serving Asian American students in their institutions.

Between 2000 and 2015 the Asian American Pacific Islander population grew from nearly 12 million to over 20 million--at 72% percent recording the fastest growth rate of any major ethnic and racial group in the US.This book, the first to focus wholly on Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Institutions (AANAPISIs) and their students, offers a corrective to misconceptions about these populations and documents student services and leadership programs, innovative pedagogies, models of community engagement, and collaborations across academic and student affairs that have transformed student outcomes.The contributors stress the importance of disaggregating this population that is composed of over 40 ethnic groups that vary in immigrant histories, languages, religion, educational attainment levels, and socioeconomic status. This book recognizes there is a large population of underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander college students who, given their educational disparities, are in severe need of attention. The contributors describe effective practices that enable instructors to validate the array of students’ specific backgrounds and circumstances within the contexts of developing such skills as writing, leadership and cross-cultural communication for their class cohorts as a whole. They demonstrate that paying attention to the diversity of student experiences in the teaching environment enriches the learning for all. The timeliness of this volume is important because of the keen interest across the nation for creating equitable environments for our increasingly diverse students.This book serves as an important resource for predominantly white institutions who are admitting greater numbers of API and other underrepresented students. It also offers models for other minority serving institutions who face similar complexities of multiple national or ethnic groups within their populations, provides ideas and inspiration for the AANAPISI community, and guidance for institutions considering applying for AANAPISI status and funding. This book is for higher education administrators, faculty, researchers, student affairs practitioners, who can learn from AANAPISIs how to successfully engage and teach students with widely differing cultural backgrounds and educational circumstances.