The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Education: A 2017 Update

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) released a research and policy brief titled, “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Education.” The document was one of four released in 2014 that focused on understanding the status of women’s leadership in politics, education, nonprofits, and business. This brief provides a three-year update to determine what, if any, progress has been made in women’s leadership within Utah’s public (K–12) and higher education (public and the two largest private) sectors. The brief compares Utah data with national data and reviews the applicable literature.

Higher Education

A 2013 American Council of Education (ACE) report titled On the Pathway to the Presidency2 stated that women comprised 43% of senior administrators in all types of higher education institutions. More recently, a 2017 report by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) stated that women now hold roughly 50% of all administrative positions in higher education across the United States, yet actual representation varies depending on the type of both positions and institutions. For example, a 2009 Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) publication stated that women represented 52% of senior leaders at community colleges but only 34% in doctorate-granting institutions. Thus, there are obvious discrepancies in the data, but most sources consistently acknowledge that the percentages of women in academic leadership are still not high enough, particularly for women in senior leadership roles. They also call for increased preparation and hiring of women throughout all levels of management and leadership within higher education.

Public Education (K–12)

This section compares national and Utah data on the following leadership positions and/or categories within public education: Boards of Education, State Offices of Education Leadership, District Superintendents, District Staff Directors, and Principals. The majority of the Utah data was obtained from the extensive Utah 2016–2017 Educational Directory found online, as well as by accessing relevant websites. Researchers identified gender by looking at the names of individuals within specific positions listed. If names were not gender-specific, online searches of schools or district and state offices provided additional details.

To learn more about The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Education: A 2017 Update read the entire brief.