Graduation Semester and Year
Fall 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
First Advisor
Yi Leaf Zhang
Second Advisor
Elsa Camargo
Third Advisor
Jandel Crutchfield
Abstract
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) play a pivotal role in advancing equity in higher education; however, the persistent underrepresentation of Black women in professional leadership positions reveals a critical gap in diversity and inclusion. This narrative inquiry explored how Black women leaders construct and make meaning of their leadership experiences at a large urban research university designated as an HSI in Texas. Grounded in Hinton’s (2012) Nexus of Black Leadership Efficacy (NOBLE) framework, the study examined the narratives of eight participants who self-identified as Black women serving in professional staff leadership roles, such as supervisors, program coordinators, assistant directors, and directors. Using in-depth, semistructured interviews, the study revealed four overarching themes that capture the participants’ leadership journeys, focusing on their early family and community influences, undergraduate and graduate experiences, meaning making of professional experiences, and transitional and growth experiences. Findings illuminate how Black women leaders at HSIs navigate intersecting identities, cultivate resilience, and sustain a strong sense of purpose within institutional contexts that often marginalize their contributions. Although HSIs serve diverse student populations, participants experienced leadership structures that more closely reflected those of PWIs, but they also expressed sharing the student-centered values associated with HBCUs. This dichotomy shaped how participants made meaning of their leadership experiences at an HSI in Texas. The study contributes to the growing scholarship on Black women’s leadership in higher education and offers implications for institutional practices that promote equity, belonging, and leadership development at HSIs.
Keywords
Black women, Higher Education, Leadership, Professional staff, Hispanic-serving institution, Texas
Disciplines
Educational Leadership | Higher Education Administration
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Stanford, Philisa, "EXPLORING BLACK WOMEN'S MEANING MAKING IN PROFESSIONAL STAFF LEADERSHIP ROLES AT A HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION" (2025). Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations. 227.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/edleadershippolicy_dissertations/227
Comments
I am sincerely grateful to my dissertation chair, Dr. Yi Leaf Zhang, for her willingness to take me on when I needed a new direction and for her patience, encouragement, and steady guidance along the way. Her mentorship not only shaped this dissertation but also helped shape the scholar and leader I am becoming. I also want to thank Dr. Elsa Camargo and Dr. Jandel Crutchfield for serving on my committee and for their thoughtful insights that strengthened my research and writing.