The professional development experiences of African American women: The ACE Fellows Program

This study focused on the experiences of five African American women senior administrators employed at five predominantly White institutions in the Midwest and the Northeast. There are few African American women in senior and chief executive administrative positions. These African American women were chosen as research subjects because they completed the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program and currently serve as senior and chief executive administrators of higher education institutions. The goals of this study were to explore how mentoring and leadership development, specifically the ACE Fellows program, impacted the careers of the African American women. Additionally, this study examined if, or in what ways, the leadership development training received had beneficial impact in the short or the long term following their participation. A qualitative design approach using case studies provided insights into the lives of the study participants through structured, one-on-one interviews, which were audio taped and transcribed. Research questions examined issues concerning mentoring experiences, career paths, the impact of the ACE Fellows program experience, and strategies to increase the representation of African American women in senior administrative leadership. Overall findings revealed that the women in this research study engaged in leadership development opportunities and mentoring relationships that enhanced their leadership abilities, advanced their careers, and enabled them to become exemplary presidents, chief executive officers or provosts. Part of their admirable success may be attributed to their participation in the ACE Fellows Program, a leadership development program designed to enhance the understanding of the dynamics of higher education, to increase participant knowledge base of executive leadership skills, and via the establishment of mentoring relationships that result in the promotion of participants into senior leadership, specifically presidencies. The ACE Fellows experiences affected the African American women's confidence levels, career aspirations, and leadership abilities, thereby enabling them to realize senior executive positions.