Juggling acts: navigating motherhood and leadership as senior student affairs officers.

Abstract

Women make up the overwhelming majority of student affairs practitioners; many are also mothers. Simultaneously, there is a dearth in scholarly literature that addresses the impact of motherhood on the careers of women in student affairs, particularly mothers in the senior student affairs officer (SSAO) position. This study utilized hermeneutic phenomenological methods to explore and understand the lived experiences of SSAO mothers to highlight the successes and barriers of six women currently serving in an SSAO role while actively parenting children below the age of 18. Semi-structured interviews revealed seven emerging constitutive patterns: (a) importance of support systems, (b) gender role dynamics, (c) guided career growth, (d) intrinsic and extrinsic influences on expectations of SSAO mothers, (e) holistic life management, (f) strategic decision-making, and, (g) navigating leadership journeys. This study concludes with recommendations for mothers who aspire to become an SSAO, including the importance of self-advocacy, being involved on campus, and intentionally building support systems. Additionally, recommendations for campus presidents and institutions are also provided, including the importance of creating family-friendly campus cultures through events and policies, providing intentional mentoring opportunities, and addressing the gender pay gap that increases for women who take time off to attend to mothering responsibilities.