MARITAL STATUS, PARENTING, AND PURSUIT OF GRADUATE DEGREES; THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO AND EFFECT ON THE CAREERS OF WOMEN ADMINISTRATORS IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Statement of the Problem. The problem of this study was to: (1) Determine the relationships between marital status, parenting, and pursuit of graduate degrees of women administrators in higher education institutions and the levels of their positions. (2) Describe the effects women feel exist between marital status, parenting, pursuit of graduate degrees, and their careers as administrators in higher education institutions. (3) Interpret the findings from the perspective of their meaning for women who face the decision to pursue a career in higher education administration as well as women now in such careers with regard to future promotions. It was hypothesized that: (1) marital status and level of position of women administrators employed at higher education institutions are independent, (2) parenting and level of position of women administrators employed at higher education institutions are independent, and (3) earned graduate degrees and level of position of women administrators employed at higher education institutions are independent. A corollary problem was to report the vice versa effects study subjects felt existed between marital status and career, parenting and career, and pursuit of graduate degrees and career. Procedures. The research method used was the descriptive survey. The instrument used to collect data needed to address study hypotheses was the Career Life Status Questionnaire (CLSQ), a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The first section of the questionnaire was designed to collect selected descriptitve data on personal factors and career status of study subjects. These factors included: marital status, age, degrees held, graduate school status, employment experience, leaves taken, number and ages of children, and years employed. The second section asked respondents to report vice versa effects they felt existed between their marital status, parenting, pursuit of graduate degrees and their careers. Instrument reliability was determined by item by item percent agreement; the total percent agreement was 85.0%. Validation of the CLSQ was based on face validity. Two hundred institutions were randomly selected from The Education Directory, Colleges and Universities (1977-78). The 529 women listed as holding administrative positions at these 200 institutions comprised the study subjects. The CLSQ was mailed to the study subjects. A total of 456 questionnaires was returned, of which 409 were usable. The frequency and percentage distribution of responses by study subjects to CLSQ items were reported in tabular format. The research hypotheses were tested using the chi-square statistic. The confidence level .01 was the standard against which independence was determined between marital status, parenting, earned graduate degrees, and level of position of women administrators in higher education. Findings and Generalizations. Marital status and level of position of women administrators in higher education were not found to be independent. Women who have made a marriage relationship commitment do not seem to hold top level positions as frequently as single women. Parenting and level of position were not found to be independent. Childless women have risen to top level positions more frequently than women with children. Highest degree held and level of position were not found to be independent. Women holding top level administrative positions hold graduate level degrees. Women felt the effect of their career on marital status was neutral and the vice versa effect was neutral. Women felt the effect of career on parenting (by number of children) was positive and the vice versa effect was neutral. Women felt the effect of career on parenting (by ages of children) was positive and the vice versa effect was neutral. Women felt the effect of career on pursuit of graduate degrees was neutral and the vice versa effect was positive.