ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the perceptions of internal and external barriers and motivators experienced by faculty and current/former academic leaders in pursuit of higher education administration roles. Attention was focused on whether gender influenced university faculty and administrators' career trajectory, opportunities. Institutional change that seems to be affecting the number of faculty interested in and actively moving into administrative positions is the rise of part-time and non-tenure faculty appointments. The strongest concerns about pursuing an administrative path mentioned by current and former administrators was reducing or giving up research followed by the time involved in administration. A lack of interest concerning the role of administration may also reflect a faculty member's unfamiliarity with administration. Strained faculty-administration relationships coupled with little opportunity for interaction between faculty and university leaders may perpetuate feelings of disinterest. Limited presence on key committees that address critical issues concerning policy, tenure/promotion, and budgetary decision making and planning may also explain female faculty members' disinterest in administrative leadership.
