THE COURAGE TO LEAD THE JOURNEY OF THE FIRST MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN COLLEGE PRESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES

THE COURAGE TO LEAD: THE JOURNEY OF THE FIRST MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN COLLEGE PRESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES A dissertation submitted by Regina D Biddings-Muro to Benedictine University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Higher Education and Organizational Change Benedictine University August 2015 Copyright by Regina D Biddings-Muro, 2015 All rights reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have prayed for this moment: the opportunity to express appreciation to those who have cheered me on when I was worried that my dream was impossible My sincerest thank you to the large circle of family, friends, and colleagues—both new and not-so-new—whose names belong on this deeply meaningful product of sacrifice and persistence I list your names here in the hope that it somehow makes tangible what is so difficult to demonstrate Edmundo Muro Jr., my life partner and the love of my life Your heroic battle fortified me and renewed my courage even during my darkest hours Anita Elizabeth Murrell, my daughter and my driving inspiration Your unyielding encouragement and belief in me kept me reading, writing, analyzing, and studying when everything inside of me told me to quit My late parents, Hardesty and Elizabeth Biddings Your faith-filled, life-long example of dignity and grace continues to be a guiding force every day in my life My late grandparents, Moses and Rosetta Biddings, Nelson and Emma Riddle, demonstrated a level of resilience that provided the foundation that seeded my ambitions My siblings, Emma Peterson, Emery Biddings, and Vincent Biddings, for cheering me on every step of the way My Purdue Calumet colleagues, Chancellor Dr Thomas L Keon, Chancellor Emeritus Dr Howard Cohen, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Provost Dr Peggy Gerard, Vice Chancellor of Information Services Dr Sarah Howard, and Vice Chancellor iii of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Dr Carmen Panlilio, your support anchored my journey I extend sincere and heartfelt gratitude to my new South Texas familia: Dr Juliet V García, Mr Oscar E García, Mr Oscar David García, Mrs Angela McCauley, Mrs Mary Rose Cárdenas, Mrs Martie DiGregorio, Dr Olivia Rivas, Dr Wayne Moore, Dr Javier Martinez, Ms Milagro Hernandez, and Mr Michael Aldape Also, I must acknowledge the outstanding members of my dissertation committee, Dr Antonina Lukenchuk, Dr Kathleen Carlson, and Dr Margarita Benitez, your advice, guidance, and expertise have been invaluable Finally, it has been a blessing to have the support from the Benedictine faculty and staff, in particular, Dr Eileen Kolich, Dr Sunil Chand, and Mr Kent Carrico iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .iii ABSTRACT vii CHAPTER ONE: PRELUDE SETTING THE TABLE Background of the Study The Principal Participant: Dr Juliet García .6 Mexican American College Presidents Pipelines for Leadership Texas Southmost College (TSC), The University of Texas Brownsville (UTB), and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) .11 American College President: A Profile 13 Problem Statement 16 Research Purposes and Questions 18 Narrative Inquiry Process 19 Organization of the Study 22 CHAPTER TWO: ON THE QUEST TO KNOW: SELECTING CAMERAS AND LENSES 24 Outlining the Conceptual Discourse of the Study 27 Narrative Tradition 28 The Power of Story 30 Generational Theory 32 Generative Leadership Theory 32 Poststructuralist Feminist Theory .33 iv Research Design 35 Life [Hi]story 36 Portraiture 37 Autoethnography 38 Sources of Data and Collection Strategies .40 Interviews 42 Field Texts 46 Documents and Artifacts 47 Data Analysis and Interpretation: A Two-Way Mirror .48 Validation Criteria 52 CHAPTER THREE: JULIET VILLARREAL GARCÍA: RESTORYING GENERATIONAL HISTORY 55 The Villarreal Family: An Immigrant Story 56 Language, Culture, and Education: The Choices and the Challenges .61 Familia: An Unbroken Tradition of Perseverance 64 CHAPTER FOUR: RESTORYING LEADERSHIP: A CAMERA WITH BORROWED LENSES 66 Introduction 66 Inaugurating a Transformational Leader 68 Leadership as Transformation 69 Gendered Leadership Reconsidered 72 A Leader Who Stands Her Ground 76 Lessons of Independence: Enacting Leadership on Her Own Terms 81 v A Leader Who is a State-of the-Art Listener 85 Leadership That Creates 87 The Leader in Service to the Institution 92 Leadership: Challenged and Deconstructed 95 Dr Juliet García’s “Signature” Brand of Leadership: “Chora” .97 CHAPTER FIVE: WHO IS JULIET GARCÍA: RE-STORIED IDENTITY 102 Dual Identities 102 Father’s Greatest Gift 104 Which Movement is This Anyway? Finding the Right Movement 106 Marriage and Family: The Citadel 109 Ascending to the Presidency—A Woman of Color in the Unspoken Boys’ Club 113 Our Mother, the President 118 “I Am My Mother’s Daughter” 123 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS AND INSIGHTS 127 Insights From the Study 127 Defining Moments That Helped Prepare Dr Juliet García for the Presidency at the University of Texas Brownsville 127 How Dr García Managed Challenging Experiences During Her Presidency at UTB 130 The Role of Dr García’s Generational History in Shaping Her as a Leader 131 Leadership Models That Define Dr García’s Approach to Her Role as a Leader 132 Poststructuralist Leadership 133 Transformational Leadership 135 vi Generative Leadership 135 Servant Leadership 136 Gender, Ethnicity, and Social Class-Related Contexts That Influenced Dr García’s Identity 137 Insights That Dr García Offered to Latinas and Women of Color Aspiring to the Highest Leadership Positions in Higher Education .141 To Aspiring Leaders: Insights From Dr García .142 To Aspiring Leaders: Insights From Study Participants 144 Final Reflections 147 EPILOGUE 151 REFERENCES 156 APPENDIX A: Interview Guide 168 APPENDIX B: Informed Consent Form: Primary Participant 172 APPENDIX C: Informed Consent Form: Additional Participants 175 APPENDIX D: Themes Identified as a Result of the 1st Cycle of Coding 178 vii ABSTRACT Higher education is challenged to find leaders who can meet the increasing and complex demands associated with leading the nation’s colleges and universities The American Council on Education reports that diversity among university CEOs has improved slightly, but representation among Latino college presidents remains stagnant at disproportionately low levels This study examined the lived experiences of the nation’s first Mexican American woman college president, Dr Juliet V García, who served more than 20 years as the head of the University of Texas Brownsville/Texas Southmost College Relatively few studies have been conducted on Latino college leaders in general and even fewer have focused on their lived experiences as presidents This narrative study on one such exceptional leader observed the various facets of her leadership—and her life Narrative portraiture of Dr García captured the breadth of her life story, beyond existing biographical sketches and news briefs to provide significant insights to future leaders and a rare, well-developed picture of a woman pioneer Dr García’s journey to the university presidency offers an enlightening narrative of how leaders and leadership may be defined and developed in the academy in the 21st century vii CHAPTER ONE: PRELUDE SETTING THE TABLE I was raised by Chitterling eating Vegetarian cooking Cornbread so good you want to lie Down and die baking “Go on baby, get yo’self a plate” Kind of Women Some Ph.D toting Poetry writing “I’ll see you in court” World traveling “Stand back, I’m creating” Type of Queens I was raised by Women — Kelly Norman Ellis (1994) The gift of faith transmitted to me from generations of family members whom I have never met renews my courage My mother turned to prayer during the most anxious times in our lives to find strength and optimism in the face of trouble This resolute understanding that the Good Lord Almighty would never abandon us fueled a faith that moves mountains and strengthened our determination to push through limits In his quiet, yet equally powerful way, my father demonstrated his faith by refusing to surrender to barriers The son of a West Virginia coal miner, my father became the primary breadwinner for the family when he was only 17 He was the firstborn of 11 children, and by the time he left high school, he had a wealth of experiences APPENDIX A INTERVIEW GUIDE 168 APPENDIX A Interview Guide Honoring Ancestry: Glimpsing the Past—Shaping the Future Please describe your earliest recollections of life at home with your family Describe your relationship(s) with your parents—and your siblings How did you know what your parents (or grandparents/extended family) expected of you? What did they express to you about the role of education? Describe any especially strong connections you might have had to extended family members Can we talk about the tremendous loss you suffered at the tender age of nine? If so, please describe the ways that you processed the loss of your mother You indicated in the journal article by Turner (2007) that your father played the roles of both parents Please share examples of how he did this What were the cultural, social, and political events of your “growing up” years that might have had an impact on your career choice and your vision as a leader? What, if any, involvement did you have in politics throughout your early college-going years? What, if any, participation did you have in the Chicana movement? Did you have discussions with family, friends or colleagues about the state of society while you were growing up? If so, what were the common themes driving these discussions? 10 What traditions have you carried forward from your upbringing to your children and grandchildren? 11 Let’s talk about your own perspectives related to your sense of home and community What parallels might there be that connect your ideas about home to your role as a leader? 12 What are the key values and priorities you have attempted to instill in your children and grandchildren? The Courage to Lead 13 In the journal article by Turner (2007), you also indicated that you consulted your husband before applying for your first presidency, who were other key people you 169 consulted about your decision to pursue your career and what did they say? How did these discussions affect your decisions moving forward? 14 What were the kinds of personal and/or professional experiences you believe prepared you for leadership before you became a college president? 15 What unique characteristics you believe have made you especially well suited for the presidencies at TSC and UTB? 16 What experiences provided the greatest tests of your leadership? When you encountered challenges, how did you deal with them? What, if anything, would you differently if you encountered those same challenges again? 17 Have you ever had regrets based on decisions you have made? If so, please share the circumstances 18 What might have been the impact of the fact that you are a Latina leader in a predominantly Hispanic community? 19 Are there people that you consider your ‘heroes’ and ‘heroines,’ of the past and present, whom you look up to? If so, why they stand out as strong leaders in your opinion? 20 Please share any projects that left you wishing that you could have done more to move them forward Any frustrations? How did these experiences cause you to change the way that you approached the presidency? 21 What are the experiences from your presidency that you think will have a significant role in guiding your leadership as the director of the University of Texas Institute of the Americas? A Two-Way Mirror: Reflections of Dr Juliet García 22 Who is Dr García? 23 Motherhood is said to be a generative act—the act of creation Have you ever imagined this as the generative power of leadership? If so, what can you say about yourself as a leader who ‘gives birth,’ who “creates,” who generates things? 24 How would people who know you describe you? What you think they say about you when you are not in the room? 170 25 What have been your most significant accomplishments thus far? 26 Now that you can look back on a long and illustrious career, what would you tell the next generation of Latina leaders? 27 What advice would you give to Latinas and women of color aspiring to be college presidents? 28 Given the stagnant growth in leadership ranks of Latinas and women of color, what can be done to prevent would-be leaders from being discouraged? 29 What should higher education be doing to encourage more diversity among the ranks of its leaders? 30 Is there anything I did not ask that you would like to share with me? 171 APPENDIX B INFORMED CONSENT FORM: PRIMARY PARTICIPANT 172 APPENDIX B Informed Consent Form: Primary Participant Dear Dr García, Thank you for agreeing to be the primary participant in a study regarding your leadership as president of the University of Texas Brownsville for more than 20 years By sharing the stories of your life and leadership, emerging leaders may be able to gain unique insight from the lessons you learned along the way Your experiences as the first Mexican woman to become a college president in the United States provide a rare opportunity for exploration and narrative inquiry I am a doctoral candidate in Benedictine University’s Higher Education and Organizational Change (HEOC) program in Lisle, Illinois and it would be a great honor if you would assist me in completing my dissertation research This qualitative study pursues the following research questions: What are the defining moments in your life that helped to prepare you for the highest position of leadership at UTB? What challenging experiences did you have to manage and overcome during your leadership as president of UTB? What role, if any, has generational history played in shaping you as a leader? What are the leadership models that define your approach to your role as a leader? What are the gender, ethnicity, and social class-related contexts that might have shaped your identity? What insights would you offer to women of color aspiring to serve in the highest positions of leadership in higher education? With this understanding, I am inviting you to participate in a semi-structured interview that will last approximately two hours I may request an additional follow-up interview based on research needs and goals The interviews will be videotaped and audiotaped pending your consent and transcribed verbatim The interview transcripts will be provided to you for verification of accuracy The prospect of interviewing you at this important stage of your career offers an amazing opportunity as you are completing more than 20 years of leadership at the highest levels of the academy This experience will provide tremendous opportunities for learning that will be a source of enrichment to me personally, as well as current and future generations of women of color who seek to serve in leadership roles Your participation is strictly voluntary and you may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty or consequence The study does not have any known or potential risks In strict accordance with confidentiality guidelines, the interview transcripts and all files pertaining to your participation in this study will be stored in a locked cabinet for ten years and destroyed afterwards if they are no longer necessary All computer files 173 will be kept on a secure server, accessible only to me Using password-protected files, I will keep a copy on a separate external hard-drive that will be locked in a safe at my home Based on your earlier verbal consent to participate, your name will be used in the study Excerpts from the interview(s) will be included in the final dissertation report or other later publications The Institutional Review Board of Benedictine University has approved this study The Chair of the IRB is Dr Alandra Weller-Clarke who can be reached at *******@***.***; or at (000) 000-0000 This study serves as partial fulfillment of the requirements for my Ed D degree in Higher Education and Organizational Change at the graduate school of Benedictine University I would sincerely appreciate if you would sign this form on the line provided below to show that you have read and agree with the contents If you have questions regarding this study, please feel free to contact me at reginad714@gmail.com or (000) 000-0000 You may also reach my dissertation director Dr Antonina Lukenchuk at antoninalukenchuk@gmail.com; alukenchuk@ben.edu; or at (000) 000-0000 Your signature below indicates that you have given careful consideration to your participation regarding the nature and purpose of the study You will receive a copy of this consent form to keep in your records Thank you I consent to participate in this study Printed Name: Date: [Signature] _ I give my permission to audio- and/or videotape this interview Name: Date: [Signature] _ I give my permission to use my name in the study Name: Date: [Signature] _ 174 APPENDIX C INFORMED CONSENT FORM: ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS 175 APPENDIX C Informed Consent Form: Additional Participants Dear Participant: Thank you for agreeing to be a participant in a study regarding Dr Juliet García’s leadership as president of the University of Texas Brownsville for more than 20 years By sharing the stories of her life and leadership, emerging leaders may be able to gain unique insight Her experiences as the first Mexican woman to become a college president in the United States provide a rare opportunity for exploration and (narrative) inquiry I am a doctoral candidate in Benedictine University’s Higher Education and Organizational Change (HEOC) program in Lisle, Illinois and it would be a great honor if you would assist me in completing my dissertation research This qualitative study pursues the following research questions: What are the defining moments in her life that helped to prepare her for the highest position of leadership at UTB? What challenging experiences did she have to manage and overcome during her leadership as president of UTB? What role, if any, has Dr García’s generational history played in shaping her as a leader? What are the leadership models that define Dr García’s approach to her role as a leader? What are the gender, ethnicity, and social class-related contexts that might have shaped Dr García’s identity? What are the insights that Dr García would offer to women of color aspiring to serve in the highest positions of leadership in higher education? What are the insights that she may have to offer to women of color aspiring for the highest positions of leadership in higher education? This study will be enriched if you would share your personal accounts as they relate to Dr García’s life story You are therefore invited to participate in an unstructured qualitative interview that will be audio- and or video-recorded, pending your consent, and transcribed verbatim The interview transcript will be provided to you for verification of accuracy During the interview, you will be asked a series of questions pertaining to your personal knowledge and experiences with Dr García Your participation is strictly voluntary and you may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty or consequence The study does not have any known or potential risks In strict accordance with confidentiality guidelines, the interview transcripts and all files pertaining to your participation in this study will be stored in a locked cabinet for ten years and destroyed afterwards if they are no longer necessary All computer files will be kept on a secure server, accessible only to me Using password-protected files, I will keep a copy on a separate external hard-drive that will be locked in a safe at my home Your name will only be used in the study with your consent Excerpts from the interview(s) will be included in the final dissertation report or other later publications 176 The Institutional Review Board of Benedictine University has approved this study The Chair of the IRB is Dr Alandra Weller-Clarke who can be reached at *******@***.***; or at (000) 000-0000 This study serves as partial fulfillment of the requirements for my Ed D degree in Higher Education and Organizational Change at the graduate school of Benedictine University I would sincerely appreciate if you would sign this form on the line provided below to show that you have read and agree with the contents If you have questions regarding this study, please feel free to contact me at reginad714@gmail.com or (000) 000-0000 You may also reach my dissertation director Dr Antonina Lukenchuk at antoninalukenchuk@gmail.com; alukenchuk@ben.edu; or at (000) 000-0000 Your signature below indicates that you have given careful consideration to your participation regarding the nature and purpose of the study You will receive a copy of this consent form to keep in your records Thank you I consent to participate in this study Printed Name: Date: [Signature] _ I give my permission to audio- and/or videotape this interview Name: Date: [Signature] _ I give my permission to use my name in the study Name: Date: [Signature] _ 177 APPENDIX D THEMES IDENTIFIED AS A RESULT OF THE 1ST CYCLE OF CODING 178 APPENDIX D Themes Identified as a Result of the 1st Cycle of Coding I Immigration by Expulsion a Surviving the Revolution b Education heritage and legacy c The passport photo II A Rose that Blooms between Two Thorns a The “intense” Villarreal family b Romeo and Juliet (and Mario) c Parenting in Spanish and English; Mexican Presbyterian, and Catholic d Duality as doctrine e Brains over Beauty III Teachers and Advocates a Skipping First Grade b Father in his Stetson c The second grade and la Boheme (My 2nd grade teacher, the angel) d Fourth Grade: The Greatest Loss and the Gift of Strength IV The integration of Marriage, Family, & Career a Learning and Nursing b Taking Risks and Making Gains c A Presidential Candidate at 28 d Leading The Self Study e Life in the First Family (under the microscope) V Women: Leaders of the Revolt a Mom: The Power of Blessings b Kay Alexander (Second grade teacher) c Jean Acoff (Fourth grade teacher) d Mary Rose Cárdenas a Triple whammy- too young, too female and too Mexican b Staring Down Critics c Challenging definitions (Community College/ University) d Beyond the Looking Glass—Mean in a “good way” VI Leadership Reinvented A The Fence that should have been a bridge DHS lawsuit A defining moment at UTB Understanding friends and enemies B Lessons on Independence Father’s travels 179 Understanding gifts Renaissance family model: husband uproots to support wife’s career; Son relocates to support wife’s career Joining and “leaving” the fold at the University of Texas system Community Colleges Recognizing the “signs” (when it is time to step aside) VII What does it all Mean? Courage—borrowed and re-generated? a years old- Losing mother b 19 years old- Marriage and Babies c 29 years old—Leading the Self Study d 37 years old – Appointment to president at TSC a Leadership that tires b Leadership that creates c Leadership that challenges d Leadership that invents e 47 years old- Grandmotherhood a Nurturing the Legacy b Building foundations (at UTB) f 59 years old- US DHS vs Us g The latest “Invention”: University of Texas Americas Institute General Themes: • Courage: Borrowed and Re-generated • Leading in a “Man’s World” • “Mothering and Grandmothering”: Dedication to Home and Community • Maintaining Composure • Legacy of Academic Excellence (Grandparents, Parents, Children, Grandchildren) • Invention as the Mother of Necessity 180 ... life story of Dr Juliet García, the first Mexican American woman college president in the United States, provides incentives to stretch conventional thinking Her story offers insight about an individual... affiliation The following are among its key findings from a survey of 1,662 participating presidents across the United States: o The number of women presidents increased to 26% in 2011 compared to 23% in. .. number of women in the top job has nearly tripled In a profile of minority presidents, ACE (2012) reports the ranks of college presidents contained 8% minorities in 1986 and that the number had increased