Rewriting the Narrative: Women Leaders in Housing Navigating Decision Making

IN TODAY’S RAPIDLY SHIFTING AND CRISIS-PRONE HIGHER EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT, women in leadership—particularly those overseeing student housing operations on college and university campuses—are making critical high-stakes decisions that are shaped by both internal and external perceptions of identity. This basic qualitative study uses the Ecosystem Decision-Making Framework as a conceptual context for exploring identity, one of four factors that influence executive leaders in higher education when making decisions during times of uncertainty. Specifically, this study seeks to understand how identity influences the decision making of women leaders in senior housing officer roles. While previous literature identifies a range of barriers that women face in leadership—feeling like an imposter or even code switching to meet often unwritten expectations—this study highlights the voices and lived experiences of women navigating these realities during the decision-making process. The findings aim to inform practices that support the success and retention of women in the workplace, analyzing the systems women are leading rather than the leadership of women.