IMPACT OF WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION (HE) ON WOMEN UNDERGRADUATES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA (UG), THE

McGill Journal of Education, Fall 2003 by Austin, Claudette Collette

Guyana is one of the smaller less developed countries located geographically on the South American mainland. It has historic, social, cultural and economic links with the Commonwealth Caribbean, having been a British Colonial possession from 1803 to 1966 when it gained political independence. It comprises three counties: Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. The overall position of women in Guyana is governed by ethnic, economic, political and socio-cultural factors. Although women are employed in all spheres the number that occupy senior or top management positions in higher education is small.

This study (Austin, 1998) examined the status of women students and managers at the Turkeyen campus of the University of Guyana (UG).It considered enrolment and graduation statistics of the six faculties to identify the pool of women eligible as employees for management at the university. The roles and responsibilities of women in managements toward women students between 1995 and 2000, were explored through formal and informal interviews with female lecturers, administrators and students. The results were analysed against a review of the relevant literature.

Women students were a majority of those enrolled in some faculties: Social Sciences (66.4% women) and Education (80.7% women), Law (54%) ,Natural Sciences (46.9% women) and Technology (8.2% women). Women are, however, a minority of staff at the University of Guyana.

The Table (next page) shows how men predominate in academic positions at all levels. This situation requires examination as women make up a majority of student enrolments.

The interviews revealed that in addition to basic qualifications criteria for staff appointment included qualities related to charismatic leadership and self-confidence. Women felt that they could not compete against such criteria. Longer years of service meant that men were more eligible for leadership positions Fewer women were eligible because of their comparatively late entry into employment in the academy. Women tended to prefer teaching and managing at the department rather than the university level, and women managers tended not to support each other. However a number of women staff working at departmental level felt their work at this level was exceedingly stressful. Some senior women administrators were content to serve as deputies and did not aspire to higher positions in the university. The small numbers of women in leadership undermined any significant representation of women's issues at decision-making forums

The data substantiate views (DeSimone, 1995; Hollenshead et al., 2001; Hunt, 1998; and Morley, Unterhalter & Gold, 2002) that quantitative growth resulting from the feminisation of Higher Education is not an indication of qualitative growth in terms of employment in he management. Inadequate scholarships and student loans for postgraduate study, plus persistent conflicts of child care and household responsibilities hinder women's employment.

The study highlights the need for support through a range of schemes including mentorships and discussion forums to help women undergraduates and staff employed on low grades acquire the knowledge and skills that will motivate them to pursue academic careers. There is also a need for the University of Guyana to consider the structural barriers that hinder women's progress, address inequalities in promotion and explore alternative promotion criteria that value the contribution women make.

REFERENCES

Austin, C. (1998). Empowering women in management in higher education. MA Thesis. Institute of Education, University of London.

DeSimone, D. M. (1995). Charlotte Perkins oilman and the Feminization of Education. In WiLLA Volume 5 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/WILLA/fall95/DeSimone.html

Hollenshead, C. S. & Miller, J. E. (2001 ). Diversity workshops: Gender Equity - A closer look. http://www.diversityweb.Org/Digest/Sp01/research2.htmkhttp://www.diversityweb.org/Digest/ Sp01/research2.html>

Hunt, L. (1998). Has the battle been won? The feminization of history, Perspectives Online, http://www.theaha.org/perspectives/issues/1998/9805/9805VIEl.CFM

Morley, L., Unterhalter, E., & Gold, A. (2002, july 25). Keynote address - Sound and silences: Gendered change in higher education institutions in the Commonwealth, S"1 International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women, Mekerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

CLAUDETTE COLLETTE AUSTIN University of Guyana

CLAUDETTE COLLETTE AUSTIN is a Lecturer 11 in Educational Administration and Head, Department of Foundations and Education Management in the School of Education and Humanities, University of Guyana. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Arts and a Diploma in Education from the University of Guyana as well as a Masters degree in Women and Management in Higher Education from the Institute of Education, University of London. Prior to her appointment as a Lecturer in 1998 she worked for over a decade as an Administrator in the University of Guyana. Claudette has written courses in Issues and Perspectives in Education and Gender and Education Management for distance education delivery. She is currently carrying out research and writing on Gender Equity in Higher Education, Women and Management and current issues in education.