The Sista' Network: African-American Women Faculty Successfully Negotiating the Road to Tenure
The "Sista' Network" is a term used to describe the relationships between and among professional African-American women which enable them to assist one another in learning the unwritten rules and protocols of various professions. In the context of higher education, the Sista' Network can help new African-American women faculty negotiate the road to tenure.A qualitative inquiry into the lives and experiences of nine African-American women faculty during various stages of the tenure process, the heart of this book is a synthesis of the collected data into a roundtable discussion. This format provides an ideal forum in which to tell the women's stories, and it engages the readers in the sharing of their experiences. Also included are 12 guiding principles for new African-American women faculty members embarking upon the tenure process. And throughout, the book weaves in African-American feminist thought with the literature on academic tenure and minority and women faculty experiences in the academy.