| dc.description.abstract | Using testimonios, this study shares experiences of how structural inequalities impact
self-care, wellness, mentoring, and career-related mobility of womxn of color in midsenior-level student affairs roles at PWI’s. Testimonios revealed three themes: how they
engaged in self-care and wellness, challenges with self-care and wellness, and dreams of
a culture shift.
The womxn shared an overall belief that student affairs does not do enough to support
self-care and wellness for employees and found challenges to self-care and wellness
common. They desired greater flexibility in schedules, programs that support wellness,
monetary compensation and investment, affinity groups, increased supervisor support,
and for their wellbeing to be as high of a priority as student’s. It is important for
researchers to consider how experiences of working in institutions of higher education are
impacted by colonization and white supremacist values and how structural inequities and
histories impact intersecting identities.
Future research opportunities: (a) how perceptions and practice of self-care and wellness
grow and change along one’s career, (b) self-care the womxn participated in, (c)
alignment and evaluation of policies and HR practices related to self-care, wellness, and
mentoring, (d) focus on WOC career transitions, and (e) impact of COVID-19 on selfcare, wellness, mentoring, and role transitions.
Keywords: women of color, student affairs, self-care, wellness, mentoring, role
transitions, intersectionality, critical race theory, psycho-social-cultural theory,
testimonios, counter-storytelling | en_US |
