The Short Story

To situate myself for this chapter, I was born in the United States and raised in a dysfunctional and relatively poor family. I graduated from high school at 16 and engaged in a typical first-generation student undergraduate journey at three different schools. At 26, I received from Indiana University a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies with a major in voice. I married, moved to Canada, had two sons, parented, was a professional classical musician, and was divorced in 2008. I began graduate studies that year, worked many interesting jobs, remarried, moved several times, completed a Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Instructional Design, and graduated in 2014 with a Master of Education in Distance Education from Athabasca University. I completed my Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation four years later. I am currently an online (distance) program administrator and chair at a college in Ontario. I am also a researcher, an associate professor, and an advocate of the use of open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy as part of postsecondary teaching and learning in distance modalities.

In my role as a chair for online asynchronous course delivery, I have significant opportunities to advise and influence course design for open practice, including the use of OER, student co-creation of learning and resources, use of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for content and learning outcomes, and open research practices. As an associate professor, I teach a graduate course openly designed in WordPress, and I support each cohort of learners to explore and examine the value of open pedagogy in their studies and professional roles. Open education, as a common good for global success, is my primary value as a distance education leader.

Problematization and Assemblage

This chapter is an auto-ethnographic account relying on relevant elements of method as provided by Hughes and Pennington (2017). They introduced problematization as a strategy for self-collection of data and scaffolding an auto-ethnographic account. I developed a statement related to their questions (p. 59) as follows: graduate study for women in the field of open and distance learning leads to engaging and better-paid leadership opportunities. With this statement in mind, I share my responses below.

Who am I to be making this statement? I am a woman administrator in open and distance learning with a history of graduate study, research, and leadership in global postsecondary contexts. My experiences have resulted in improved finances and personal capacity as an instructional designer, educational technologist, researcher, and leader.

For whom am I making it? I am making my statement to benefit interested women who might be considering administrative or senior leadership careers in open and distance learning at postsecondary institutions.

Why am I making this statement here, now? The invitation to participate in writing this book was an opportunity for me to share a relevant story. Preparing this chapter has been a method of professional development through reflecting and learning.

Whom does my statement benefit? My statement can benefit women who are early to mid-career practitioners working in postsecondary open and distance education by considering the value of graduate study.

Whom does my statement harm? Not everyone can afford the time and financial burden of graduate study, and I have not explored alternative pathways to leadership success. My experience of graduate education is that of a cis-gendered white woman with economic privilege, and I have selected literature from that perspective. I believe that my privilege, my lack of exploration of professional development outside graduate study, and my limited gendered experience, though not necessarily harmful, could be limitations of this chapter.

Along with problematization, Hughes and Pennington’s (2017) idea of “assemblage”—combining auto-ethnographic narrative and literature—was valuable to me and helped me to frame this chapter. I selected the following reflection questions to guide my writing.

• In what ways does graduate education for women in the field of open and distance learning lead to engaging and better-paid leadership opportunities?
• What are some of the challenges of graduate education for women?
• Which changes in practice might make it easier for women to engage in graduate education?
• In what ways does graduate education for women in the field of open and distance learning lead to engaging and better-paid leadership opportunities?

Several life factors can affect the decision to undertake graduate study. As Boneva et al. (2022) found, perceptions of the benefits of completing graduate study varied depending on the lives and undergraduate experiences of prospective learners. In my case, as an at-home parent for many years facing separation from my spouse, I needed an opportunity to examine my capacity to learn and earn. My motivations to pursue additional education at the time of my separation were financial security and mental health healing. I researched programs that my skills, interests, and values might fit and participated in career coaching. My work at the time, as an Apple Store creative employee (teaching customers how to use the full suite of photo, audio, and video tools on their computers), inspired my love of technology for education. I chose the Athabasca University Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design and the University of Toronto Certificate in Adult Education as my start. I have been engaged in rewarding open and distance learning and work ever since.

One of the primary benefits of my graduate education has been a rise in income. Since earning my first graduate credential in 2009, my annual income has increased from approximately $65,000 to over $160,000. Each graduate credential that I have earned has had a positive impact on my income, long-term family support capacity, and opportunities to influence the quality of distance education design and delivery at multiple institutions. The financial benefits of graduate-level attainment in my field, and especially in professional programs, are well documented in national statistics (Statistics Canada, 2020; Stevenson, 2016).

As described by Posselt and Grodsky (2017), the more intangible benefits of graduate study in terms of personal confidence, access to influential roles, and increased social capital are not well represented in the literature. Many first-generation students like me have experienced the social capital stemming from the completion of undergraduate work (Gardner & Holley, 2011) and want to continue these benefits through further education. The intangible benefits of completing graduate studies might comprise an important avenue for further research.

Based on interests gained from my graduate studies, I resigned from my full-time work as an online instructional designer in 2013 to pursue a research start-up. A unique outcome of this experience was learning about the power of emerging self-publishing and self-promotion paradigms such as WordPress and Twitter. The rise and value of social media and blogging in education over the past 15 years are well documented in the literature (Lauricella, 2020; Malik et al., 2019; Weller, 2020), and these practices contributed to my capacity to build a personal learning network and a reputation as a competent academic. In 2015, I experienced a reward for my entrepreneurial adventures with an offer of work at Arizona State University. I was hired as the lead instructional designer for an ASU-edX partnership called the Global Freshman Academy. While I was engaged in this work, building MOOCs for thousands of global learners, I began my doctoral studies. In my experience, the value of the design, learning outcomes, and professional practice of the ASU doctoral program cannot be overstated. I use the research, leadership, and innovation skills that I acquired and used as part of this study nearly every day in my current work.

The final benefit for me of graduate study has been my increased confidence as a woman with sought-after and increasing skills. Because of my education and experiences over the past 15 years, I am empowered now in every sense of the word. I can speak with authenticity in any forum about topics in my fields of expertise. I can support others, I can lead others, I can collaborate on and contribute to projects and research that have positive impacts. Although an introvert by nature, I have developed a nurturing and deep network of global colleagues.

What Are Some of the Challenges of Graduate Education for Women?

Decisions about graduate studies are complex. Canadian statistics show that approximately 80% of women in master’s programs graduate but that only 50% of women in doctoral programs complete their journeys (Statistics Canada, 2022a, 2022b). A recent scan of gender in master’s and doctoral programs at the University of British Columbia indicated significant gains in the number of women for both master’s study (now up to 62.16% from 51.15% in 1991) and doctoral study (currently 50.50% up from 33.21% in 1991) (University of British Columbia Graduate School, n.d.). This is an encouraging trend. However, during graduate studies, women can still face gender- and race-based discrimination and harassment (Deem, 2018; Roos, 2008), which can make their journeys more difficult. In the realm of PhDs, tenured faculty positions at universities have been challenging for women (Roos, 2008). In my experience, it is good to consult with a career coach, examine your current work environment, and talk with your family members to determine which type of credential might have the best value for your goals.

A typical question to ask about any decision on education is can I afford to go to school? At the time of writing, the degrees that I earned would cost a 2022 entry-level learner $20,548 CAD for the 11 courses in the Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education in Canada (Athabasca University, 2022) and approximately $39,000 USD for a three-year Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation in the United States (Arizona State University, 2022). Examining all financial options to pay for graduate education is an important task. An additional set of self-doubt questions that I explored in my decision making included the following. Am I selfish to take this time and money? Am I smart enough to be successful in graduate study? Will this choice of program really help me to achieve my financial and mental health goals? What if I fail? The interior voice of doubt and imposter syndrome for high-achieving women and many graduate students is well documented (Wilson & Cutri, 2019) and has been one of my loud life companions. Ultimately, I ignored my self-doubt and persisted.

For those who experience imposter syndrome, graduate study can be imbued with feelings of inadequacy (Gardner & Holley, 2011; Wilson & Cutri, 2019). When I first began reading academic articles in graduate school, I kept a dictionary nearby, and it often took me hours to read and reflect. I was anxious about writing papers and thought that I would be found out at any moment. My worst fear was failing. As a lifelong honours-level student, I felt out of my depth for graduate work. This was a barrier that I had to overcome to persist and get through the heavy workload on a course-by-course basis. As Wilson and Cutri (2019) suggest, forming a community of practice around academic reading and writing might be an important activity for anyone beginning graduate study.

Although I benefited from employer support for some of my tuition and fees, I had to use significant personal funds. Most of the time that I was enrolled in master’s and doctoral work I worked full time, which made distance education an ideal choice for me and my family. I would not have been able to complete my studies without exceptional time and dedication from my spouse and sons. I am still returning funds to my retirement savings (a privileged funding option in Canada). Post-graduation debt continues to be a reality for most people who undertake graduate study (Stevenson, 2016). It can be difficult to calculate if increased wages related to further education eventually offset the time commitments and financial costs (Posselt & Grodsky, 2017; Stevenson, 2016). Therefore, decision making about graduate study should include a wide lens on the potential challenges and benefits.

Which Changes in Practice Might Make It Easier and More Effective for Women to Engage in Graduate Education?

There are challenges to being a woman in postsecondary learning and work environments. Being a very naive and introverted young woman during my undergraduate years, I experienced multiple instances of sexual harassment and abuse. Unfortunately, this type of abuse persists in higher education (Bondestam & Lundqvist, 2020). I had not been raised as a confident self-advocate and therefore was vulnerable. I did not experience sexual harassment during my graduate studies (thankfully), possibly because I chose predominantly online asynchronous modes of study—and I was more mature and confident. Online asynchronous study as a potentially safer pathway for women in graduate programs might be worth exploring. I would be delighted to support such research.

Although my years of work as a support staff instructional designer (from 2009 to 2016) were largely positive, I did experience occasional derision and oppression from men (and even some women) in positions of academic power. Conflicts between faculty members and instructional designers are described in the literature (Halupa, 2019; Miller & Stein, 2016; Romero-Hall et al., 2018). Anecdotally, among my instructional design peers, there are many examples of negative experiences, especially for women. One of my goals in seeking graduate-level education was to enhance my gender-based power in academic settings by enhancing my knowledge of research and evidence-based practice. I believe that I have achieved this goal in many ways, but I was unable to find any relevant studies in the literature related to the empowerment of women through graduate education. This might be an opportunity for further research.

Postsecondary and distance education environments continue to be dominated by white male educators who earn more and are more likely to receive grants, publish research, and be rewarded with university tenure than equally qualified women and racialized educators (Deem, 2018; Statistics Canada, 2022b). Racial and gender-based inequity persists across faculty, staff, and administrative roles in postsecondary contexts, especially at the level of senior leadership. Information about gendered pay differences for my field (occupations in education, law, and social, community, and government services) showed women earning 82% of what men earned in 2017, with a one-point drop to 81% in 2022 (Statistics Canada, 2023). There are also persistent gender and racial differences in doctoral salaries (Webber & Canché, 2015). Like other work environments, postsecondary education settings should become more equitable, inclusive, caring, and collaborative ecosystems (Deem, 2018; Timmons, 2021). An intentional part of postsecondary distance education practice should be continuing efforts to hire, equitably compensate, and support women into middle and senior leadership roles while working to change the power culture of academia.

The final piece of the puzzle related to change in practice for women in graduate studies might be the support of time (Fakunmoju et al., 2016). Davis and colleagues’ (2022) focus on the time disparity (and related barriers to academic success) among tenured and tenure-track women during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic were revealing and highlighted ongoing systemic inequity for women academics as daughters, parents, and spouses. When external care provision and schooling were significantly curtailed by COVID-19 closures and restrictions, women were most likely to give up their jobs (or take leaves from them) to do the work of managing home and family (Davis et al., 2022). Equal distribution of family care requires further work from all stakeholders so that women can pursue meaningful careers in which they receive equitable compensation. Employers should find ways to support women who want to pursue graduate degrees, such as weekly time for study and short-term leaves for research or dissertation writing.

Summary

Writing this chapter was a great opportunity for me to explore some of the literature related to my experiences as a first-generation graduate moving through the lifelong joys and challenges of work, education, and family life as a woman. As echoed in so much of the literature by women in my field, I feel lucky to have chosen open and distance education as my area of study and expertise. I am grateful for the rich network of colleagues whom I have met and for the evolution of open and distance learning as strategic mandates for so many postsecondary institutions. I feel valued and valuable. In my time as an open and distance education practitioner, the places where I have worked have come a long way in terms of support and access for women. However, most colleges and universities still have a long way to go to establish themselves as places of authentic equity. Postsecondary employers, who clearly know the value of graduate-level skills and espouse the value of lifelong learning, should be leaders in the empowerment of women through graduate studies. When these changes begin to be enacted meaningfully, it will be easier for women to be successful in graduate studies and their subsequent careers. I hope that my ideas about the value of graduate studies for women are useful, and I look forward to continuing my support for women to achieve their goals through education, research, and leadership.

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