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Catholic Sisters as Community College Faculty and Administrators: 1969 to 1999

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Title: Catholic Sisters as Community College Faculty and Administrators: 1969 to 1999
Language: English
Authors: Peggy M. Delmas (ORCID 0000-0002-6369-9838)
Source: Community College Review. 2026 54(1):43-61.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: College Faculty, College Administration, Nuns, Catholics, Community Colleges, Public Colleges, Educational History, Women Administrators, Teacher Characteristics, Administrator Characteristics, Teaching Experience
DOI: 10.1177/00915521251369856
ISSN: 0091-5521
1940-2325
Abstract: Objective: This qualitative study describes the participation and contributions of Catholic sisters as faculty and administrators at public U.S. community colleges during a 30-year period from 1969 to 1999. The purpose of the research is to write Catholic sisters into the history of America's public community colleges by examining their role in these institutions. Methods: Using interviews and document analysis, I examined the employment of 23 Catholic sisters in the community colleges of 12 states. The study was guided by a framework of feminist theory in an effort to correct the invisibility of the subjects' roles in community colleges. Results: Among the findings, the research revealed that many subjects desired employment in community colleges in order to contribute financially to their religious community, often after their own congregationally-sponsored Catholic school or college either closed or merged with another institution. Although most subjects did not go out of their way to reveal their religious identity on campus, when students and faculty became aware of it, they were often initially struck by the novelty of a Catholic sister leading or teaching at a public community college. Ultimately they seemed to perceive and relate to the women based on their professionalism. Conclusion: By focusing on Catholic sisters, the study offers a look at the role of a unique group of women in academia and helps paint a fuller picture of women faculty and administrators at the community college during a time period for which little such research existed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1493620
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0190387806;ccr01jan.26;2025Dec23.05:52;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0190387806-1">Catholic Sisters as Community College Faculty and Administrators: 1969 to 1999 </title> <p>Objective: This qualitative study describes the participation and contributions of Catholic sisters as faculty and administrators at public U.S. community colleges during a 30-year period from 1969 to 1999. The purpose of the research is to write Catholic sisters into the history of America's public community colleges by examining their role in these institutions. Methods: Using interviews and document analysis, I examined the employment of 23 Catholic sisters in the community colleges of 12 states. The study was guided by a framework of feminist theory in an effort to correct the invisibility of the subjects' roles in community colleges. Results: Among the findings, the research revealed that many subjects desired employment in community colleges in order to contribute financially to their religious community, often after their own congregationally-sponsored Catholic school or college either closed or merged with another institution. Although most subjects did not go out of their way to reveal their religious identity on campus, when students and faculty became aware of it, they were often initially struck by the novelty of a Catholic sister leading or teaching at a public community college. Ultimately they seemed to perceive and relate to the women based on their professionalism. Conclusion: By focusing on Catholic sisters, the study offers a look at the role of a unique group of women in academia and helps paint a fuller picture of women faculty and administrators at the community college during a time period for which little such research existed.</p> <p>Keywords: women community college faculty; women community college administrators; Catholic sisters; Catholic women religious; Catholic nuns</p> <p>The central purpose of this study is to write Catholic sisters into the history of America's public community colleges by examining their participation in and contributions to these institutions. As [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref1">29</reflink>] noted in her book on female pioneers in the early community college movement, rich histories would be lost if these women's stories were not published (p. vii). In a similar vein, I use interviews and document analysis to tell the story of Catholic sisters who were employed as faculty and administrators at 23 community colleges in 12 states from 1969 to 1999. For clarification, Catholic sisters (also referred to as nuns or women religious), are women who have taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They may live in community as members of religious congregations. The sisters in this study are apostolic women religious, meaning that their work involves active ministry in society (Hoffman, n.d).</p> <p>The presence of Catholic sisters as employees in publicly funded community colleges begs the question of why they would seek employment outside their own congregationally-affiliated Catholic colleges. One reason was in reaction to the Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II), which lasted from 1962 to 1965, and encouraged Catholic sisters to modernize and interact more with the laity, or members of the Church who were not clergy ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref2">30</reflink>]). Many sisters, particularly in the United States, responded enthusiastically to Vatican II by updating the traditional habits that they wore and finding new ways to carry out their ministries in the modern world. Thus, a religious order with teaching as its mission might now have members teaching in organizations other than its own congregationally-run schools or colleges. In describing how the educational ministries changed after Vatican II for the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL), Kansas, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref3">8</reflink>] noted that members of the congregation who had previously taught in their own community's schools were now free to pursue positions at other educational institutions. SCL landed jobs at 4-year institutions as well as at 2-year institutions, including Donnelly, a Catholic community college in Kansas City, Kansas, and in public community colleges like Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, Missouri, and Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Financial concerns played a large role in the decision of Catholic sisters to seek employment in public higher education. Historically, Catholic women's religious communities in the U.S. have had to be self-sufficient, as financial support was not provided by the Church or local bishop ([<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref4">31</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref5">55</reflink>]). Decreasing numbers of students enrolled in Catholic schools and colleges in the last half of the 20th century led to a trend of closures and mergers of Catholic women's colleges from the 1960s to the 2000s ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref6">36</reflink>]). This, in turn, prompted sisters with advanced degrees in education to seek employment elsewhere both in order to be able to contribute financially to their religious congregations and to replenish funds that were invested in their own extensive educations.</p> <p>Catholic sisters would have been attractive as employees to community colleges for several reasons. They were highly educated ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref7">37</reflink>]), and had typically earned years, and sometimes decades, of teaching experience at the K-12 and/or college level. Accustomed to self-governance in their religious communities, sisters had leadership experience and training ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref8">13</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref9">26</reflink>]). Additionally, their work and interaction with different groups they encountered in daily ministries made Catholic sisters well-suited to working with the diverse populations of students that community colleges attracted.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-2">Theoretical Framework</hd> <p>For most of the period covered in this study, 1969 to 1999, research on faculty in the community college was sparse ([<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref10">44</reflink>]) and research on women faculty and administrators, specifically, was extremely limited ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref11">10</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref12">14</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref13">15</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref14">23</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref15">32</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref16">35</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref17">47</reflink>]). Additionally, there are few qualitative accounts of the experiences of women faculty and administrators in the community college during this time period. [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref18">54</reflink>] stated that more qualitative studies could add depth to our understanding about the experiences of women in community colleges. Further, to my knowledge, there is no research on the employment of Catholic sisters who served as faculty or administrators in U.S. community colleges. In attempting to contribute to research on women faculty and administrators in the community college, and specifically to write Catholic sisters into that history, this study uses feminist theory as a guiding framework. As [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref19">24</reflink>] noted, the aim of feminist research is "to correct both the invisibility and distortion of female experience relevant to ending women's unequal social position" (p. 71). Addressing women in community colleges, specifically, [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref20">54</reflink>] sagely wrote:</p> <p>Research on women that does not question the gendered nature of its theoretical, methodological, and discursive frameworks may inadvertently limit our understanding of women's participation in the community college at best, and at worst, reinforce negative stereotypes of women's weakness and neediness, and perpetuate their marginalization. (p. 766)</p> <p>Guided by feminist theory, my study helps to correct marginalization, invisibility, and distortion of experience by revealing the participation of a unique group of women, Catholic sisters, in the American community college enterprise.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-3">Methods</hd> <p>The study described here is part of a larger research project examining the involvement of Catholic sisters in U.S. public higher education. The study was approved by my Institutional Review Board (IRB) on 4/06/2018 and renewed on 4/28/2024.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-4">Subjects</hd> <p>Primary subjects in the study were Catholic sisters who were employed as faculty or administrators at community colleges in the U.S. The study's subjects were both living (<emph>n</emph> = 5) and deceased (<emph>n</emph> = 18) sisters. I identified primary research subjects through direct inquiries to 267 Catholic women's religious orders in the U.S. via their websites and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter), through messages posted to known listservs (e.g., Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious) and organizations affiliated with Catholic women religious (e.g., Communicators for Women Religious), by contacting religious congregations represented by the two associations of the leaders of Catholic women religious in the United States, the Leadership Congregation of Women Religious (LCWR) and the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR), and through word of mouth. Catholic sisters who fit the research inclusion criteria and indicated an interest in participating in the study were provided with recruitment materials, which included consent forms informing them of their rights and responsibilities in relation to the study. For deceased Catholic sisters who fit the research inclusion criteria, I worked with their religious congregation's archivist to obtain access or permission to access their congregational records. In order to gain a perspective on how the Catholic sisters were perceived in their public community colleges, I solicited names from the living subjects of persons who had known and interacted with them during their employment. I refer to these individuals as secondary research subjects. The relationship between the two types of subjects was that of professional colleagues. Secondary research subjects were also provided with study recruitment materials, including consent forms.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-5">Data Sources</hd> <p>Data collection occurred over a nearly 2-year period from September 2018 to July 2020. In-person interviews were conducted with four of the five living primary research subjects. The fifth living subject had health issues, which prevented an interview. The two secondary subjects provided written answers to interview questions via email. In order to increase trustworthiness ([<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref21">25</reflink>]) of the research I conducted member checks by having each interview subject review their interview transcript and verify that its contents were accurate. Additionally, I analyzed multiple data sources to help ensure the trustworthiness of the data. These data sources were comprised of artifacts and documents of both the living and deceased research subjects. Artifacts included: photographs, news articles, letters, e-mails, meeting minutes, scholarly articles, autobiographies, CVs, dissertations, teaching evaluations, newsletters, ministry records, service records, educational records, obituaries, oral histories, college bulletins, and web sites.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-6">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0190387806-7">Demographics</hd> <p>The sisters in this study represent six different Catholic religious communities. All 23 sisters in this study had at least a master's degree, while three sisters had two master's degrees, and six sisters had doctoral degrees. In many cases, sisters had entire careers dedicated to teaching students in elementary and secondary schools (which were almost exclusively Catholic) before they began teaching at public community colleges. On average, sisters had 23.3 years teaching at the K-12 level. One sister, who also served as a school principal, attained a remarkable 44-year tenure in Catholic schools prior to becoming a community college instructor. Only three of the sisters in this study did not have K-12 teaching experience, which is explained by their education and training as nurses, rather than as educators. The sisters' average length of employment at community colleges was 7.8 years. The longest period of employment for a sister at a community college was 22 years, while three sisters each worked only a year at the community college. States where the greatest numbers of sisters were employed were Arizona and Michigan. Due to the incomplete nature of some records, it was not always possible to ascertain whether subjects were employed full-time or part-time at the institutions. With regard to discipline, the greatest numbers of sisters taught in the health occupations and English, followed by adult education, mathematics, and religion/philosophy (Figure 1). Two of the sisters were employed as administrators at community colleges. Most sisters began their employment in their 50s or 60s and two sisters continued working at their community colleges until they were in their 80s.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. Community college disciplines represented by study subjects.</p> <p>Catholic sisters in this study began seeking employment in public community colleges in the 1960s, a period considered the heyday of the institutions because of their quick growth ([<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref22">46</reflink>]), with 9% of subjects holding positions during that decade. The 1970s (65%) and 1980s (61%) saw the largest number of study subjects employed at community colleges. The 1990s (48%) reflected a decrease in subjects working as faculty and administrators in community colleges, due in part to the increasing age of the Catholic sisters. The fact that some sisters were employed at institutions over multiple decades accounts for the participation percentages totaling more than 100% (Figure 2). What follows is an examination of the participation and contributions of select study subjects at the community colleges where they were employed. In order to give historical context, I have described the subjects' experiences primarily by situating them in the decade in which they were hired at the community college.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 2. Number of study subjects employed in community colleges by decade.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-8">Participation</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0190387806-9">1960s</hd> <p>Prior to the 1970s, there is scant evidence of female administrators in the community college ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref23">14</reflink>]; Figure 3). Indeed, a profile of junior college presidents, compiled from a total of 162 survey respondents, referred only to men. The author wrote that "current demands for junior college presidents are for more mature and experienced men who likely hold a doctor's degree" ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref24">18</reflink>], p. 342). [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref25">48</reflink>] noted that gendered images of community college leaders as great men proliferated in the 1960s. Women were, however, having success at being hired among the ranks of faculty at community colleges. Due in part to the explosive growth of community colleges across the nation, [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref26">45</reflink>] noted that "institutional leaders, desperate to fill faculty positions, were even more willing to hire women as faculty," (p. 209).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 3. Sisters, servants of the immaculate heart of Mary Archives, Sr. Ellen Clannon.</p> <p>Sr. Ellen Clannon, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), was one of only two subjects in the study employed at a community college during the 1960s. Clannon held a master's degree in English education and taught for 31 years in Catholic elementary and secondary classrooms in Michigan and Ohio before serving for nine years as an assistant professor teaching English and theology at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, a women's college sponsored by her religious congregation. Making the move to a community college in her mid-60s, Clannon worked at Wayne County Community College (WCCC) in Detroit as an English instructor from its first year of operation in 1969 to 1971. Established in 1967 by the Legislature of the State of Michigan, WCCC was the last institution created in a building boom that began in 1955 and saw the creation of 17 community colleges in Michigan ([<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref27">22</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref28">53</reflink>]). Initially, WCCC had no buildings, but instead used space from local schools in which to hold its classes ([<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref29">53</reflink>]). Clannon was one of 556 part-time instructors at WCCC who welcomed an astounding 8,500 students to the institution when it opened its doors in 1969 ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref30">21</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref31">41</reflink>]).</p> <p>Nationally, changing social and economic forces resulted in students from lower socio-economic statuses and those with lesser academic achievements seeking admission to community colleges. Among these "new students" were larger numbers of women and students of color ([<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref32">50</reflink>], p. 12). According to her CV, Clannon taught courses in composition, "The Short Story," and "Afro-American Lit." A course offering in African American literature was in keeping with one of WCCC's objectives that the college should: "offer black and other ethnic studies for its substantial non-white population, as well as for the enlightenment of its white students" ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref33">41</reflink>], p. 552). It is likely that Clannon developed the class as a result of her participation in the "Summer Institute on Negro Literature for College Teachers and Secondary School Supervisors and Classroom Teachers," in July 1969. The Institute was offered by North Carolina Central University, an historically black college and university (HBCU). Funding for the institute was provided as part of the Education Professions Development Act (EPDA) of 1967, which was created to aid in "training persons who are serving, or preparing to serve as teachers, administrators, or educational specialists in institutions of higher education" ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref34">38</reflink>], p. 3). Notably, a significant amount of funding from the act was earmarked to assist with the training of personnel for community colleges. Additionally, of those monies, a substantial portion was to be used for "training directed to the needs of the disadvantaged" ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref35">38</reflink>], p. 3). Availing herself of this grant funding, Clannon enrolled in a course at Wayne State University in the summer of 1970, in Detroit, entitled "The Teaching of the Disadvantaged College Student." Undoubtedly, she put what she learned to use in working with the students at WCCC. Like most community colleges, WCCC had a "liberal" open door admissions policy, meaning that anyone 19 years of age or older, with or without a high school diploma, could be admitted ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref36">41</reflink>], p. 489).</p> <p>In an archival document, Clannon wrote:</p> <p>My chief hobbies, I suppose, are teaching and people. I have always liked teaching to the point that most of the time it is more pleasure than duty. Whenever I learn something new, I think how much fun it will be sharing it with students.</p> <p>According to her religious order's ministry records, Clannon left WCCC in 1971 to become coordinator of religious education at St. Alan Catholic Parish in Troy, Michigan. The reasons for her departure are not known, although WCCC did experience a near-catastrophic financial crisis in 1970 to 1971 which led it to decrease its part-time instructors and counselors ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref37">41</reflink>]). It is possible that Clannon was impacted by this crisis. Clannon died in 1999 at the age of 94.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-10">1970s</hd> <p>The 1970s saw women gaining ground in terms of employment in higher education (Figure 4). In the mid-1970s women comprised over 33% of faculty at community colleges, as compared to 25% at four-year colleges ([<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref38">43</reflink>]). Sr. Angelice Seibert, a member of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, Kentucky, joined the ranks of female faculty at community colleges in 1970 when she was hired to help create the Division of Allied Health Technologies at Jefferson Community College (JCC; now Jefferson Community and Technical College). JCC was founded in 1968 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and began offering classes in 1972 in a new 12-storey classroom building ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref39">17</reflink>]). Student enrollment in JCC at that time was 4,238 ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref40">33</reflink>]). Seibert, who held a Ph.D. in chemistry, taught at her religious order's college, Ursuline College for women in Louisville, as a professor of biochemistry. She then served as its president from 1965 until 1968 when the college merged with Bellarmine College (now Bellarmine University), which was originally founded as an all-male college. Seibert had published more than 10 articles in scientific journals and was a Fulbright-Hays lecturer in biochemistry at University College in Galway, Ireland, before joining JCC. Seibert, who was 48 when she was hired, began at JCC with the title of "Senior Instructor." She was one of four full-time teaching faculty at the community college who held a doctorate in 1971 ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref41">17</reflink>]). Seibert earned tenure and the rank of Associate Professor in 1972 when the average salary for the rank at JCC was $10,110 ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref42">17</reflink>]). Seibert was named "Division Chairman of Allied Health Technologies" in 1975, and attained the rank of Professor in 1976. She was one of the first two full professors at JCC, a promotion which came with an $800 increase in salary.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 4. Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, Kentucky Archives, Sr. Angelice Seibert, 1988.</p> <p>Whether Seibert's identity as a Catholic sister was widely known at JCC and if it influenced her interactions with students, colleagues, and administration cannot be ascertained. However, there are some clues to be found in artifacts and documents which hint at answers. While it is unknown how Seibert's students referred to her, whether they called her "Sister," "Dr. Seibert," or "Professor Seibert," certainly JCC's administration and possibly its faculty would have been aware of her religious identity, as in one set of minutes from a Board of Trustees meeting, she is noted as "Seibert, Sister A. – Senior Instructor without tenure to Assistant Professor" ([<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref43">49</reflink>]). In an article published in the <emph>Journal of the American Podiatry Association</emph> about the program she helped to develop at JCC, Seibert ([<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref44">39</reflink>]) listed her author information as "M. Angelice Seibert, O.S.U., Ph.D.," (p. 344). The initials "O.S.U." indicate her religious order, the Order of St. Ursula. Additionally, perhaps because of her religious affiliation, Seibert may have seemed an obvious choice to administration as an advisor for faith-based student organizations. During her tenure at JCC, Seibert served as faculty advisor to both the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and Baptist Student Fellowship groups.</p> <p>Seibert created and taught CH 101 "Introduction to the Health Sciences," at JCC, as well as CH 100, a seminar for gifted students. The programs that Seibert developed and managed included medical laboratory assistant, respiratory therapist, podiatric assistant, and physical therapist assistant. Demand for these professions, grouped under the umbrella title of "allied health," was growing rapidly, and training was being shifted from clinical and hospital settings to institutions of higher education. In some states, community colleges were providing more training programs in allied health than their university counterparts ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref45">28</reflink>]). Seibert provided leadership for the establishment of such programs at JCC. She was vocal in her advocacy for the development of allied health programs in community colleges in general, and in particular at Kentucky community colleges. In October 1972, Seibert represented JCC at the International Conference on Education in the Health Sciences at the Hague, the Netherlands, where she presented a report entitled 'Educational Programing in the Health Sciences for a New Urban Community College.' In a paper presented at the annual educational seminar of the Kentucky Society of Radiologic Technologists, Seibert stated, "Radiologic technologists should challenge their local institutions of higher education to provide for their needs and aspirations" ([<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref46">40</reflink>], pg. 343).</p> <p>Seibert was very active in faculty affairs, serving as chairperson of the Jefferson Community College (JCC) Assembly, vice chairman of the JCC Faculty, and as JCC senator to the new Community College System Senate in 1972. According to a document detailing her service activities at JCC, Seibert served as a member of a visiting team for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and served as a guest lecturer in physical therapy and psychology classes, and in 1973 gave a lecture to a graduate class from the University of Kentucky in community college administration.</p> <p>Seibert resigned her position at JCC in 1979 when she was elected president of her religious community, the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, a role she would serve in for the next 8 years. She died in 2004 at the age of 82.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-11">1980s</hd> <p>In the 1980s, the majority of community college faculty members were still male (Figure 5). [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref47">20</reflink>] found that 58% of the faculty were male, while only 42% were female. The numbers of women in community college administration were smaller, with 21% of academic deans being female ([<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref48">51</reflink>]), and a mere 8% of women holding the top post of president ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref49">16</reflink>]). One of the reasons for the limited number of women in upper administration was their inability to attain positions that lead to leadership advancement, for example, chair of a department or division ([<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref50">51</reflink>]).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 5. Sisters, servants of the immaculate heart of Mary Archives, Sr. Grace Olfs.</p> <p>Sr. Grace Olfs, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), was one of the few subjects in this study whom I had the privilege of interviewing in person. We shared a few hours together in September 2018 at her residence at the IHM Motherhouse in Monroe, Michigan. Olfs was well-prepared for the interview, having reflected on the questions which I provided her with in advance, and having tracked down dates. She even went so far as to retrieve documents from the congregational archives to share with me. Olfs's employment at Austin Community College (ACC) in Austin, Texas, straddles two decades, from 1975 to 1985. Prior to this, however, Olfs, who had a master's degree in mathematics, spent 26 years teaching at the elementary and secondary levels in Catholic schools in Michigan and New Mexico, and was later employed for 9 years as a faculty member and administrator at St. Edward's University, a Catholic institution in Austin.</p> <p>In 1973, staffed by 177 employees, ACC opened its doors to 1,726 students ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref51">4</reflink>]), and held classes at one dedicated campus in east Austin as well as at three local high schools ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref52">1</reflink>]). A study by [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref53">27</reflink>] which examined the number of women employed in administrative roles in community colleges in five states for the time period 1973 to 1976 found that none were presidents, eight were directors, 23 were deans, and 39 were chairpersons. Focusing on the five community colleges surveyed in Texas for the study, the authors noted the presence of four women directors, six deans, and 12 chairpersons. This was the environment Olfs entered when she was hired in 1975 at the age of 40 as the Director of Arts and Sciences for ACC. When asked about how she came to be employed at ACC, Olfs responded:</p> <p>I'm not sure what prompted me to apply at Austin Community College, because I loved St. Edwards University, where I had been teaching mathematics and was also associate dean of students. It must've been an inspiration; God must've sent me to see what I could do when Austin Community College opened.</p> <p>ACC had expanded rapidly, adding a second full-time campus to accommodate the roughly 10,000 students registered for classes in the fall semester of 1975, which represented a 60% increase in enrollment over the previous spring ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref54">2</reflink>]). From 1976 to 1980, Olfs was the Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction at ACC. During this time ACC continued to grow, as evidenced by a 20% increase in enrollment from fall 1978 to fall 1979. An article in the [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref55">3</reflink>] Olfs attributed ACC's growth to an increase in 18- to 22-year-old students entering the community college directly after high school graduation, Austin's increasing importance as a trade center, and a greater awareness of the arts in Austin.</p> <p>When I asked about her religious identity and what role it had in her work at ACC, Olfs explained:</p> <p>They didn't hire me because I was a Catholic sister. I didn't go by the name of 'Sister.' I just went by 'Grace Olfs.' Now, very soon after I was there, word came out that I was a sister, and I was even asked, when more and more people knew that, to give the prayer at a commencement. And then everybody knew it!</p> <p>In 1980, Olfs was selected as ACC's Outstanding Woman Administrator. From 1980 to 1984 she served as Associate Vice President for Instruction. During her time at ACC, Olfs chaired a number of committees, including futures, curriculum, learning resources, evaluation team, and library self-study. Additionally, she served on a number of ad-hoc committees, including faculty salary, administrative salary, faculty summer contracts, and presidential selection. Olfs was also involved with professional associations such as the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges and the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning. She attended conferences and presented on faculty development and evaluation in higher education. Olfs was responsible for initiating flexible scheduling, Saturday classes, instructional television, independent study, and study tours at ACC.</p> <p>Steve Kinslow, a colleague of Olfs's at ACC, who would later go on to be interim president of the institution for 2 years and president for 6 years, served as a secondary subject in this study. Kinslow shared that he had worked with Olfs for 2 years before he became aware that she was "a nun." When asked to comment on Olfs as a Catholic sister working at a public institution of higher education, he responded, "At ACC Grace was widely known and addressed as 'Grace' and not as 'Sister Grace.' People accepted her as a strong administrator (and a strong female administrator) more than they saw her as a representative of the Church."</p> <p>Before my interview with Olfs ended, she proudly shared one of the documents she retrieved from the archives. It was a framed certificate given on the occasion of her departure from ACC, which read:</p> <p>To Grace Olfs, for her 11 years of outstanding service, for her unswerving dedication to excellence, and for her professionalism and loyalty. The board faculty and staff of Austin Community College thank her for her contribution in bringing a young institution to maturity and wish her Godspeed in her new challenge.</p> <p>Olfs's tenure at ACC ended in 1985 with her role as Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs. Seeking to be closer to family, she gained employment at St. Catharine College in Kentucky, a Catholic liberal arts institution where she served as an academic dean and then Vice President from 1985 to 1991. Olfs died in 2021 at the age of 91.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-12">1990s</hd> <p>By the late 1990s, women made up 38% of faculty ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref56">10</reflink>]) and 40% of department chairs at community colleges ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref57">32</reflink>]; Figure 6). [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref58">52</reflink>] observed an increase in the number of female community college presidents, from 11% in 1991 to 18% in 1996. Researchers ([<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref59">44</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref60">47</reflink>]) noted that despite their increasing numbers in the ranks of both faculty and administration, women in community colleges remained "an enigma," ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref61">10</reflink>], p. 81).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 6. Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province, Sr. Sue Orlowski.</p> <p>Sue Orlowski taught at community colleges in Massachusetts and Oregon for nearly a decade before she became a member of the Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province, Washington in 1980. With a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree in adult education, Orlowski was well prepared to teach medical assisting, which she did at Clark College, from 1992-1999. Clark College, originally founded in 1933 as Vancouver Junior College, a private 2-year institution ([<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref62">42</reflink>]), was incorporated into Washington's community college system in 1967 ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref63">9</reflink>]). Orlowski was 44 years old when she was hired at Clark College in 1992. That year the student enrollment was 19,757 and Orlowski joined a faculty of 218. At this time the average salary for full-time faculty in Washington community and technical colleges was $36,230 ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref64">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>Sue Orlowski was another of the study's subjects that I had the pleasure of interviewing in person. We spent several hours together in her hometown of Spokane in January 2020. When I asked Orlowski to speak about her experiences of working specifically in <emph>public</emph> higher education she noted that she applied the teachings of her religious order in her instruction, without being explicit about it, saying "I was teaching the mission, values, and the charism of the Providence community to my students, but I couldn't mention anything Catholic in the class." Orlowski was circumspect about her religious identity while she filled the role of community college employee. Of her identity as a Catholic sister, Orlowski said "When I started as a sister, I didn't call myself sister. I introduced myself as Sue or Ms. Orlowski, I never said Sister Sue." That custom carried over into her work at the community college. Nevertheless, eventually word got out about Orlowski's religious identity. She explained, "Once the students picked up that I was a sister, within days, the whole campus knew there was a nun on campus." However, she did not find that to be a disadvantage. On the contrary, it seemed to help foster deeper relationships with her students in some cases. She explained:</p> <p>I think, because they knew I was a sister, a lot of people would come and say, I'm having this issue, and I know you're a sister and I know you're going to listen to me. They would share all kinds of stuff, tell me they were depressed, so I knew a lot about them. But I never really made an issue of the fact that I was a sister, because I wanted them to know me for me, not necessarily because I was a sister.</p> <p>Jeanie Barkett, a former director of the pharmacy technician training program at Clark College, was a colleague of Orlowski's. She was involved in this study as a secondary subject. Barkett reflected on Orlowski's work:</p> <p>Clark College had a very strong reputation for graduating outstanding students in the Health Occupation fields. That was due to the quality of instructors like Sr. Sue. She was respected for instructor capabilities and her professional practice as well...She was influential with health employers to direct and steer her graduates in such a way that they earned job opportunities at a high rate.</p> <p>Orlowski won the "Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award" in 1994 and the "Faculty Award of Excellence" in 1998 for Clark College. An article in a Clark College newsletter about exceptional faculty and staff award winners noted that Orlowski had "soared to top of students' favorite faculty list" ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref65">34</reflink>], p. 1). Concern for students was obvious in Orlowski's professional writings. She regularly wrote for the journal <emph>PMA</emph> (Professional Medical Assistant), and the topic was often student-centered, for example "Changing Students, Changing Needs," "Encouraging Success in Students" "Help Reduce Test Stress," which described relaxation techniques for students to overcome anxiety, and "Emphasizing the Positive," about helping students build a healthy self-concept.</p> <p>During her employment at Clark College, Orlowski developed the Medical Assisting Program, designed the course curriculum, created exams, ordered equipment and books, and evaluated students and faculty in the program. Additionally, she served on the Medical Office Technology Advisory Board and set up clinical practice sites for Medical Assisting students with medical clinics and offices. After leaving Clark College in 1999, Orlowski returned to work with her religious community.</p> <p>Although I do not focus on a particular study subject as a representative of the new millenium decade, only 13% of sisters were employed in a community college during the 2000s, and none of them were hired in that decade. Rather, their work at the community colleges continued into the 2000s from the decade in which they were originally employed. Thus, for the subjects in this study, 2008 was the last year of employment in a community college.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-13">Discussion</hd> <p>This study documents the ways in which Catholic sisters, responding to the call of Vatican II, found new ways of living out their ministries as educators in the community college, institutions which were sometimes new themselves to the higher education landscape. In many ways, the experiences of subjects in this study are parallel to experiences of other women faculty and administrators in community colleges. The sisters who were faculty struggled with many of the same issues that other faculty faced in carrying out the unique mission of community colleges—particularly open admissions policies and underprepared students. At the same time, they felt a sense of mission in their work to help students become more powerful and less marginal through education, aspects of the job which [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref66">23</reflink>] noted were also key for women community college faculty.</p> <p>What is common among the experiences of some of this study's subjects is that they were employed in community colleges that had been newly created and that saw an overwhelming demand from students. Several of the subjects were hired in order to teach and to help create instructional programs before the community college had even opened. They literally got in on the ground floor. In this way, the employment experiences of these Catholic sisters are part of the history of community colleges in America. What is also common to the experiences of most of the subjects is that the mission of the community college aligned with their own personal values and/or the values of their religious communities.</p> <p>While they did not go out of their way to emphasize to students and colleagues that they were Catholic sisters, neither did they hide their religious identities. In some instances, that religious identity seemed to cast them as ethical or trustworthy. Specifically, because of their religious identities, Srs. Grace Olfs and Angelice Seibert had similar experiences of being tapped to fill roles in the community college such as serving as sponsors for faith-based student organizations or providing prayers at commencement. Sr. Sue Orlowski was similarly identified as someone safe with whom students felt they could be vulnerable. This supports research which revealed that Catholic sisters employed at public 4-year institutions are often called on to provide spiritual support and services to students, faculty, administration, and patients ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref67">11</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref68">12</reflink>]).</p> <p>Because of the small number of subjects in this study and the qualitative nature of the research, results cannot be generalized beyond this study. Additionally, this study does not represent the experiences of all Catholic sisters who taught or administered at community colleges. Further, because this study is focused on the employment of Catholic sisters at public community colleges, any experiences that subjects may have had while employed in private community colleges were not included in the research.</p> <p>Future research should examine the experiences of Catholic sisters employed across the full spectrum of community colleges, both public and private. A comparison of the ways in which Catholic sisters functioned as faculty and administrators in the two types of institutions would add to the literature. Additionally, studies which included students who had interacted with Catholic sister administrators and faculty in the community college would enrich existing research.</p> <hd id="AN0190387806-14">Conclusion</hd> <p>Catholic sisters' employment in community colleges in large numbers in the future is highly unlikely. This projection is based on the advanced age of most sisters and the smaller numbers of women joining Catholic religious orders in the U.S. 69% of Catholic sisters in the U.S. are age 70 and above, with the most common median age being 76 ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref69">5</reflink>]). As of 2014, there were less than 50,000 Catholic sisters in the U.S. ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref70">6</reflink>]), compared to a high of 181,421 in 1965 ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref71">5</reflink>]). The story that this study tells helps to paint a fuller picture of the role of women faculty and administrators in the community college and is relevant to community college leader preparation programs, courses about the community college, the history of community colleges, the history of women in leadership, and the history of Catholic sisters. 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Currently, she continues to research gender and leadership in higher education as an independent scholar and works part-time as a college planner.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib55" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib54" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref25"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib53" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib50" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref39"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl34" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl35" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl36" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl37" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl38" bibid="bib51" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl39" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl40" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl41" bibid="bib52" firstref="ref58"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl42" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref62"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl43" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref65"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl44" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl45" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref68"></nolink>
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  Data: Catholic Sisters as Community College Faculty and Administrators: 1969 to 1999
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Peggy+M%2E+Delmas%22">Peggy M. Delmas</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6369-9838">0000-0002-6369-9838</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Community+College+Review%22"><i>Community College Review</i></searchLink>. 2026 54(1):43-61.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 19
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Two+Year+Colleges%22">Two Year Colleges</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Faculty%22">College Faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Administration%22">College Administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nuns%22">Nuns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Catholics%22">Catholics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Colleges%22">Community Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Colleges%22">Public Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+History%22">Educational History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Women+Administrators%22">Women Administrators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Characteristics%22">Teacher Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Characteristics%22">Administrator Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Experience%22">Teaching Experience</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/00915521251369856
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0091-5521<br />1940-2325
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: This qualitative study describes the participation and contributions of Catholic sisters as faculty and administrators at public U.S. community colleges during a 30-year period from 1969 to 1999. The purpose of the research is to write Catholic sisters into the history of America's public community colleges by examining their role in these institutions. Methods: Using interviews and document analysis, I examined the employment of 23 Catholic sisters in the community colleges of 12 states. The study was guided by a framework of feminist theory in an effort to correct the invisibility of the subjects' roles in community colleges. Results: Among the findings, the research revealed that many subjects desired employment in community colleges in order to contribute financially to their religious community, often after their own congregationally-sponsored Catholic school or college either closed or merged with another institution. Although most subjects did not go out of their way to reveal their religious identity on campus, when students and faculty became aware of it, they were often initially struck by the novelty of a Catholic sister leading or teaching at a public community college. Ultimately they seemed to perceive and relate to the women based on their professionalism. Conclusion: By focusing on Catholic sisters, the study offers a look at the role of a unique group of women in academia and helps paint a fuller picture of women faculty and administrators at the community college during a time period for which little such research existed.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1493620
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1493620
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        Value: 10.1177/00915521251369856
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 43
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: College Faculty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nuns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Catholics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community Colleges
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      – TitleFull: Catholic Sisters as Community College Faculty and Administrators: 1969 to 1999
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