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Women and Leadership in Higher Education: Learning and Advancement in Leadership Programs
The Problem.
Postsecondary institutions are struggling more than ever before to find qualified, effective leaders to move into key administrative positions. One reason for the continued lack of prepared leaders is that there still remain few women in higher education positioned to take on such critical roles.
The Solution.
This Issue overview introduces the importance of and connections among HRD, leadership development, higher education, and leadership programs for women in higher education. It highlights the Issue’s overall problem, purpose, the approach used, and its relevance to practice. Concerns around the shortage of women in leadership positions in higher education settings are introduced, and the unique features of this particular Special Issue are outlined along with a brief introduction of each article.
The Stakeholders.
This Issue will provide researchers and practitioners in various fields of study with frameworks to use in developing, evaluating, and researching leadership programs for women in higher education and beyond.
Read more...HERS Institutes: Curriculum for Advancing Women Leaders in Higher Education
The Problem.
At this critical time, higher education needs more women prepared to assume senior leadership roles, both to fill the openings from anticipated presidential retirements and to provide higher quality decision making through more diverse perspective at all levels of leadership.
The Solution.
Higher Education Resource Services (HERS), founded in 1972, has provided leadership development opportunities for more than 4,300 women faculty and administrators sponsored by 1,100 institutions in the United States and abroad. HERS has recently implemented significant revisions of its signature HERS Institutes to address the new circumstances and challenges women leaders will face in guiding institutions in the decade ahead. This article examines the historical development of HERS, recent revisions, and future plans for expanding programs.
The Stakeholders.
Revisions to HERS Institutes suggestimplications for those developing women in HRD, conducting research on leadership development, or concerned about higher education as a new leadership cadre faces the demands of the future.
Read more...Leadership Development for Women in New Zealand Universities: Learning From the New Zealand Women in Leadership Program
The Problem.
Women continue to be underrepresented in senior academic and general staff positions in universities internationally, and New Zealand universities are no different. In addition, there is limited empirical research on leadership development programs for women.
The Solution.
This article adds to knowledge in the area by describing and discussing the outcomes of the national New Zealand Women in Leadership (NZWIL) program, which is now in its 5th year of operation. A longitudinal case study approach has been adopted including surveys, phone interviews, and an independent evaluation. The findings suggest that the program has been successful on both an individual and organizational level. Individually, participants have increased their self-confidence and networking skills, enabling them, for example, to apply for promotion and gain it.
The Stakeholders.
Postsecondary leaders, human resource development (HRD), and leadership development professionals can learn from the findings of this program and adapt them to their context.
Read more...Moving Beyond the Stained Glass Ceiling: Preparing Women for Leadership in Faith-Based Higher Education
The Problem.
While a variety of factors have historically limited access by women to top-level leadership positions across higher education, these factors become more complicated when juxtaposed with the theological commitments that influence the leadership journeys of women in these settings.
The Solution.
This article reviews the literature related to women in higher education leadership, with a particular focus on the state of women in leadership found in faith-based colleges and universities—as represented by the 110 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). It describes the results of in-depth research on the impact of a CCCU Women’s Leadership Development initiative, launched in 1998. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation data are discussed and implications outlined.
The Stakeholders.
The lessons emerging from this initiative and research can be helpful for postsecondary leaders, HRD and leadership development professionals, and all those who focus on developing women in higher education settings.
Read more...Networking to Leadership in Higher Education: National and State-Based Programs and Networks for Developing Women
The Problem.
Women continue to be underrepresented in the leadership of higher education, a particularly pressing problem given the aging of college presidents and growing numbers of women students.
The Solution.
The American Council on Education and its Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) provide leadership training and support to thousands of women interested in leadership in higher education through a state-based, volunteer network; women of color summits and training; and national and regional leadership forums. The primary purpose of this article is to highlight the structure of these OWHE-supported leadership development programs and networks.
The Stakeholders.
These leadership development programs provide solutions for higher education institutions seeking to provide leadership training for their women leaders. The programs, structures, and strategies highlighted offer a model for consideration by HRD and leadership development professionals charged with diversifying leadership in other professions, business, and industry.
Read more...Developing Women Leaders on Campus: A Human Resources-Women's Center Partnership at the University of Minnesota
The Problem.
Despite significant gains in the number of women leaders in higher education, there are still challenges for developing women leaders in higher education.
The Solution.
Effective collaboration between women’s centers and other campus organizations that support women’s leadership can provide opportunities to overcome these barriers. This article presents leadership development programs offered by the Women’s Center at the University of Minnesota, focusing on those facilitated in partnership with the university’s Office of Human Resources. Several lessons emerged from the review: the value of collaborative relationships, the importance of emphasis on individual and system-level leadership, and the need for ongoing assessment and evaluation of the climate for women leaders within postsecondary institutions.
The Stakeholders.
These lessons, and the principles used in implementing them, reveal practices that may be useful for other Women’s Centers, HR departments, and internal and external entities who seek to develop more women leaders in higher education.
Read more...Leadership Development for Faculty Women at The Ohio State University: The President and Provost's Leadership Institute
The Problem.
Universities struggle to create cultures that provide a welcoming home for women and underrepresented minorities. Department chairs often emerge reluctantly from among the faculty and are ill prepared to engage faculty and staff to achieve deep culture change, yet their role is vital if such change is to occur.
The Solution.
Recognizing a need for a completely new type of leader, Ohio State created the President and Provost’s Leadership Institute (PPLI) to develop a pool of women and underrepresented minority faculty who might move into leadership positions.
The Stakeholders.
The PPLI can provide a useful template for HRD practitioners who wish to tailor leadership development and succession planning strategies to address higher education’s unique culture and leadership pool challenges. For institutions interested in broadening the diversity of individuals prepared to lead, and developing leaders prepared to lead change, the PPLI is an example of one successful approach.
Read more...