Magazine Showcases Women's Leadership Program

Liberal Education magazine showcases the UC Women’s Leadership Program, now in its fourth year, as a possible model for advancement of women in higher education.

The article in the magazine, published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, was written by Cynthia Berryman-Fink, Kristi Nelson and Brenda LeMaster, three of the 12 UC women involved in the program’s start-up in 1999.

So far, 64 women have graduated from the program, which provides structured workshops on higher education issues. Participants apply and are selected from highly placed academic and administrative women on campus. The program also offers key leadership experience in the form of mentored internships. Sixteen women have served as interns.

While there are a number of national programs for women in higher education that provide leadership development in a residency format, the UC program differs from the norm in that it provides internships and mentors in a way that its participants do not have to distance themselves from their current employment on campus, says Berryman-Fink.

When the program was launched, only 18.7 percent of UC’s deans were women. Now 29.4 percent of the deanships at UC are held by women and two more women have assumed vice provost roles since the program’s inception, says Berryman-Fink.

The most recent interns in the program are:

• Jennifer Douglas-Pearce, associate professor of nursing at Raymond Walters College. Mentor: Brenda LeMaster, interim director, Adult Learning Center.
•  Marcia Hern, professor of nursing. Mentor: Jim Plummer, associate vice president for finance.
• Antoinette Lucas, assistant controller. Mentor: Lee Mairose, senior principal, Seasongood & Mayer. Mairose represents the first mentor in the program from outside UC.
• Karen Sullivan, director, Budget Planning. Mentor: Kristi Nelson, vice provost for Academic Planning.

This year, the program, now known as the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development, is investigating the possibilities of expansion to other institutions in the 15-member Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities. The launch date could be as soon as this fall. Already, member Miami University has visited UC to learn more about the program.

Article in Liberal Education