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Each year, ACE and the ACE Women’s Network Executive Council present the Women’s Leadership Speaker Series, virtual panel discussions where remarkable women in higher education come together to share their insights. Each of the four sessions is focused on a specific topic, and all sessions are recorded and available to view online. I attended their “Women in Leadership and Their Well-Being” session and found it so compelling that I went back to watch the “Advocacy: A Proven Strategy to Challenge the Erosion of Women’s Rights” session they presented in March. I’m already planning to watch the remainder of the talks from this year, but for now, I’d like to share some key takeaways from the conversations so far.
Women in Leadership and Their Well-Being
Importance of Prioritization: Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley emphasized the importance of good time management and staying organized, suggesting that women take time each weekend to prepare. Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson added that the phrase “work-life balance” can be a misnomer, as it suggests that women should be able to juggle responsibilities in an unsustainable way. Buckner Jackson discussed how women often feel pressured to be overly resilient; we’re taught to give our best to our students, our co-workers, and our institutions, but not enough information about how to be able to do this without running the risk of burnout.
- Stand-out quote: “One priority of the moment. Not of the day, because those priorities shift without much notice. Not even of the hour… Give yourself permission to make the exchange [of priorities] when it’s time, and not feel guilty about it.” – Dr. Buckner Jackson
Learning to Say No: Gellman-Danley pointed out that women often take on too many responsibilities. It’s important, she said, to learn to delegate and only accept extra work if you feel passionate about it. Buckner Jackson added that this pressure to do more can come from a feeling of having opportunities that women historically haven’t, but we also need to honor the fact that we, unlike women of the past, have a choice in what we say no to.
- Stand-out quote: “We have to be intentional about drawing the line, because naturally we will bend to overperform, to overwork, to over show up, so we have to be intentional about setting a boundary.” – Dr. Buckner Jackson
Uplifting Other Women: Dr. Jann L. Joseph posed the question of how we can form a network of women supporting women, and how we can uplift other women. Gellman-Danley suggested that we be mindful not to make our gains at the expense of other women. The best thing women leaders can do, she added, is to lead by example. Buckner Jackson responded that it’s important to build community in your networks, and to be honest and vulnerable in your interactions with women in your communities.
- Stand-out quote: “If you find yourself, or somebody else gossiping, you will be the next victim of it, so don’t buy into it. Defend or be neutral. Never signal disrespect or any internecine battles with women; take it privately if there’s something going on…Be champions, not detractors of women.” – Dr. Gellman-Danley
Protecting Your Time and Energy: Buckner Jackson provided three strategies to protect your mental and emotional energy: checking your baggage (ask yourself what you need to release that are not in alignment with who you want to be), setting boundaries (ask yourself what is most important to you and what can you do to protect that), and discovering your brilliance (ask yourself what is your unique value). Gellman-Danley also suggested using a gratitude jar to record and share moments of joy that you can revisit during difficult times.
- Stand-out quote: “Boundaries are safety, and boundaries govern your behavior and your responses… When I think about boundaries, I think about values. Not a measure of integrity, but what means most to you. What are you unwilling to lose? What are you unwilling to let go of, and what will you do to protect that?” – Dr. Buckner Jackson
Advocacy: A Proven Strategy to Challenge the Erosion of Women’s Rights
Advocacy for Students: The recent Dobbs decision has raised concerns about the mental health of students, especially in cases of unplanned pregnancies, which often lead to adults dropping out of higher education. Dr. Gloria Thomas said that to address these challenges, colleges and universities must collaborate with non-profits and community support groups to ensure that students have access to essential resources and support systems. Thomas also asserted it’s important to collect data to identify which groups may be disadvantaged within our systems and understand where gaps exist.
- Stand-out quote: “We’ve made progress, but we still have a lot of inequities… Just a third of college presidents are women, yet we’re more than 50, 60 percent of the students… Students need to be able to relate to people who are instructing them…We need people in these spaces who can encourage students and keep them going and motivate them. They are the workforce of our futures.” – Dr. Thomas
Women Serving as Leaders: Thomas expressed thatwomen leaders can inspire by showing up as their authentic selves, breaking free from societal expectations, and embracing the unique and valuable perspectives they bring. Dr. Maria Gallow added that to do this effectively, women need to understand and commit to their core values, even if it means occasionally standing alone. By doing this, women leaders can showcase the possibilities available to future generations. Women leaders must also remain mindful of who they invite to the decision-making table, ensuring that policies also consider people who aren’t cisgender, heterosexual, or white.
- Stand-out quote: “We serve as role models, but we also must engage others in the mission of what we’re doing. We have to be willing, especially in higher education, to serve on committees, to be on task forces, and to not be the silent voice in the room. We have to advocate for those coming behind us, but also those coming before us.” – Dr. Sheila Amin Gutierrez de Piñeres
Advocacy for Colleagues: One significant challenge to women advancing in leadership is limited access to childcare and pregnancy leave. Piñeres asserted that one way women leaders can change that is by, when negotiating policies, focusing on institutionalizing these policies, rather than keeping them personalized. It’s also important, Thomas added, for women leaders in higher education to recognize the importance of amplifying voices at all levels, including entry-level staff. To achieve this, steering clear of top-down management and creating forums where ideas can flourish and be brought forward is crucial.
- Stand-out quote: “When each of us goes to the negotiating table, or is afforded an exception, that we work not to create it so that it’s individualized, but that it’s sustained and institutionalized… We don’t often think about that when we take a job as a president and you negotiate — can these policies be applicable, can they be institutionalized, not just for people where we are but all the way down?” – Dr. Piñeres
Situating Ourselves in History: Dr. Kim Lee began the conversation by acknowledging the strides that have been made toward achieving gender equality. Advocacy, she suggested, can serve as a powerful strategy for recognizing the progress that women have achieved. However, it’s also vital to recognize that significant work remains, particularly in addressing the challenges faced by women with intersectional identities. One way to further this progress is by ensuring that the representation of women in higher education aligns with the demographics of the student body, fostering an environment that reflects the student population.
- Stand-out quote: “We also recognize that we have made progress regarding women’s rights. Consider the right to vote, and access to opportunities and professions where we were once not visible, especially as leaders… We are now bishops, neurosurgeons, and for the first time, we have a woman as Vice President.” – Dr. Lee
