how sisters are doing it for themselves
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How sisters are doing it for themselves. The impact of professional development programs for women. Maura J. Murphy NC/SC AIR March 2008 North Carolina State University. Introduction. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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How sisters are doing How sisters are doing it for themselvesit for themselves
The impact of professional The impact of professional development programs for development programs for
womenwomen
Maura J. Murphy NC/SC AIR March 2008Maura J. Murphy NC/SC AIR March 2008
North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
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IntroductionIntroduction
Programs like Higher Education Programs like Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) were Resource Services (HERS) were created to address the concern of created to address the concern of gender parity in Higher Education in gender parity in Higher Education in 19721972
Bryn Mawr College (summer) & Bryn Mawr College (summer) & Wellesley (academic year)Wellesley (academic year)
How does institutional culture create How does institutional culture create barriers for women? barriers for women?
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The purpose of the studyThe purpose of the study
To examine how having a To examine how having a professional development program professional development program designed to encourage and promote designed to encourage and promote women’s leadership may or may not women’s leadership may or may not create the critical mass needed to create the critical mass needed to overcome the barriers to change. overcome the barriers to change.
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Eastern State CollegeEastern State College
Sent more women to HERS training than Sent more women to HERS training than any other college or universityany other college or university
Created a local chapter of HERS to a Created a local chapter of HERS to a create a “more democratic academic and create a “more democratic academic and social environment.”social environment.”
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Theoretical FrameworkTheoretical Framework
Liberal Feminist TheoryLiberal Feminist Theory– Unequal social & legal Unequal social & legal
practices create barriers for practices create barriers for women's advancementwomen's advancement
– Allows critique of dominant Allows critique of dominant masculine constructsmasculine constructs
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Research questionResearch question
How does a having a critical mass of How does a having a critical mass of women who have attended a women who have attended a professional development program professional development program shape the culture for women at a shape the culture for women at a four year institution? four year institution?
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MethodologyMethodology
Participant SelectionParticipant Selection– 10 ESC/ HERS members- White, Up/Mid 10 ESC/ HERS members- White, Up/Mid
SESSES– Age range: 30-70 yearsAge range: 30-70 years– Years at institution: 2-22 yearsYears at institution: 2-22 years
Data CollectionData Collection– Semi-structured interviews, focus group, Semi-structured interviews, focus group,
observations, document analysisobservations, document analysis
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Findings: What the documents Findings: What the documents revealreveal
Organization structureOrganization structure– Difficult for women to penetrate the Difficult for women to penetrate the
upper layers of the hierarchical upper layers of the hierarchical structure, although well represented at structure, although well represented at the lower levelsthe lower levels
Campus Diversity ReportCampus Diversity Report– Unresponsive AdministratorsUnresponsive Administrators– Participants note concerns with Participants note concerns with MaternityMaternity Policy Policy
College WebsiteCollege Website– President’s Office- distinguished lecture President’s Office- distinguished lecture
series features 9 men, no womenseries features 9 men, no women
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Findings: Institutions change Findings: Institutions change over timeover time
Percent Women Professors
2001
Women
2001
Women
2001
Women
2005
Women
2005
Women
2005
Women
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Assistant Professor Associate Professor Professor
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Findings: Impact of Findings: Impact of professional development professional development
training on individualstraining on individuals
““I learned about all the I learned about all the different parts of the different parts of the academic city.”academic city.”
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Findings: Impact of Findings: Impact of professional development professional development
training on individualstraining on individuals
“…“…you gain this self confidence you gain this self confidence realizing that you could do realizing that you could do anything”anything”
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Findings: Impact of Findings: Impact of professional development professional development
training on individualstraining on individuals
““The career mapping is better than I The career mapping is better than I expected it to be….it provided time expected it to be….it provided time to reflect on … what I wanted to do… to reflect on … what I wanted to do… what were the things that I needed to what were the things that I needed to gain to get where I wanted to go.”gain to get where I wanted to go.”
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Findings: Impact of Findings: Impact of professional development professional development
training on campustraining on campus““Lift as you climb, find some one Lift as you climb, find some one
who has not been to the program who has not been to the program and help them.”and help them.”
““It made sense, when your It made sense, when your institution sends you to institution sends you to something like this and you want something like this and you want to give back, it makes sense.”to give back, it makes sense.”
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Findings: Impact of Findings: Impact of professional development professional development
training on campustraining on campus““It takes time, bringing other people It takes time, bringing other people
along, and I learned techniques of along, and I learned techniques of what I can do to help others.”what I can do to help others.”
““All of that is the part of institutional All of that is the part of institutional culture because there is a certain culture because there is a certain way of doing business.”way of doing business.”
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Findings: Impact of Findings: Impact of professional development professional development
training on campustraining on campus
““We [HERS] have tentacles out all over We [HERS] have tentacles out all over campus. If it was just [the campus. If it was just [the presidential leadership] it wouldn’t presidential leadership] it wouldn’t be sustained and it [HERS influence] be sustained and it [HERS influence] would not be as realwould not be as real.”.”
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Findings: Limitations of Findings: Limitations of professional development professional development
programsprograms
““.…everybody sees it, but .…everybody sees it, but nobody questions it...”nobody questions it...”
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Findings: Limitations of Findings: Limitations of professional development professional development
programsprograms
““Other places have much more Other places have much more generous policies. No one has generous policies. No one has really stepped up about it.”really stepped up about it.”
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Findings: Reflective Findings: Reflective AssessmentAssessment
““Hey, the Emperor is naked!”Hey, the Emperor is naked!”
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Implications for PracticeImplications for Practice
Professional Development Professional Development ProgramsPrograms– Encourage investment in Encourage investment in
employeesemployees– Career mappingCareer mapping– Address concerns about attritionAddress concerns about attrition– Post event follow up is criticalPost event follow up is critical
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Implications for PracticeImplications for Practice
Women’s initiativesWomen’s initiatives– Use reflective assessment to evaluate Use reflective assessment to evaluate
institutioninstitution– Reach out to othersReach out to others
Campus initiativesCampus initiatives– Diversity is more than social justice- Diversity is more than social justice-
it works to create excellenceit works to create excellence– “…“…it is the campuses- not the it is the campuses- not the
women- that need fixing.”women- that need fixing.”
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ConclusionConclusion Consistent with other studies, participants Consistent with other studies, participants
experienced increased self confidence, experienced increased self confidence, benefits from networking and career mappingbenefits from networking and career mapping
Women actively engaged in sharing the story, Women actively engaged in sharing the story, and encouraging others to participate in and encouraging others to participate in professional developmentprofessional development
““Reflective assessment” can help individuals Reflective assessment” can help individuals and campuses increase their commitment to and campuses increase their commitment to diversity through examination of what the diversity through examination of what the “unconscious ways of thinking” are that still “unconscious ways of thinking” are that still create barrierscreate barriers