Women In Leadership Institutes

It's not difficult to find stories of failed college and university presidencies. Books, articles, and local media outlets provide meticulous postmortems of brief leadership tenures; presidencies fraught with conflict, misalignment, shared governance issues, and moral failings. There are many presidents, though, who beat the odds of the national tenure average, leading campuses successfully for years through challenge and success alike.

In this panel discussion, participants will have an opportunity to examine an emerging framework for leading with longevity in higher education and hear from a panel of long-serving women leaders on their leadership experience and learning.

featured Panelists

• Dr. Beverly Hogan, President Emerita, Tougaloo College
• Dr. Carol Leary, President Emerita, Bay Path University
• Dr. Gail Mellow, President Emeritus, LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York

Tuesday, November 28th

1:45 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. | International Civil Rights Center & Museum Tour, optional 

Join us for a rich and intimate tour of the Greensboro-Woolworth’s based International Civil Rights Center & Museum, which commemorates the Feb. 1, 1960 beginning of sit-ins at this whites-only lunch counter by the N.C. A&T Four college students, reflecting careful planning carried out with colleagues at Bennett College. Their non-violent direct action challenged the American people to make good on promises of personal equality and civic inclusion. 

Transportation will depart from the O.Henry Hotel promptly at 1:45 pm. Pre-registration is required. Pre-registration available after completing institute registration.

5:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. | Opening Reception

Build community with your colleagues over drinks and appetizers at this casual opening reception.

 

Wednesday, November 29th

7:30 a.m. — 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast

 

8:00 a.m. — 8:30 a.m. | Welcome & Introductions

 

8:30 a.m. — 9:45 a.m. | Session 1

Leadership as an Endurance Event: Sustaining Performance With a Coach Mindset

• Teresa Garrett (she/her), Ph.D., VP of Academic Affairs & Dean of the College, Sweet Briar College
  
• Jodi Canfield (she/her), Ph.D. Associate Dean for Student Life and Community Standards, St. Lawrence University

Leading an academic institution is like an endurance event. The athlete-leaders facilitating this session have seen parallels in how one sustains the training needed to perform well in an athletic event with how leaders can approach work to be healthy and well for the long term. To perform, one must tend to rest, nutrition, overall strength, mindset, and relationships.

In this session, participants consider training approaches used by athletes to sustain performance, and how to apply them to inform approaches to work and leading teams. By taking a 'coach' mindset for ourselves and those we lead, we can build high-performing teams that will last. Participants will develop a personal “'training plan” to create a framework to support individual performance.

9:45 a.m. — 10:00 a.m. | Coffee Break

 

10:00 a.m. — 11:15 a.m. | Session 2

Leading Diverse Teams 

• Marcine Pickron-Davis (she/her), Ph.D., Chief Diversity and Community Relations Officer, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Managers, department heads, and administrators in leadership positions will gain practical tools to help them design and lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) teams. This interactive workshop is specifically designed to accommodate learners from diverse backgrounds (gender, race, country of origin, etc) as well as learners from different starting knowledge points (new to the topic or social justice warriors). We will explore social identity in the workplace, examine inclusive leadership, identify the dimensions of allyship, and develop a toolkit to implement change management strategies. We will explore best practices for equitable organizational processes and norms and inclusive behavioral practices in teams. Finally, attendees will create a diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan which can be applied to the workplace.

Upon completion, participants will be able to understand how social identity influences how we show up at the workplace; describe the meaning of inclusive leadership; and develop an individual diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan.

11:15 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. | Break

 

11:30 a.m. — 12:45 p.m. | Session 3

Radical Self-Care for Women Leaders 

• Narketta Sparkman-Key (she/her), Ph.D., Vice Provost Strategic Initiatives and Global Affairs, James Madison University
• Linda Thomas (she/her), Ph.D., Dean of Graduate School, James Madison University
• Tynisha Willingham (she/her), Ph.D., Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs, Eastern Mennonite University

Higher education has undergone many challenges over the last few years. Those challenges put a greater demand on leaders. During the pandemic women leaders were faced with care taking of families while also caretaking of key stakeholders at their institutions. This called for crisis planning, strategic planning meetings and ongoing communication. It is unknown how self care was managed during times of crisis. This workshop will focus on key strategies to longevity through radical self care. This workshop will identify strategies that extend beyond the typical diet and exercise. 

We will focus in depth of those radical strategies that are initiated in the moment during times of strain, crisis and conflict. Strategies will include boundary setting, identifying moments of pause, leaning on your team and other key tactics. Presenters will use storytelling to drive home key concepts and allow participants to engage interactively in the discussion.  

12:45 p.m. — 1:30 p.m. | Lunch

 

1:30 p.m. — 2:45 p.m. | Session 4 

The Problem with Executive Presence: Redefining How Leaders Show Up 

• Marjorie Hass (she/her), Ph.D.,  President, Council of Independent Colleges
• Emma Jones (she/her), Executive Vice President / Owner, Credo

The topic of Executive Presence arose in conversation around the room more than once during the 2022 Cabinet Leaders Institute, with a desire to spend more time in its explication. Historically known as a perception of power and influence rooted in patriarchal norms of corporate management, this session seeks to explore a redefinition of Executive Presence for today's diverse leaders. How can a new generation of leaders inspire confidence in their teams, exert influence, and lead authentically? Participants will share challenges and personal experiences with the "old" model, identify key contemporary elements of leadership presence, and together, draft a new definition of Executive Presence. 

 

2:45 p.m. — 3:15 p.m. | Afternoon break

 

3:15 p.m. — 4:45 p.m. | Session 5

Women's Spaces In A Gender Diverse World

• Summer McGee (she/her), Ph.D., CPH, President, Salem College
• AJ Mazaris (they/them); Ph.D.; Chief Campus Culture Office and Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Salem College

What does it mean to create women’s leadership spaces in a world where many of our students, faculty, and staff identify outside of the gender binary? Can women’s spaces - like women’s colleges and women’s leadership programs - meaningfully include trans and non-binary participants while still honoring their missions and focus? 

This panel invites participants to consider how we can both create spaces to empower and uplift women and also recognize the breadth of gender inclusion. 

 

6:00 p.m. — 6:45 p.m. | AAC&U + Credo Women in Leadership Initiative Reception

Join us for appetizers, beverages, fun, and fellowship as we build community and anticipate the evening's keynote panel.

6:45 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. | Keynote & Dinner

Presidential Voices: Leading with Longevity in Higher Education

• Beverly Hogan (she/her), President Emerita, Tougaloo College
• Carol Leary (she/her), Ph.D., President Emerita, Bay Path University
• Emma Jones (she/her), Executive Vice President / Owner, Credo
• Gail Mellow (she/her), Ph.D., President Emeritus, LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York
• Lynn Pasquerella (she/her), Ph.D., President, American Association of Colleges & Universities

It's not difficult to find stories of failed college and university presidencies. Books, articles, and local media outlets provide meticulous postmortems of brief leadership tenures; presidencies fraught with conflict, misalignment, shared governance issues, and moral failings. There are many presidents, though, who beat the odds of the national tenure average, leading campuses successfully for years through challenge and success alike. Credo is examining the personal and professional conditions in which a leader can stay and flourish, hoping to answer the question: how do presidents thrive in their roles over time, and how can those considering a presidency build a path to leadership longevity with intention?

In this panel discussion, participants will have an opportunity to examine an emerging framework for leading with longevity in higher education and hear from a panel of long-serving women leaders on their leadership experience and learning.

Wednesday, November 29th

1:30 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. | International Civil Rights Center & Museum Tour, optional 

Join us for a rich and intimate tour of the Greensboro-Woolworth’s based International Civil Rights Center & Museum, which commemorates the Feb. 1, 1960 beginning of sit-ins at this whites-only lunch counter by the N.C. A&T Four college students, reflecting careful planning carried out with colleagues at Bennett College. Their non-violent direct action challenged the American people to make good on promises of personal equality and civic inclusion. 

Transportation will depart from the O.Henry Hotel promptly at 1:45 pm. Pre-registration is required. Pre-registration available after completing institute registration.

3:15 p.m. — 4:45 p.m. | Cabinet Leader Session, optional

We welcome you to attend the session Women’s Spaces in a Gender-Diverse World, facilitated by Dr. Summer McGee (she/her) and Dr. AJ Mazaris (they/them) from Salem College

 

6:00 p.m. — 6:45 p.m. | AAC&U + Credo Women in Leadership Initiative Reception

Join us for appetizers, beverages, fun, and fellowship as we build community and anticipate the evening's keynote panel.

6:45 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. | Keynote & Dinner

Presidential Voices: Leading with Longevity in Higher Education

• Beverly Hogan (she/her), President Emerita, Tougaloo College
• Carol Leary (she/her), Ph.D., President Emerita, Bay Path University
• Emma Jones (she/her), Executive Vice President / Owner, Credo
• Gail Mellow (she/her), Ph.D., President Emeritus, LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York
• Lynn Pasquerella (she/her), Ph.D., President, American Association of Colleges & Universities

It's not difficult to find stories of failed college and university presidencies. Books, articles, and local media outlets provide meticulous postmortems of brief leadership tenures; presidencies fraught with conflict, misalignment, shared governance issues, and moral failings. There are many presidents, though, who beat the odds of the national tenure average, leading campuses successfully for years through challenge and success alike. Credo is examining the personal and professional conditions in which a leader can stay and flourish, hoping to answer the question: how do presidents thrive in their roles over time, and how can those considering a presidency build a path to leadership longevity with intention?

In this panel discussion, participants will have an opportunity to examine an emerging framework for leading with longevity in higher education and hear from a panel of long-serving women leaders on their leadership experience and learning.

 

Thursday, November 30th

8:00 a.m. — 8:45 a.m. | Breakfast

 

8:45 a.m. — 9:00 a.m. | Welcome & Introductions

 

9:00 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. | Session 1

Survivor-Leaders: Habits of Mind and Body for Sustained, Energized Leadership

• Amy Storey (she/her), President, Keuka College

• Heather Maldonado (she/her), Ph.D., Vice President for Student Development, Keuka College

Successful executive-level leaders in all industries know that they must engage in mission-driven work and meet the needs of diverse constituents in dynamic environments in order to be effective in their roles. These challenging realities are compounded in higher education given declining government funding, post-pandemic realities, “enrollment cliffs,” and politics regulating what can - and cannot - happen on college campuses. Female executives frequently encounter further difficulties such as underrepresentation, pay inequity, the “pink tax,” restricted access to women’s healthcare, “second shift” work at home, and gendered social norms. These realities make sustained, energized leadership an art form that requires specific habits of mind and body to achieve professional and personal longevity. 

In this session, the presenters will use anecdotes from their experiences to illustrate the habits of mind and body that have allowed two women on non-traditional higher education leadership paths to survive cancer, relationship upset, and sexism in academia and thriving in this current, tumultuous moment for post-secondary education in the United States. Participants will explore how to cultivate habits of mind and body to avoid behaviors such as people-pleasing, fear of failure, perfectionism, resistance to change, and excessive consumption to stay energized in their work. They will also explore the habits of mind and body to embrace such as embracing a sense of purpose, optimism, gratefulness, practicing self-care, developing social connections, and humor in order to sustain their leadership practice. Participants will leave the session with a deeper sense of self-awareness and with strategies to engage in authentic leadership that is true to themselves so they can lead more courageously and effectively. 

 

10:30 a.m. — 10:45 a.m. | Break 

 

10:45 a.m. — 12:15 p.m. | Session 2

Gendered Experiences in the Presidency: Navigating Contemporary Challenges

• Roslyn Clark Artis (she/her), JD, Ed.D.., President & CEO, Benedict College
• Zillah Fluker (she/her), Ph.D., Director of Executive Leadership, United Negro College Fund; host, UNCF's “HBCU Voices: Executive Leaders Unfiltered” talk show

The session will explore the experiences of women presidents and higher education leaders who have faced obstacles in their roles due to their gender. Participants will experience a "fireside chat"-style dialogue between Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis and Dr. Zillah Fluker. The dialogue will explore how women presidents can successfully navigate challenges and discuss innovative approaches to creating support and resources for women leaders in higher education. The session is designed to also provide a platform for a dialogue with other participants who may have similar experiences to share.

 

12:15 p.m. — 1:00 p.m. | Lunch

 

1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m. | Session 3

Presidential Closed Door / Open Forum: Contracts, Board Challenges, and Life Management, Oh My!

• Joretta Nelson (she/her), Ph.D., Vice Chairman & Founder of MTN / Owner, Credo

This closed door / open forum session offers an opportunity for presidents to confidentially bring issues to the table that they are navigating, gaining the input and experiences of their colleagues and other experts in the room. Additionally, lightning rounds of quick feedback from the group could include most meaningful leadership reads, favorite apps or services that build personal and leadership capacity, and other relevant topics. Topics will be solicited in advance as well as in the moment. 

 

2:30 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. | Break

 

3:00 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. | Session 4

Nurturing Leadership Longevity in Your Cabinet

• Tiffany Franks (she/her), Ed.D., President, Averett University
• Joanne Soliday (she/her), CoFounder, Credo

The best cabinets increase presidential leadership capacity by serving as campus-wide leaders and champions of campus culture, and keeping the right people in cabinet roles over time can significantly improve institutional momentum. In this session, facilitators will explore how presidents support and develop cabinet leaders, individually and as a team, toward their own powerful and sustained leadership; and engage presidents in a conversation about where they have experienced challenges and successes with their own teams. 

 

This marks the official close of the Presidents Institute, though there are additional opportunities below in which we invite and welcome your participation.

 

4:30 p.m. — 6:00 p.m. | Break

 

6:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. |  Casual Dinner, Green Valley Grill (optional)

Each year, we gather casually on this second night of the Institute to relax and enjoy a delicious meal together at the O.Henry’s excellent Green Valley Grill. RSVPs will be collected at the beginning of the day.

 

Friday, December 1st

Half-Day | Strategy Sessions with Senior Credo Consultants

• Joretta Nelson (she/her), Ph.D., Vice Chairman & Founder of MTN / Owner, Credo

• Joanne Soliday (she/her), CoFounder, Credo

• Bill Fahrner (her/his), President / Owner, Credo
  
• Emma Jones (she/her), Executive Vice President / Owner, Credo

Credo leaders will be available for one-hour individual strategy sessions for confidential discussion and problem-solving. Topics for exploration include but are not limited to your board of trustees, your leadership cabinet, strategy and strategic planning, student success and retention, presidential coaching and advising. Sign-ups will be available in advance and on site.

The O.Henry, Greensboro, NC

Join us at the beautiful O.Henry Hotel for this event.

"Let elegance and tranquility restore your spirit. We invite you to stay with us at our employee-owned passionately run hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. Discover gracious hospitality, attentive service and modern features including inviting guest rooms with custom furnishings and original art in every corner of our luxury hotel."

Hotel booking links provided upon registration. 

Registration Cost
The cost for this event is $725, which includes all sessions and all meals. 

Refund Policy
Participants who are unable to attend after completing registration will be offered full/partial refunds based on the cancellation timeline below.

• Before September 1, 2023 - full refund
• Between September 1 and October 27, 2023 - 50% refund
• After October 27, 2023 - no refund