The Centre for Higher Education Research and Development (CHERD) at the University of Manitoba’s Women in Academic Leadership 2018, held from Oct. 1 to 5 in Winnipeg, welcomed 24 participants and an impressive team of facilitators and mentors.

Ana Campos, woman in leadership

 It was fantastic
“It was a great event, fantastic,” says Ana Campos, Director, School of Interdisciplinary Science, McMaster University. “We had such a wealth of information piled up in the room that we were joking that we could set up our own university from scratch.”

Campos and her two female faculty council colleagues were advised to attend the event by her boss/dean who said they needed to come. There are only three women in her faculty council.

“I absolutely recommend this program. I am from Brazil. I came to Canada for my job. It gave me the opportunity to get to know people from other provinces, to learn about cultures and values. This doesn’t come naturally.”

Campos appreciated the diverse perspectives. “People were so reflective of their journeys and using their experience in a mindful manner. It aligned my personal values and my work values. For me, it crystalized the need to move forward for yourself and for who you are trying to serve.”

She highlighted the introduction of management tools, the mentorship, and the opportunity for reflection.

“It gave me framework for high-level thinking and practical tools. It showed me how to find a vision from the bottom up, to get people to walk in each other’s shoes.”

Susan Tighe, woman in leadership

Susan Tighe, Deputy Provost and Associate Vice-President Integrated Planning and Budgeting , University of Waterloo, noted the value of meeting other women in academic leadership roles.

Quality mentors and facilitators
 “The peer sharing as well as the quality of the mentors and the facilitators contributed to the experience. The groups were smaller and everyone was very honest about their challenges, strategies and tools,” says Tighe.

“I recommend the program for women at any stage in their leadership journey, There is something for everyone. It was broad and diverse, an enriching experience.”

One of the questions raised really resonated with Tighe.

Inspiring takeaways
“Do you want the title or do you want the job? Don’t be afraid of changes and challenges. Continue your growth journey.”

Keltie Jones, woman in leadership

Keltie Jones, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, took another strong statement away with her. “Leadership is believing in yourself. Do what you need to do to accomplish this.”

Different and deep
Jones facilitates a lot of leadership training, but she soon discovered this event was much different than she expected.

“I thought this would be a nice break. I wasn’t ready for how deep it went,” she says, noting how she felt the power of the atmosphere, the tools, the space, how she felt, who was there, the challenges, and the discussion. She noted how the many different pieces came together, the power in an organization and your personal power.

“This is an opportunity for learning and reflection, with an incredible added bonus. You develop a network with women you may have no chance of meeting otherwise.”

Jones, too , was inspired by the program.

“I am leaving here with more of a spark than when I arrived. I am looking forward to much more because of this.”

Learn more about Women in Academic Leadership

At SUAC, the instructional team of Michael Atkinson from the University of Saskatchewan and Maureen Mancuso from the University of Guelph led this year’s participants in thoughtful consideration and discussion of the topics.

At the opening session, Atkinson said, “There’s an awful lot of experience in this room.” 

Mancuso, who spoke about leadership, said, “It’s always good to hear from someone else you are on the right track.”

A few highlights
This year’s event took a more active and interactive approach, with the addition of guest speakers. 

Among the speakers was Peter MacKinnon, lawyer, legal academic, and past president of the University of Saskatchewan. As opening keynote speaker, MacKinnon reflected on 40 years of university life, and shared his thoughts on freedom of expression and more from his book University Commons Divided. 

MacKinnon’s comments included: “Freedom of expression is under attack in the commons. It requires our attention…. The issues require preparation, deliberation and leadership… Universities exist to develop the human intellect. They don’t have a mandate to pursue social justice.”

Margaret Kierylo, director, Integrated Planning at Athabasca University, called his presentation “An excellent and engaging conversation!”

On Monday morning, the 48 SUAC participants were joined by 29 mid-managers from Canadian universities who were also in Winnipeg but attending CHERD’s UMC program to hear Bonnie Patterson, previous president of the Council of Ontario Universities and former president of Trent University, speak about Trends in Higher Education.

In a second joint session, Kevin Lamoureux, education lead, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the U of M, explored Understanding Indigenization. Toronto student Adam Kuhn called Lamoureux “a rockstar”.

Other speakers included: James Currie and Rebecca Luce-Kapler on Understanding Indigenization, Brenda Whiteside on Student Issues, David Attis on Budget Models, Katherine Frank on Onboarding, and Michael Kennedy on Legal Issues in Higher Education.

An annual opportunity

The Senior University Administrators Course (SUAC) is an annual opportunity to connect and grow, with new ideas and new colleagues. Participants worked together in teams to create solutions for their challenges. They looked at themselves as leaders, to identify their own personal styles and to consider how to adapt to become even better and more effective professionals. They reflected on their experiences.

From fiscal constraints to accountability, new budget models and an evolving educational context, The Centre for Higher Education Research and Development (CHERD) at the U of M knows senior university administrators face so many challenges. That’s why, for over 30 years, CHERD has offered SUAC. It was designed specifically for presidents, rectors, principals, provosts, vice-presidents, associate vice-presidents, deans, associate deans, registrars, chief librarians, and senior directors of services.

Learn more about the Senior University Administrators Course