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Hawai‘i Island Chapter
American Council on Education (ACE)
Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE)
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OWHE Mission
Since 1973, the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) has been committed to the advancement of women leaders in higher education. For more than 30 years, OWHE has provided information and counsel to constituencies within the higher education community regarding policies, issues, education, and research that influence women’s equity, diversity, and advancement.
OWHE provides national leadership in advancing women to executive positions on campus and serves as a national voice for women in higher education. Staff members also work in collaboration with associations and other groups in higher education on ways to improve the status of women.
The Office’s mission is to advance women’s leadership by:
IDENTIFYING women leaders nationally in higher education through extensive networks.
DEVELOPING women’s leadership abilities through state and national programs.
ENCOURAGING women to use those abilities.
ADVANCING women into senior-level leadership positions by nominating them and working with search firms on placement.
LINKING women leaders to one another.
SUPPORTING the tenure of mid- and senior-level women administrators and presidents throughout their careers.
The Commission on Women in Higher Education
Since the inception of OWHE, members of the Commission on Women in Higher Education have served as advisors. The Commission, whose members are appointed by the President of ACE, provides counsel to OWHE and ACE on policies and programs related to women in higher education. It also assists with the evaluation of current programs, suggests new programs for consideration, and advises on matters concerning advancement and equity for academic women. The Commission, composed of approximately 36 college and university presidents who serve 3-year terms (plus several ex officio representatives), meets twice a year.
OWHE Programs and Initiatives
Through its programs and initiatives, OWHE identifies women leaders throughout the nation:
- ACE and OWHE work in tandem to increase the number of senior-level women by expanding the pool of suitable candidates for such positions and by offering programs designed to assist in the advancement of women in higher education.
- Nominations for leadership and career advancement opportunities are made by OWHE, the ACE Commission on Women in Higher Education, the Executive Board of the ACE Network, individual state networks, campus institutional representatives, and members of the academic community.
Programs sponsored by OWHE develop the leadership abilities of women in higher education:
- The President’s Roundtables , a series of informal discussions, provide campus presidents with the opportunity to network, share perspectives on a particular topic or concern, consult with ACE on presidential issues, and contribute their observations to OWHE publications.
- National Leadership Forums play an important role in the continuing identification and promotion of women for senior-level campus positions and presidencies. Forums are invitational and are held twice each year. An intensive three-day program, the forums have proven to be successful in advancing women. Approximately 200 of the more than 1,000 women who have attended a National Leadership Forum have subsequently become college or university presidents and/or association presidents. Many others have achieved senior administrative positions.
- Regional Leadership Forums , begun in 2003, follow the basic format of the national version but include material aimed at emerging and mid-level women administrators. Because of the changing venue, regional forums are more easily accessible and less costly for participants. They are held twice per year, and, like the National Leadership Forums, are limited to 24 participants.
- Summits for Women Faculty and Administrators of Color have been hosted by CAREE (Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity) and OWHE. Two of these 2-day invitational events have focused on career pathways and development, issues of particular importance to academic women of color, and networking opportunities.
- The ACE State Networks serve to connect women academics both within a state or region and within the national web of networks. Although the state coordinator and members of the planning committee are most often from the mid- to upper administrative ranks, network events are usually open to all women faculty and administrators.
The Office of Women in Higher Education encourages women to use their talents and abilities by introducing emerging leaders to current chancellors and/or presidents who can answer their questions and foster their ambitions, by connecting forum participants with search firm consultants who can assist in improving interview skills, and by recommending candidates to search firms and committees.
Additional ACE/OWHE projects and initiatives help advance women into leadership positions:
- The Project on Advancing Women’s Leadership in Higher Education funded in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, addressed leadership development and career progression for women, especially minority women, in the higher education community. The project resulted in two publications that formed the basis for ACE Network programs during the 25th anniversary year of the ACE Network and can guide campuses in dealing with issues of women’s advancement.
- The current Alfred P. Sloan Foundation project, Creating Options: Models for Flexible Faculty Career Pathways, while focusing on possibilities for alternative paths over the course of an entire career for all faculty, has outcomes that will directly affect the climate of academia for women.
- The Director of OWHE nominates women as candidates in senior-level searches conducted by executive search firms and campus committees.
- The ACE Roundtable on Executive Search Selection in Higher Education includes representatives from professional search firms that work with ACE to place appropriate candidates in executive-level positions throughout the United States.
Emerging and current women academic leaders form links to one another and to women leaders in other arenas—civic, political, social, corporate, etc.--through their participation in events sponsored by the ACE State Networks, Leadership Forums, and Presidential Roundtables; through listservs developed for particular groups; through the NetworkNews; and through a variety of electronic and face-to-face meetings offered by OWHE and ACE.
OWHE supports the tenure of mid- and senior-level women administrators:
- OWHE and ACE sponsor activities to develop and sustain leaders.
- The OWHE web site and OWHE publications provide information supportive of women leaders in higher education.
OWHE Web Site
The OWHE web site is a useful source for information about OWHE and leadership development programs.
- Read about initiatives to carry on OWHE’s mission to identify, develop, encourage, advance, link, and support women in administrative positions within higher education.
- Learn about programs within ACE, as well as some offered by other organizations that support the goal to increase opportunities for women in higher education careers.
- Download the OWHE Fact Sheet.
All information presented is from the ACE Network State Coordinator's Handbook, January 2006.