the rise and shine of the female sio

2011 Conference

Competition & Collaboration in the Global Transformation of Higher Education

The Rise and Shineof the Female SIO

PRESENTERS

Pia Wood, PhD Tanith Fowler Corsi, M.A Wendy Williamson, M.AAssociate Provost, Assistant Vice President, Director,International Education Global Education Study AbroadUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville Catholic University of America Eastern Illinois University

02/21/2011

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Major Themes Explored

• Present State of Female SIOs• Survey Results

• Challenges Facing Female SIOs• Mentoring and Leadership Styles

• Leadership: Men and Women• Survey Results

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Survey Questions• 1. What is your present title?• 2. What is the name of your institution,

organization, or business?• 3. What are/were the 2 biggest

challenges you faced in moving up the ranks and into your present position?

• 4. Which is any of these challenges do you feel are/were based on gender at least to some extent?

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Survey Questions (2)5. What educational path did you

follow?6. If you have a Ph.D., was it

necessary for your present position?7. What experience/career path did

you follow? What were the steps/positions taken to reach your present position?

8. What do you want your next career step to be?

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Survey Questions (3)9. Did you have one or more mentors?

If yes, were they male or female?10. What was the most useful way this

mentor helped you?11. Salary: do you make less than

$100,000 or $100,00 or more (or leave this question blank)?

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Survey Numbers• Sent the survey to 54 female SIOs

(or similar position)• Survey was sent to small, medium, and

large higher education institutions and to international education organizations and to international education “businesses” (study abroad providers for example)

• Not every respondent answered every question

• 36 responses or 66% response rate• 83% of responses were from institutions

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Preliminary Results (1)

Title: Many Different Titles• Assistant/Associate Vice President• Associate Provost• Director• Assistant Vice President• Assistant Vice Chancellor• Assistant Director• Executive Director• Vice President• Associate Director• Director and Chief Operating Officer

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Preliminary Results (2)

Titles• President and CEO• Director and Associate Dean• Dean• Senior Associate• Associate Vice President and Dean• Vice Provost• Assistant Provost• Vice Chancellor• Consultant

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Two Biggest Challenges

• Moving up in present organization: 6• Getting buy-in for internationalization: 5• Establish credibility as non-faculty member: 5• Moving from assistant to associate to full

professor: 4• Family/work balance: 4• Gender bias: 3• Moving from faculty to administration: 3• Understanding how organizations work: 2• Lack of Ph.D. 2

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Two Biggest Challenges (2)

• Decision to stay or leave a position: 2• Lack of experience: 2• Newly created SIO position: 1• Lack of Tenure: 1• More responsibility but no recognition, title, or

pay: 1• Internal Politics: 1• Relationship with Boss: 1• Confidence: 1

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Were 2 biggest challenges based on gender at least to some extent?

• 34 Responses

• Yes: 26 Many definitions of the impact of gender:

• confidence, difficulty negotiating, too helpful, take on extra work

• gender bias• choice family/work; family priority/balance; lack of

mobility• old boys network

• No: 8

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Educational Path• 36 Responses (100%)

• Full-time faculty member (assistant or associate or full Professor) at some point in career: 13

• Never a full-time faculty member: 23

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Was a Ph.D. Necessary for Present Position?

• 36 responses (100%)• 21 yes• 3 preferred • 12 no– 2 said they were promoted internally

(no search. If external search, candidates would have needed a Ph.D.)

– 2 said the position would require a Ph.D. now

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Career Path: Steps Taken

• 36 Responses (100%)

• Worked solely at institution(s) of higher education: 17

• Worked at institution(s) of higher education and in other jobs/organizations: 17

• Never worked in an institution of higher education: 2

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Next Career Step?

• 36 responses (100%)• Retire: 10 (28%)• Move/move up: 10 (28%)• Back to faculty/teaching: 1 (3%)• Don’t know: 11 (31%)• Stay in present position: 2 (5%)• Retire/consult: 2 (5%)

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Mentors? Male, Female, Both?

• 36 responses (100%)

• Male only: 6 (17%)• Female only: 3 (8%)• Both Male and Female: 22 (67%)• No Mentors: 3 (8%)

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Most useful way mentor helped?

• 27 Responses• Advice/information/knowledge: 11• Specific suggestions of things to do: 4• Encouragement/support: 4 • Help understand organization/institution

and higher education: 3• Help understand aspects of job: 2• Specific act: 2• Challenged me: 1

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Salary?• 28 out of 36 (77%) answered this

question.• 20 earned $100,000 or more• 8 earned less than $100,000• More information needed:– Comparison with males in similar SIO

positions– Comparison with males/females in similar non-

SIO positions– Small vs. large institutions and institutions vs.

international education organizations/businesses

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Female SIO ChallengesWomen in senior leadership positions can experience a varietyof challenges.

The position itself. Oftentimes it is a newly created position Title and scope of the position (varies between institutions) Lines of reporting (varies between institutions) Recognition from fellow senior administrators on campus Lack of a professional network of women in leadership

positions Difficulty in striking life/work balance Educational credentials can override professional experience Earning less than colleagues in senior administration positions

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Female SIO HeadwayDespite existing challenges, women in leadership positions in international

education can make great headway in their position.

– Being considered for leadership position– Considered for professional & personal

background– Blazing a brand new trail for the institution– Helping to internationalize the institution as a

whole– Fostering collaboration between institutional units– Increasing funding for international education– Growing beyond faculty or mid-level

administrative positions

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Female SIO MentoringWomen in leadership positions bring various mentoring styles to their

position.

Accommodating needs of colleagues new to the field Sharing professional experience with younger/newer colleagues Making time for informational interviews and professional

references Learning to work with Millennials and learning new technologies

Women in leadership positions also seek mentoring for themselves.

Working with other SIOs at institutions of similar size/structures Opportunity to tap into a female SIO network for sharing of info &

ideas Opportunity to collaborate on joint projects with fellow SIOs Opportunity to learn from seasoned SIOs

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Female SIO Leadership Styles• Women in leadership positions bring a variety of management styles to

their position and institution.

DEMOCRATIC (listening to various ideas and voices) TEAMWORK (motivate staff to pool their knowledge) TRANSFORMATIVE (working with staff to affect change) GRASSROOTS (working from bottom up approach) CONSENSUS-BUILDING (uniting staff towards common goal) PERMISSIVE (involving staff in decision-making) DIRECTING (setting direct standards and expectations) COACHING (setting staff long-term career goals and strategies) SHARING (sharing of information for wider knowledge and

understanding) WORKING (sharing in the daily work of staff to stay in touch with

issues)

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International Education:Men & Women

• Linda Tarr-Whelan, author of Women Lead the Way, spoke at the Forum EA 2010 conference on the importance of women’s advancement to communities, companies, nations, and the world.

• She spoke of leadership differences between men & women, and I became curious about our field.

• Created a survey (April 2010) and polled Secuss-L & AIEA listservs . There were 227 responses .

– 53.1% Public/Non Profit– 33.6% Private/Non Profit– 13.3% Private/For Profit

• Findings posted on Facultyled.com in two parts

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Survey Findings

SIOs – confirmed suspicions with more men at the top

Highest Degree among SIOs Doctoral or terminal degree – more men Master’s degree – more women

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Leadership Effectiveness (Survey) Respondents’ Perceived Leadership Effectiveness

Highest Degree & Leadership Effectiveness Combined

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Descriptor Comparison (survey)

Words like grow, foster, encourage, support were used more to describe women.

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“Very Effective” Descriptors (survey)

Honest Knowledgeable New Ideas &

Approaches Open to feedback Organization Role model Shapes the culture Strategic thinking Supportive of staff-

faculty Team Concept-Player Visionary

Contributes to the field Creates positive

working environment Creative Empathetic Encourages People Engaged Leaders Focuses on Quality Forward Thinking Global Commitment Hard-working

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Leadership Lessons from Women

• “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” ~ Margaret Thatcher

• “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” ~ Rosalynn Carter

• “Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.” ~ Judy Garland (at one time the highest paid performer in the US)

• “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” ~ Mother Teresa

• “In the networking world, it's not who you know, it's who knows you.” ~ Robyn Henderson

• “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

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Key Points from Key Resources

• Women Lead the Way by Linda Tarr-Whelan– Facts & figures– The 30% Solution

• How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life by Joanna Barsh, Susie Cranston, and Geoffrey Lewis – Optimism– Centered Leadership (not a style, a set of practices)

• Self meaning• Framing• Connecting• Engaging• Energy

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Questions to Consider What type of leader are you?

What type of mentorship do you need?

What challenges do you experience in your position?

What headway have you made in your position?

What would you like to see happen for female SIOs?

the rise and shine of the female sio

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