The Evolving Role of the Female SIO: Challenges & Lessons Learned

1. The Evolving Role of the Female SIO: Challenges & Lessons Learned PRESENTERS Tanith Fowler Corsi Pia Wood Penelope Pynes Assistant Vice President, Associate Provost, Associate Provost, Global Education International Education International Programs Catholic University of America University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of North Carolina at Greensboro 02/21/2012

2. Major Themes Explored • Evolving profile, role and definition of the female SIO • Female SIO Follow up Survey Results • Challenges Facing Female SIOs • Lessons Learned

3. Evolving Role of the Female SIO • More women are getting into leadership positions in international education • Women have to define their role and influence in relation to evolving field and SIO male counterparts • Woman have unique experiences and challenges which can add to the field and create opportunities for networking and mentorship

4. Follow up Survey Questions • What is your present title? • What is the name of your institution or organization? • What are/were the two biggest challenges you faced in moving up the ranks and into your present position? • Which if any of the two challenges you identified above, do you think are/were based on gender at least to some extent? • What educational pathway did you follow? • If you have a Ph.D., was it necessary for your present position? • What experience/career path did you follow? What were the steps/positions taken to reach your present position? • What do you want your next career step to be? • Did you have one or more mentors? If yes were they male or female? • What was the most useful way your mentor(s) helped you? • Salary: do you make less than $100,000 or more than $100,000? (or leave this question blank if you are not comfortable answering).

5. Survey Questions – 2 • Are you the chief international officer? • Do you report directly to the Chief Academic Officer? Chief Student Affairs Officer? President or Chancellor? • If not to one of the above, who do you report to? How many layers are between you and the Chief Academic Officer, Chief Student Affairs Officer, or President/Chancellor? • Are you part of the “inner circle/cabinet” of Chief Academic Officer, Chief Student Affairs Officer, or President/Chancellor? • What units report to you? (list them) • For the international units that exist at your university but do not report to you, who do they report to? • Are you responsible for any major activities/units that are not part of international education? If yes, please list them. • In your work outside the United States/Canada, have you experienced any gender bias? If yes, how often and can you give examples? • Do you think you (or any SIO) could move to the position of Chief Academic Officer, Academic Dean or President/Chancellor? If no, why not? If yes, what (experience, academic credentials, etc.) would allow you to make such a move?

6. Survey Numbers

7. Schools in Survey

8. Reporting Structure

9. Salary & Qualification

10. Areas of Responsibility

11. Educational/Career Path 54 Responses (28 M and 26 F)

12. Next Career Step54 Reponses (28 M & 26 F)

13. Can SIO move to Chief Academic Officer or President?

14. NO cannot move: why not?

15. Yes can move: IF….

16. Did you have one or more Mentors?

17. If yes, were they male, female or both?

18. What was the most useful way your mentor helped you?

19. What was the most useful way your mentor helped you? (page 2)

20. What were/are your two biggest challenges in moving up the ranks to present position?

21. What were/are your two biggest challenges in moving up the ranks to present position? (page 2)

22. What were/are your two biggest challenges in moving up the ranks to present position? (page 3)

23. What were/are your two biggest challenges in moving up the ranks to present position? (page 4)

24. Which if either of two challenges were based on gender to some extent?

25. For 4 men, how was the challenge based on gender? • Females seen more quickly as facilitator and not dictator • Not personal experience but speculates that women may have less authority across schools/units at university • Raising children: he traveled for job and his wife remained at home. • Not personal experience but all male department - very difficult to change

26. For 15 women, how were challenge(s) based on gender?

27. In your work outside the US/Canada, have you experienced any gender bias?

28. 3 Males: yes to gender bias in work outside US, give example. • He witnessed scandalous male behavior towards local female staff • Foreign partners in China were less respectful of women • Female leaders at his university were suspicious that he would try to take credit from them

29. 7 Females: yes to gender bias in work outside US, give example. • When traveling abroad, assumption that men had higher positions • Preference by men in foreign countries to deal with/talk to men • In China, she was assumed to be the “present carrier” • Male at partner institution refused to communicate with women • Public ceremonies, signing ceremonies at foreign universities, preference for males to be in charge • When traveling abroad, her university male colleagues banded together and excluded her. • Yes gender bias but not relevant

30. Biggest Challenges Women in senior leadership positions can experience a variety of 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

31. Female SIO Headway Despite 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

32. Female SIO Mentoring Women 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 Millennialsand 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

33. 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)

34. Lessons Learned •Safe to say women are rising in International Education •Challenges of work balance will continue to plague us all•We need to continue building our networks and mentorothers•Take time to reflect on our strengths—leading from the side

35. 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?