Coming in from the cold? Women leaders in higher education

Coming in from the cold? Women leaders in higher education Professor Vivienne Griffiths Canterbury Christ Church University International Women’s Day March 8 2012 Laura Bassi – first woman professor University of Bologna 1731

Outline of presentation • Brief history of women in HE • Some statistics on women leaders in HE • The research and some key findings • Final thoughts Women studying Chemistry Smith College, USA, 1889

Higher education for women: an elite few Girton College Cambridge and its founder Emily Davies 1901

Women in HE: brief history • 1869 Girton College, Cambridge founded • 1871 Smith College, USA, founded (one of 7 Sisters) • 1878 London University first in UK to award degrees to women • 1920 Oxford University awards degrees to women • 1947 Cambridge University awards degrees to women The Langham Place Group, 1859-1863

Changing global context: students • Rapid global expansion of higher education and women students in latter half of 20th C • 63% of women in 31 countries now enter higher education, 50% of men (OECD 2010) Women students Smith & Mount Holyoke Colleges USA 1900s & 1970s

Gender, class and ethnicity • However, whilst the student body is increasingly female, senior positions in HE are still predominantly held by men • 76% professors in UK are white male • 0.9% professors in UK black women Sarah-Jane Woodson Early First First African-American woman professor Wilberforce University USA, 1866

Global context: academics • 33% academics are women worldwide, in UK 43% (ECU 2010) • 7% VCs are women worldwide, in UK 14% • 9.9% professors worldwide are women, in UK 19% (HESA 2010) • Pay gap increasing: male academics paid 19.8% more than women in UK Professor Mary Stuart Vice Chancellor University of Lincoln

CCCU academics by gender and position

Feminist critiques 1980s-90s UNESCO study of women in 11 countries (1993) and feminist studies confirm a ‘chilly climate’ for women in academia, but also chart women as creative agents for change.

Double standards for women • ‘Double bind’ for women leaders: expected to be authoritative as well as caring • Leadership styles admired in men not valued in women • Sociocultural factors affecting women (UNESCO 2002) - hierarchical nature of universities - traditionally male leadership styles - lack of female role models - male resistance - discriminatory practices • gendered division of labour Prof GwendolenCarter, 1943-1964, Smith College USA

Positive change and successes • Shift in current research from emphasis on disadvantage to success stories • Focus on achievements and motivation • Transformative potential of women leaders • Moving away from top down leadership cultures • Importance of mentoring, training, female role models, women’s networks and other positive strategies Prof Judy Sebba, University of Sussex

Focus of research • Case studies of 18 women leaders and managers in two UK universities – in-depth interviews • Deans, heads of department, research leaders -1-15 years’ leadership experience • Perspectives of women leaders in HE on: - nature of work - leadership styles - training and support - relationships with colleagues Prof Liz StanleyFeminist theoretical framework University of Edinburgh

Two university contexts Old university: • 31% senior lecturers, 16% professors are women – under national average • Deans: all men; senior management: only one woman New university • Just under 50% principal lecturers, 33% professors are women – well over national average • Deans & senior management: 50% women

Prior experience and training • All the women had prior leadership experience , mostly in non-academic contexts • Old university: little prior training for role • New university: leadership structure, training programmes and mentoring – seen as very useful by women leaders: ‘We discussed leadership styles. It was very influential.’ ‘It was useful in terms of defining a strategy for the faculty.’

Positive role models New university examples: ‘She was wonderful, highly supportive. Always she made me feel valued which was incredibly important.’ ‘I learned from XX early on. I went to a meeting - she was leading it. It was a tense meeting. One head of department challenged her. I felt sick listening, thinking how is she going to cope? She was entirely calm, very professional. She went through what she did: ‘I went to other universities and found out what they did. This was the basis for my decision. I’m very happy to listen if you have other evidence.’…This was the best training.’

Day to day leadership work • Highly challengingand time consuming, often people-oriented, problem solving: ‘It’s a large department with 1300 students, 17 programmes. The staff are on three sites and teach on three or four… I support programme directors with problems. There can be challenging issues, for example, a student who [had problems] - we have a duty of care; a human resources issue with a member of staff.’ • Such work involves complex and well developed people skills which were seen as the core priority.

Strategic leadership • Major developments – highly complex and challenging: ‘hideous’ & ‘overwhelmingly positive’ • Research lead: ‘It was about developing a sense of identity. Strategically it was about conveying a sense of direction.’ • New Dean: ‘I had to provide a new strategic plan and a detailed way of growing the faculty. I had to win hearts and minds.’ • Head of department: ‘The saving grace is that you can be creative, take risks.’

Leadership styles • All mentioned being collegial, inclusive: caring as gendered? ‘I’m good with people but it’s also a weakness – a gendered aspect. Men have the capacity to stand back and manage’ (old university) ‘I know the people and know their personal situations. If we are a Christian university, does it have any bearing on how we should act? I feel so responsible’ (new university) • In the new university caring was set in a values base rather than just gendered.

Developing new leadership styles • Creating new balances between caring and authority • Old university: ‘I have to hide my emotions, I try to be more authoritative.’ • New university: ‘I like to be efficient and organised...I see myself as diplomatic, facilitating. I help people achieve.’ ‘I give a sense of direction and mission but I’m not controlling every decision.’ • Vision and focussed, decisive direction not control

Final thoughts • Women leaders in the study characterised by dedication, determination, resilience, core values • Organisational and cultural differences between old and new contexts had a major impact • Universities need to provide effective leadership training, including action learning sets • Need for more positive role models of women leaders and stories of success • Larger structural and cultural changes also needed – this will take time

‘The most enjoyable thing is to think back at the progress really. Very seldom I have time to sit back and think what have we done, where are we? We’ve been on such a roller coaster that I just tended to do and do and do and do and never reflect back - this is where we are, this is what we’ve done so far, and this is where we want to get. And that is quite enjoyable because when you get this feedback from people and they look at you and say, well actually you’ve done quite a lot. And you think, yeah, you are right you know.’ (Dean, new university)

Thank you very much for listening Women leaders in higher education: organizational cultures and personal resilience, Generos, 1 (1) 2012 vivienne.griffiths@canterbury.ac.uk

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Coming in from the cold? Women leaders in higher education