Dr. Marjorie Hass, the President of Austin College was our speaker for the March 3rd luncheon. She gave information about some of the qualities that an academic leader should have. She mentioned some of these qualities are easy for women because they naturally gain it through motherhood and social interactions within the community. For example creating win win solutions. When there is a conflict, women are successful in resolving the issue in such a manner that every side is happy about the outcome. Also, women are good in creating a community and gathering people around a common purpose. Women are great in organizing events and arranging every detail about an event. There are some issues that women need to work on to become better academic leaders such as time management. It is important to use our time efficiently and decide what is crucial to attend and be ready to say no from time to time. There will be situations where women will be asked to attend committees for minorities and it is important to prioritize your time. Also women need to become more assertive. Sometimes for the sake of being polite and nice, we do not like to talk about our own achievements and express our contributions, or we wait for other people to notice our hard work. We need to negotiate better and be assertive in seeking the opportunities that come up. Her speech was very insightful and she gave some notable examples from her own life and how she reached her present position. She mentioned about some wrong perceptions about women compared to their men colleagues. She introduced us to Austin College and talked about the differences of liberal art colleges compared to universities. She answered our questions and it was a lovely and very interactive luncheon.
