by Debbie Scheibler
In the Core Concepts in Higher Education series (2017), author John Thelin offered the view that, like it or not, higher education was not initially designed to serve or support women in any capacity – not as a student or as dean of students. Fast forward to today, and we can explore the lived experiences of women who have achieved some of the highest-ranking positions in our profession. And seeing how they make meaning of their experiences helps us all to understand how we can create professional pathways, learn from our mistakes, embrace diversity, and mentor future leaders within our field.
The Talking Stick reached out to several female-identified leaders in housing, operations, residence life, and student affairs to gain a glimpse into their experiences, what motivates them, and how they are blazing a path for future professionals. Participants in this conversation are Alicia Lawrence, deputy dean of the college and interim Title IX coordinator at Barnard College in New York City; Keener Scott, facility training specialist for university housing at the University of Georgia in Athens; Julie Leos, assistant dean of students and director for residential education at the University of South Florida, Tampa; Jenna Hyatt, associate dean for student success at Central Washington University in Ellensburg; and Kathy Collins, vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Talking Stick: What professional and/or personal experiences have best prepared you for your current leadership role?
Alicia Lawrence: In my first professional role at Ohio University, we were expected to take a supervision course taught by then-AVP Judy Piercy. That course taught me so much that it has remained the foundation on which I build each supervisory relationship. Additionally, I have said yes to committees, collateral assignments, and opportunities to go to conferences; followed up on offers for coffees/lunches/wine/dinners with colleagues; and committed myself to doing good work every day.
Keener Scott: My doctorate in adult education was instrumental in theoretically and practically preparing me for my leadership responsibilities. My work with ACUHO-I has also been invaluable in my preparation. Being the co-director of NHTI and the director of inclusion and equity on the ACUHO-I Executive Board and being appointed by ACUHO-I as the alternate and now director for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education have positioned me to have a broader understanding of housing and residence life.
Julie Leos: I watched, I listened, I learned, I admired others, and I worked really hard to always do the job I had well. That is always what I tell people about professional development and getting to the next level. Learn your job today – and tomorrow will take care of itself.
Jenna Hyatt: Professional networks within ACUHO-I, along with my education, my professional positions, and tremendous mentoring, all contribute to where I am situated in my career today. Examples of the professional and career game changers for me include an ACUHO-I internship, NHTI student and faculty roles, chair of TPE, PSI host site, ACE host committee member, Women’s Network chair, Exec Board member of the Foundation Board, NASPA V executive board member, and the ACUI Women’s Leadership Institute.
Kathy Collins: I am thankful every day that, as a first-generation college student, I was supported and encouraged to pursue my doctorate. Much like Keener and Jenna, I am incredibly proud of my doctorate in higher education. I took advantage of such opportunities as the Alice Manicur Symposium (NASPA), the Chief Housing Officer Institute (ACUHO-I), and serving as faculty for NHTI (ACUHO-I).
TS: How has your leadership journey been influenced or impacted by your identities?
Leos: Being a first-generation Latina professional is an important identity. There are things I had to learn on my own, but looking back I know that the skills I learned from family and my culture are the foundation for why I was able to push through difficult times and make it to where I am. I have gained confidence because of my skills to be at the table with anybody and advocate for students in the way they deserve.
Lawrence: I identify as black, Jamaican American, the daughter of immigrants, and a first-generation student. I am not who is expected to ascend, and that is why representation is critical. I am impacted daily by these identities. I have been spoken to in ways my white colleagues would never experience by other colleagues and more frequently in my current role by parents.
Collins: Every day my journey is impacted by being a female, first-generation student, and lesbian. My identities have presented impactful moments in my life that have caused me great stress and anxiety and incredible times of growth and reflection.
Scott: Initially, I would go to the leadership team meeting and would feel “very female.” It’s interesting that out of my many identities, I was more aware of the gender difference as opposed to that of race. I think this is because, before becoming a member of the leadership team at that time, it was common to be in meetings and be the only woman at the table. I am used to being the lone African American at the table.
TS: What do you feel is the greatest challenge that female leaders in our field are faced with or have to balance?
Hyatt: Women in higher education have been credited for the feminization of student affairs, and yet the SHO position may not be at pace with the gender representation of women and values of feminization. It is imperative for leaders in the housing profession to address the issues in order to support women holding the SHO position. Women SHOs are living pioneers in the field of higher education within housing operations, which provides hope for women aspiring to be in housing as a career.
Lawrence: Earlier in my career, gender was more balanced. As I have moved up, I notice that there are still far fewer women in the mix, and even fewer of color.
Collins: I have worked on campuses where the patriarchy is real and present in leadership, decision-making practices, stories that are told, policies, procedures, etc. It must also be mentioned that I have also experienced some horrible situations with female colleagues. There are likely many reasons for this, and I work every day from a place of assisting others in their success AND recognizing that I earned the seat that I now sit in.
TS: How has failure impacted your leadership journey?
Leos: Failure is inevitable. We will do it. We will do it badly. What’s important is to learn and move on and not to be riddled with fear because of one experience.
Collins: Fail forward, fail often. One of my favorite reads was Mistakes I Made at Work by Jessica Bacal. Create space for yourself to mess up, and own it. Most important for me has been my need to be more kind to myself – I am my hardest critic.
Hyatt: You mess up, you fess up! Employ humility, build strength through emotional intelligence, move forward, and let it go after it is addressed. We hold on too long to the things that are no longer on others’ minds. We sometimes keep our failures current; we need to retire them faster.
Leos: YES! Feedback is a gift.
TS: What do you wish folx in our profession knew about you and senior leadership?
Lawrence: It’s harder and more stressful than it looks. I distinctly remember all the judgements I had and all the times I said “if it was me I would . . .”
Collins: I agree. Leading at higher and higher levels of the university means that the decisions get harder to make due to the many stakeholders involved. In addition to this, decisions likely take longer to make, due to the many stakeholders involved. Be kind and patient with yourself and others – leading change is hard.
Scott: I think it’s critical to understand what responsibilities come with the title of being part of senior leadership. We must approach our work with confidence, knowing that we were not “given” the position but earned it.
Hyatt: I echo this sentiment from my colleagues as well. University/academic leadership is complicated and has historical underpinnings of long-time systemic issues that continue to take centuries to unravel. We have a critical social contract with our students to deliver on the residential experience with integrity and economic responsibility.
TS: Are there any parting thoughts you would you like to share with Talking Stick readers?
Scott: Successful professionals must have an authentic heart for the work. The other things can be taught. Supporting the success of others is a value that I hold dear. As a leader, supervisor, and manager, l believe we must sow these traits in the next generation of professionals. This is why my work with NHTI was so important to me.
Lawrence: I have been quite lucky that I have had a lot of people willing to support and champion me.
Leos: The same is true for me. I did not get here alone, and all of those people walk with me every day. Long after I and my mentors are gone, they will live on in the people who I have mentored, and then in who they mentor, and so on, and so on . . . It’s pretty incredible to think about that.
Hyatt: I am a product of multiple gifted colleagues’ and supervisors’ support, coupled with multiple institutional climates and ways of doing. The connector for my career has been ACUHO-I, which by far has had the most impact on my career; over the years ACUHO-I has supported me being more competent and confident as a housing professional.
Collins: There are many paths within higher education that you can take to reach a senior leadership position. Each path will present you with different experiences, including supervision, financial oversight, navigating the political landscape, creating vision and strategic leadership, etc. In order to successfully serve an institution and its community, you need to learn that you cannot know it all AND you need to work to learn as much as you can. Perhaps most important is learning the skill of hiring great people and letting them do their job.
Debbie Scheibler is the director of residence life at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. deborah.scheibler@wilkes.edu
