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About Us Genesis List of Officers Constitution Genesis Early in 2003, a small group of women gathered informally to recognize the distinguished career of Elaine Watson, a 34-year DePaul employee who had retired from her most recent leadership role as Vice President for Barat College/Executive Vice President for Operations. The group lamented that Elaine was one of just a few women in leadership positions at the university, and that her retirement had left a void. Recognizing that DePaul has virtually no female faculty and staff on a career-track that would prepare them to fill major leadership vacancies when they occur, these women were compelled to action. Led by School for New Learning Dean Susanne Dumbleton, the women formed a committee and invited others in mid-level positions to discuss the issue further at a series of meetings held in the ensuing months. To raise the topic among the entire university community, the committee hosted a daylong conference entitled “Women in Leadership at DePaul: What Works?” The conference examined historical and contemporary women leaders at the university, reviewed patterns of women in academic leadership from a national perspective, and launched strategic planning for the future. The highly successful event took place Oct. 10, 2003, attracting more than 200 registrants, from department assistants to vice presidents, and including nearly a dozen men interested in the advancement of women. In her keynote address at the conference, Dumbleton noted that the need for women’s leadership in American higher education is clear. Consider that while 51.5 percent of the nation’s college students were women and 44 percent of the doctorates in 2002 were awarded to women, only 20.8 percent of the full professorships and 35 percent of the associate professorships belonged to women. Women faculty remain clustered in the entry levels, with 54 percent of the lecturers and 51 percent of instructors being women. Meanwhile, just 21 percent of America’s university presidents in 2002 were women, and of those presidencies, many were at women-only colleges and community colleges. These are excellent institutions. However, positions in the most influential institutions in higher education are generally held by men. DePaul’s inclusion of women in key leadership positions is lacking as well. At the time of the conference, just 20 percent of the university’s Board of Trustees, zero percent of vice presidents and 33 percent of deans were women, while 55 percent of our students were women. Such a state fails to advance the legacy that Louise de Marillac, who in 1633 founded the Daughters of Charity with Vincent De Paul, left to future generations of women leaders at DePaul. Moreover, while a 2002 national survey of faculty attitudes shows great commonality along gender lines, several areas that are essential to future leadership, the quality of American culture and the realization of mission, are exceptions. For example, female faculty members by and large value teaching, community, social justice, diversity, and service at significantly higher rates than their male colleagues, indicating that female influence is vital to advancing those issues in the university community. Because men’s and women’s leadership styles and attitudes differ about important topics that have the ability to shape an institution, there is significant value in ensuring that both genders contribute to executive decision-making at DePaul. A study of practices at universities around the country indicates that training, mentoring and networking are central to advancing successful participation by women. These three practices were discussed as priorities at the October conference. Implementing them will prepare and empower more women to assume top administrative and academic leadership posts at DePaul and participate in or make executive-level decisions. The group made serious progress the following year by becoming an official initiative of new DePaul President, Father Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., and attracting funding from the Barat Education Foundation. In the early years of existence, the group aimed its efforts at leadership, networking, education and mentoring for the 140 women who are in key leadership positions at DePaul, WIL’s foremost priority. Plans to engage students will be developed as WIL matures. Participation was strong at events centered on these themes, with some networking and education lunches reaching capacity within hours of registration opening. Combined attendance at events held in 2004 was approximately 200. WIL received positive feedback from events and enthusiastic encouragement to enhance further the network developing among women at DePaul and support the advancement of women at the university. Events and activities for 2005-06 continue to focus on networking, education and mentoring. List of Officers President Denise Mattson Associate Vice President, Public Relations 312/362-6225 dmattson@depaul.edu   President Elect Peggy Burke Associate Vice President, Student Advancement 312/362-5658 pburke@depaul.edu   Jay Braatz Chief of Staff to the President 312/362-8890 jbraatz@depaul.edu   Judy Bundra Associate Dean, School of Music 773/325-1037 jbundra@depaul.edu     Mary Finger Senior Vice President, Advancement 312/362-7152 mfinger@depaul.edu     Carol Montgomery Associate Vice President, Career Services & Financial Planning 312/362-5361 cmontgo1@depaul.edu   Elizabeth Ortiz Senior Executive, Institutional Diversity 312/362-8588 eortiz4@depaul.edu   Barbara Schaffer Director, Sexual Harassment Policy Office Professor, English 773/325-7496 bschaffe@depaul.edu Constitution DePaul WIL has focused its efforts on preparing and supporting women in top-level leadership roles at the university. To that end, it formalized its organization with a constitution that guides the organization toward its main goal.