Mimi Wolverton – författare

Business education programs should practice what they preach: applying the principles of strategic analysis to play to their strengths and develop distinctive offerings that attract the most profitable customers—in this case, students, faculty, local communities, and the institutions that support them financially. With the costs of private MBA programs skyrocketing, public universities, which generally operate out of the spotlight of the Harvards and Whartons, have a tremendous opportunity to distinguish themselves as centers of innovative, high-quality education. Mimi Wolverton and Larry Penley conducted extensive research to identify the qualities of those public institutions across the country—from the University of Washington to Georgia Tech—that have successfully established competitive advantages, generally through a combination of cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.Elite MBA Programs at Public Universities features 12 in-depth case studies by senior representatives of the respective institutions, detailing the process by which they developed and launched programs to raise their profiles and ultimately compete aggressively for talent and support. From developing strategic alliances with local businesses and complementary academic departments to establishing online and overseas courses to investing in state-of-the-art facilities, these schools are setting new standards for business education—and measuring the positive results, for example, in terms of increased funding, higher faculty research productivity, higher rankings, and greater student diversity. Wolverton and Penley frame the case studies by applying the concepts of strategy theory, drawing lessons that can be applied in other educational institutions, as well as for students of strategy and general readers interested in emerging trends in business education. The result is a fascinating peek behind the scenes at the most innovative MBA programs, as well as a rich canvas for observing the principles of strategic management in action.

Although much has been written about leaders and leadership, we unfortunately know little about women, particularly minority women, who fill this particular role. This book presents the stories, and the reflections on their paths to leadership in higher education, of seven African American women. Each has been the first woman, first African American, or first African American woman in one or more of the positions of authority that she has held. Each has overcome the double bind of sexism and racism that can inhibit the professional attainment of African American women. Although they followed different paths to leadership, similarities in their experiences, values, and beliefs emerge. They also express a need to give back to those communities that nourished their growth and leadership – of which this book is a manifestation. At a time when significant turnover in college leadership is about to occur – presenting increased opportunities for women and minorities – these leaders hope that the strategies they describe, the insights they impart, the experiences they recount, and, most of all, the passion they have sustained for the betterment of and greater inclusiveness in higher education, will inspire the next generation of women to answer the leadership call.

Although much has been written about leaders and leadership, we unfortunately know little about the women who fill this particular role. This book—the first in a series that explores women leaders in different contexts—remedies this gap by presenting the reflections of nine women community college, college, and university presidents on what they see as key tenets of leadership, illuminated by pivotal events in their careers.These presidents know the power of words, and in telling their stories through these interviews with the authors, they let us know who they are, what their visions are, and what they value.While they express some differences in their emphases on particular leadership characteristics, they show remarkable unanimity in their beliefs as to which are the most important—competence, credibility, and communication. The participants discuss the growing opportunities for women in higher education administration, without minimizing the barriers that still exist, nor the potential for backlash against powerful and assertive women. They stress the need for women to be very careful about making the correct choices for themselves; to balance personal life and work; and to appropriately prepare for leadership. This book both breaks new ground, and offers guidance for women who aspire to positions of leadership—in any field of endeavor. The Presidents: Gretchen M. Bataille, University of North Texas, Denton, TexasBarbara Douglass, Northwestern Connecticut Community College, Winsted, CT Mildred García, California State University, Dominguez HillsCarol C. Harter, University of Nevada, Las VegasMamie Howard-Golladay, Sullivan County Community College, Loch Sheldrake, NYMartha T. Nesbitt, Gainesville State College, Gainesville, GeorgiaPamela Sue Shockley-Zalabak, University of Colorado, Colorado SpringsBetty L. Siegel, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GAKaren Gayton Swisher, Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, KS Each confronts her world with grace, her work with passion, and her life with enthusiasm. The Series: Pathways to Leadership is a series about successful women who have reached the pinnacle of their careers. It features stories about extraordinary women who have found paths to success—whether it’s leading a college or university or becoming successful scholars in science and engineering or thriving in some other male-dominated arena.

Latinas in the Workplace highlights the stories of eight exceptional women. It is the third book in the Journeys to Leadership series that features stories about extraordinary women who have found paths to success in male-dominated arenas. Even though each took a different route to success, these women share an overarching, almost implicit, understanding of what they aspired to: the freedom to choose where and how to invest time and energy, to establish professional and personal balance, and enjoy the luxury of defining that balance.Despite their different professional aspirations, their journeys are rooted in similar ground tilled long before they entered the work world—a strong sense of family, influential religious traditions, and formidable ties to their cultural heritage. The eight Latinas showcased in this book – a foundation president, two business CEOs, a doctor, a former college president, a teacher and author, and two school superintendents – grew up with a determination to get educated that was fostered by parents and grandparents. All of them hold advanced degrees. Engrained in each of them is a sense of honor, the need to treat others with respect, and an inner strength—qualities nurtured by family members. While each had to contend with negative forces, whether from within or outside their culture, and drew strength from the experience, they also acknowledge that being able to navigate two cultures, and being bilingual, has given them a unique perspective and two distinct ways of dealing with people. Although Latinos constitute one of the fastest growing segments of our population, these Latina leaders represent a relatively small percentage of women in leadership in the United States. They hope that their stories inspire not only their contemporaries but the next generation of Latinas as well. The women profiled in this book are: Sarita Brown, President, Excelencia in Education; Tina Cordova, President, Queston Construction; Sally Garza Fernandez, President, Fernandez Group; Carmella Franco, Superintendent, Woodland California School District; Christine Johnson, former President, Community College of Denver; Thelma López-Lira, M.D.Darline Robles, Executive Officer for the Los Angeles County Office of Education; Beatriz Salcedo-Strumpf, Author and Instructor at the State University of New York in Oswego.

Latinas in the Workplace highlights the stories of eight exceptional women. It is the third book in the Journeys to Leadership series that features stories about extraordinary women who have found paths to success in male-dominated arenas. Even though each took a different route to success, these women share an overarching, almost implicit, understanding of what they aspired to: the freedom to choose where and how to invest time and energy, to establish professional and personal balance, and enjoy the luxury of defining that balance.Despite their different professional aspirations, their journeys are rooted in similar ground tilled long before they entered the work world—a strong sense of family, influential religious traditions, and formidable ties to their cultural heritage. The eight Latinas showcased in this book – a foundation president, two business CEOs, a doctor, a former college president, a teacher and author, and two school superintendents – grew up with a determination to get educated that was fostered by parents and grandparents. All of them hold advanced degrees. Engrained in each of them is a sense of honor, the need to treat others with respect, and an inner strength—qualities nurtured by family members. While each had to contend with negative forces, whether from within or outside their culture, and drew strength from the experience, they also acknowledge that being able to navigate two cultures, and being bilingual, has given them a unique perspective and two distinct ways of dealing with people. Although Latinos constitute one of the fastest growing segments of our population, these Latina leaders represent a relatively small percentage of women in leadership in the United States. They hope that their stories inspire not only their contemporaries but the next generation of Latinas as well. The women profiled in this book are: Sarita Brown, President, Excelencia in Education; Tina Cordova, President, Queston Construction; Sally Garza Fernandez, President, Fernandez Group; Carmella Franco, Superintendent, Woodland California School District; Christine Johnson, former President, Community College of Denver; Thelma López-Lira, M.D.Darline Robles, Executive Officer for the Los Angeles County Office of Education; Beatriz Salcedo-Strumpf, Author and Instructor at the State University of New York in Oswego.

Why is it that, while women in the United States have generally made great strides in establishing parity with their male counterparts in educational attainment, they remain substantially underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Why is it that, in proportion to the PhDs they obtain in STEM, they attain fewer administrative and managerial positions in academia and industry than their numbers warrant and, moreover, are more likely leave the field once started in their careers? In the culture and context of women’s advancement and satisfaction with careers in STEM, the data show that many challenges and obstacles remain.By showcasing the stories of eight women scientists who have achieved successful careers in the academy, industry and government, Breaking In offers vivid insights into the challenges and barriers that women face in entering STEM while also describing these women’s motivations, the choices they made along their paths, and the intellectual satisfactions and excitement of scientific discovery they derive from their work.Breaking In underscores issues aspiring women scientists will encounter on their journeys and what they can do to forestall potential obstacles, advocate for change, and fulfill their ambitions. And it speaks to the question: What can be done to encourage more women to specialize in science, mathematics, and engineering? In doctoral granting institutions, where women must start if they hope to earn advanced degrees, Breaking In can serve both as a student text and as guide for department chairs and deans who are concerned about organizational climate and culture and their impact on retention in STEM fields. At a broader level, this book offers advice and inspiration to women contemplating entering STEM fields, as well to the teachers, researchers, and administrators responsible for nurturing these women, growing enrollments in their disciplines, and developing creative and intellectual capital that the nation needs to compete in the global marketplace.

Why is it that, while women in the United States have generally made great strides in establishing parity with their male counterparts in educational attainment, they remain substantially underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Why is it that, in proportion to the PhDs they obtain in STEM, they attain fewer administrative and managerial positions in academia and industry than their numbers warrant and, moreover, are more likely leave the field once started in their careers? In the culture and context of women’s advancement and satisfaction with careers in STEM, the data show that many challenges and obstacles remain.By showcasing the stories of eight women scientists who have achieved successful careers in the academy, industry and government, Breaking In offers vivid insights into the challenges and barriers that women face in entering STEM while also describing these women’s motivations, the choices they made along their paths, and the intellectual satisfactions and excitement of scientific discovery they derive from their work.Breaking In underscores issues aspiring women scientists will encounter on their journeys and what they can do to forestall potential obstacles, advocate for change, and fulfill their ambitions. And it speaks to the question: What can be done to encourage more women to specialize in science, mathematics, and engineering? In doctoral granting institutions, where women must start if they hope to earn advanced degrees, Breaking In can serve both as a student text and as guide for department chairs and deans who are concerned about organizational climate and culture and their impact on retention in STEM fields. At a broader level, this book offers advice and inspiration to women contemplating entering STEM fields, as well to the teachers, researchers, and administrators responsible for nurturing these women, growing enrollments in their disciplines, and developing creative and intellectual capital that the nation needs to compete in the global marketplace.

The purpose of this book is to offer higher education leaders, scholars, consultants, and observers a full range of strategy tools that can be applied to the higher education industry. This is accomplished by a) introducing new concepts and tools to give a comprehensive view of strategy making in higher education, beyond strategic planning, b) demonstrating the value of the concepts and tools through description and application for different types of institutions (universities, community colleges, for-profit colleges, etc.) and at different levels within institutions (institutional, college, department, etc.), and c) providing guidance on the appropriate uses of the various tools. The last point is especially important, as applying business-like principles to higher education often receives heavy criticism. The book helps readers decipher the appropriate uses of different strategy tools to the higher education industry, but the book also points out dangers and weaknesses. All of this is done within today’s context of political, economic, demographic, and global realities.

The purpose of this book is to offer higher education leaders, scholars, consultants, and observers a full range of strategy tools that can be applied to the higher education industry. This is accomplished by a) introducing new concepts and tools to give a comprehensive view of strategy making in higher education, beyond strategic planning, b) demonstrating the value of the concepts and tools through description and application for different types of institutions (universities, community colleges, for-profit colleges, etc.) and at different levels within institutions (institutional, college, department, etc.), and c) providing guidance on the appropriate uses of the various tools. The last point is especially important, as applying business-like principles to higher education often receives heavy criticism. The book helps readers decipher the appropriate uses of different strategy tools to the higher education industry, but the book also points out dangers and weaknesses. All of this is done within today’s context of political, economic, demographic, and global realities.

This series of Works on stress and coping is centered on understanding the sources, experiences, and consequences of stress and coping in the educational arena. In formal organizations to informal experiences, those engaged in educational endeavors shape and are shaped by events and interactions that invoke salient to subtle stress and coping responses. We invite authors to submit manuscripts that present studies focused on stress and/or coping in any of the contexts, positions, peoples, and activities encompassed under the umbrella of education. Research using either qualitative or quantitative methodologies will be acceptable. The series is expected to appeal to a broad readership of scholars in the fields of education, psychology, sociology, and business who are interested in understanding the nature of stress and coping in education.

This series of Works on stress and coping is centered on understanding the sources, experiences, and consequences of stress and coping in the educational arena. In formal organizations to informal experiences, those engaged in educational endeavors shape and are shaped by events and interactions that invoke salient to subtle stress and coping responses. We invite authors to submit manuscripts that present studies focused on stress and/or coping in any of the contexts, positions, peoples, and activities encompassed under the umbrella of education. Research using either qualitative or quantitative methodologies will be acceptable. The series is expected to appeal to a broad readership of scholars in the fields of education, psychology, sociology, and business who are interested in understanding the nature of stress and coping in education.