Graduate Women Leadership Institute: Leaders in Life

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Graduate Women Leadership Institute Leaders in
Life

• Professor Leslie A. Kolodziejski
• Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer
  Science

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outline

• identification of problem(s)
• vision to impact retention
• creation of trial Graduate Women
• Leadership Institute Leaders in Life
• moving forward

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New EECS Graduate Women Seminar Series

• ALL newly admitted women in EECS invited
• typically 10-12 sign-up (out of 15-20)
• student commits to attend entire 1st year
• meet once a week for breakfast
• started fall semester 2005 5th year of offering

Department of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science at MIT
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New EECS Graduate Women Seminar Series

• Objectives
• opportunity to meet other women in EECS
• understand expectations of being a grad student
• special topics discussed

• Sample of Topics (from Fall 08)
• EECS Graduate Program (MS, PhD)
• Choosing a Research Topic/Advisor
• What is expected of a RA/How to get a RA
• What is expected of a TA/How to get a TA
• How to Read a Journal Article
• Overview of Technical Activities
• Overview of Extracurricular Student Activities
• Discussion - Senior Women Graduate Student
  Guests

• (from Spring 09)
• Writing a Thesis Proposal
• Preparing a Research Talk
• Preparing a Technical Poster
• Mentoring the importance and value
• How to Improve Communication Skills
• Discussion - Invited Guests
• Women Faculty/Industry
• Share Research Activities

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Vision

• issues became apparent from New EECS Graduate
  Women Seminar Series
• common themes
• loss of confidence
• questioning of technical ability
• isolation
• modeled after undergraduate leadership program
  LeaderShape Institute at MIT

www.leadershape.org
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What is Leaders in Life Today?

• trial offering of retention program
• week-long summer retreat (2008)
• 1-day workshop and dinner (2009)
• 22 women LiL alumni NETWORK

MIT Sponsors Dept. of Elect. Engr. Comp.
Sci Comp. Sci. and Artificial Intelligence
Lab Research Lab of Electronics
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Leaders in Life Starting Premise

• Styles of leading and communicating differ by
  gender
• Similarly perception of communication differs by
  gender

• GOAL build awareness of gender-impacted dynamics
  in communication
• to enhance individual effectiveness
• to promote self-confidence
• to nurture resilience

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Leaders in Life Acknowledges

• Importance of support network is empowering
• Importance of individual self-support is
  sustaining

GOAL promote a social and professional network
to support womens emergence as leading
engineers/scientists while at MIT and beyond
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Leaders in Life Learning Objectives

• Identify implicit associations
• Learn how they dictate power in the workplace
• Build professional communication skills
  communicate powerfully across gender
• Communicate more effectively with advisors,
  mentors peers
• Assess reflect on personality traits
• Understand your preferences, strengths the
  value of difference
• Understand the foundation of resilience
  optimism
• Learn to live optimistically work with
  confidence
• Find the understanding and support you need to
  thrive, achieve, and be happy

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Leaders in Life TRIAL Program

• Experiential Learning
• minimal lecturing, activity-based learning
• Dialogue and Discussion
• large and small groups
• Self-Assessment and Reflection
• Coaching and Being Coached
• peer coaching groups
• learning assimilation groups
• scenario groups
• Networking and Social Activities

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LiL Curriculum Summer Retreat

• Implicit Associations
• Powerful Communication
• Myers Brigg Type Indicator personality
  preferences and impact on collaboration
• Physical Dispositions
• Feedback requesting/providing
• Scenario Work
• Optimisim/Hardiness, Self-support and Balance
• Creation of Individual Support Network

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Leaders in Life Summer Retreat Faculty
Dr. Jacquie McLemore Organizational
Behavior, McLemore Consulting
Professor Leslie Kolodziejski Co-Creator of
LiL Director, LiL_at_MIT
Dr. Elisabeth Marley Asst. Prof. of EE Southern
Methodist University
Dr. Linda Garverick Co-Creator of LiL Coactive
Consultants
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LiL Curriculum Winter Retreat

• Value of Mentor/Mentee Relationship
• Understanding the Hardiness Survey
• Design LiL Mentoring Event
• LiL Events for the Community
• group pot-luck dinners
• afternoon teas
• reunion at Marconi Beach, Cape Cod
• coordinating events with Graduate Women in Course
  VI (GW6)

www.hardinessinstitute.com
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Evaluation of Trial Program

• Feedback Form Rating Statements (23) about
  Program
• 5 strongly agree
• 4 agree
• 3 neutral
• 2 disagree
• 1 strongly agree

• Example Statements
• The Leaders in Life retreat was a good use of my
  time 4.95 out of 5
• I gained awareness that will increase my choices
  as a graduate student leaders 4.67 out of 5
• I developed supportive relationships that will
  continue beyond the program 4.62 out of 5
• I learned coping strategies that will increase my
  resilience 4.24 out of 5
• I identified new role models and or mentors 3.81
  out of 5

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Evaluation of Trial Program

• Feedback Form to Rank Value of Concept
• Rank top 8 concepts (out of 23)
• Rate knowledge of concept before/after LiL
  program
• no awareness
• incomplete understanding
• desire to learn more
• clear understanding
• proficient in use
• Rate value of concept for success
• no value
• low value
• moderate value
• high value
• essential

• Top Ranked Concepts
• making clear requests
• separating data from assessments
• developing transformational coping skills

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Evaluation of LiL Impact

• repeated use of Hardiness Survey

www.hardinessinstitute.com
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Participant Quotes for LiL

• This may be the most valuable course a graduate
  student will take at MIT.
• I have changed my life in the course of one
  week. The tools and confidence I have gained
  will not only serve me, but will make my career!
• Skills to deal with the scientific world and
  beyond.

• Revolutionary! I sort of wanted to put my PhD
  on hold for awhile. Now I am full of energy.
• How immensely valuable this week has been to my
  self- confidence, happiness, and professional
  skills.
• This experience has been life changing for me. I
  wish every female grad student could benefit
  from this experience.

Marconi Beach, Cape Cod, 2008
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Moving Forward

• Yearly offering of Leaders in Life at MIT
• summer retreat, winter retreat
• Actively seeking sponsorship
• EECS, Phys, Schools of Science/Engr
• Expand faculty participation
• LiL alumni actively engaged
• contribute to creation of curriculum
• retreat facilitators

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My reflection

• majority population vs minority population
• redirects assessment from personal to situational
• Institutional change important takes time
• Personal development crucial
• accurate assessment of situation
• support to the network
• support for the individual