Women and the University Presidency: Increasing Equity in Leadership

Women remain underrepresented in university presidential positions (American Council on Education, 2017). In this narrative study, eight women presidents of Carnegie Classified public doctoral granting universities were interviewed to understand how they navigated a routeto the position. Findings indicate that perceptions of gender,and opportunities for professional development, complicated the presidential path for women. Also, building leadership capacity was noted as important to sustaining and increasing women leaders in higher education

First Things First: Writing Strategies

Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931) is a fine example of the voice a writer has. Born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, she was born into slavery. Her par- ents died of yellow fever when she was young. As a result, she became the head of her family and took a teaching position near her home to support the family. She moved to Memphis in 1881 because there were more teaching jobs there (Myers, 2008)

Miep Gies (1909-2010): Her Legacy Endures

Journal a/Women in Educational Leadership. Vol. 8, No. I-January 2010 ISSN: 1541-622

First Things First: Writing Strategies

Writing and editing are symbiotic processes. My earliest editing experiences were invested in my own manuscripts. Writing, rewriting, and refining have been constant aspects of my academic career. My editing skills ramped up during the phase of my professional career that required the editing of nine pathophysiology course books each year for three years. The background that enabled me to edit my own work and the pathophysiology texts was a strong foundation in grammar and spelling. Reading has been a steady influence on my editing skills as well. Reading is a vocabulary builder as well as a constant styles of writing lesson. (Steve Martin\u27s [2010] An Object of Beauty is an example of a styles of writing lesson.) In my work as a professor, 65 of my doctoral students have completed the writing of their dissertations and graduated. Additionally, I serve on the doctoral supervisory committees of many other students. These experiences call on my editing skills and provide an opportunity to oversee research design and methods and extend my knowledge in the field of educational leadership. As a professor I have written extensively since I live in the land of publish or perish. Because I have had a significant number of refereed journal articles published, I have experienced the comments, criticism, and recommendations of a number of editors and reviewers. The books I have written, alone or in collaboration with others, have expanded my writing skills. The comments of editors and reviewers provided by the book publishers have honed my writing and editing skills as well. These experiences have enriched my work as the editor of the Journal of Women in Educational Leadership (JWEL). My work as the editor of JWEL has provided an opportunity to review the work of a wide range of scholars in the field of educational leadership. The work of these individuals provides a significant, focused body of work on the topic of women in educational leadership. Thank you to all who have made my work as founding editor of JWEL possible

The Midwest Women\u27s Leadership Institute: Pointing the Way

InthisissueoftheJournalofWomen inEducationalLeadership, JeanHaar reports on the development of the Midwest Women\u27s Leadership Institute (MWLI) at Minnesota State University Mankato. Her report provides an ex- ample of an effort to Point the Way for women leader

First Things First: Writing Strategies

Remember all the years you spent earning the academic credentials for your current position? Consider what you are expected to know and be able to do to fulfill your job responsibilities. For those who are expected to write for publication, what part of your credential-building academic experi- ences was dedicated to preparing you as a writer? The English majors among us would seem to be likely suspects for deep, rich, writing back- grounds. However, in collecting non-scientific data on this assumption, I am not convinced the English majors spent enough time writing while earning their credentials. So, those who have chosen academic career paths are forced to discover writing in order to meet scholarly productivity expectations. A curious book by Goldsberry is worth reading. The author is a professor of English at the University of Hawaii, a Michener Fellow, and an instructor at the Maui Writers Retreat. The Writer\u27s Book ofWisdom: 101 Rulesfor Mastering Your Craft reflects Goldsberry\u27s 25-year quest to collect the best advice for writers. The book, based on the premise that all writing is storytelling, is divided into three sections: Approach, Language, and Craft. The rules apply to all types of writing

Giving Voice to Women

If you sit and listen long enough, you can identify recurrent patterns of communication in organizational settings. I am struck by two communication models I observe repeatedly that involve women\u27s voices in meetings

First Things First: Writing Strategies -- Connections and Conversations

There are many stories told of the manuscripts that languish for lack of a publisher. These are often well-written, important works. One problem is that there is limited space in journals for manuscripts. If you want to be published, you must focus your writing on a publishable topic. How do you know what is publishable? One step is to review the existing journals to see what is being published. Reviewing an entire volume of a journal provides a clear picture ofwhafs hot and what\u27s not. Some journals announce the theme issues for a year. This provides direction too. Individuals who are prolific and well-published writers can provide insight to the publishing possibilities. Cultivate these colleagues since they are good sources of information. Editors are excellent resources for pointing writers in worthy directions. Often you can visit with editors at national conferences. Frequently editors offer workshops offering advice and direction to writers. Sometimes editors can be found at conventions near the booths of their publishing houses. Editors can elucidate the publishing possibilities. Making these connections requires initiative on the part of the author. Building long-term relationships with authors and editors should be the goal of the author who hopes to develop a long and productive writing career. Look to these experts for writing direction. Each will offer different perspectives and each will enrich your thinking and writing craft. Editors are the best resource for an enthusiastic response to your writing queries

Leadership Legacies

How often do we stop to consider the impact leaders have had in our lives? How often do we consider the impact we have in the lives of others? Certainly educators make a difference in the lives of others every day; however, how often do educators consider their leadership legacies? Recent obituaries and testimonials to Coretta Scott King and Wendy Wasserstein are reminders of the leadership legacies of these women

First Things First--Write-Rewrite

The first demand of writing productivity is to create the First Draft. One unproductive diversionary activity is to attempt to perfect your writing too early. It is more efficient to keep writing and get the initial draft completed before editing a manuscript. Early editing can be demoralizing and derail writing momentum and flow. It is better to forge ahead and continue to add to the manuscript until the complete paper has been prepared. Only when the first draft is completed should the serious work of revision begin