June 6, 2008

Dear Emory University HERS Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in applying to the HERS-New England program through the President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW). The PCSW will select one woman to receive funding to attend the 2008-2009 Management Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration at Wellesley College.

The HERS-New England program is one of the most distinguished leadership development programs in the country and prepares women to move into the ranks of senior leadership through focused study in Planning & Fiscal Management, Managing in Organizations, and Professional Development. The series of five intensive weekend programs is held on the Wellesley College campus on the following dates: October 16-18, 2008; November 21-22, 2008; January 30-31, 2009; March 12-14, 2009; and April 17-18, 2009.

The HERS participant profile consists of women who are striving for a career in higher education as administrators, deans, tenured faculty, and other top academic leadership positions. Most women are extremely accomplished and hail from many diverse academic and administrative areas. The Management Institute course includes seminars on higher education management, administration, finance, and legal issues. In addition, the series emphasizes professional development, leadership skills, and career strategies for women professionals in higher education. Women who are interested in gaining leadership skills, networking with other women from a variety of academic settings, and furthering their understanding of the management, legal, and financial aspects of higher education are prime candidates for the HERS conference. The program will help women develop a career path that may lead to a career in the highest levels of academic administration.

In order to be considered for PCSW funding, applicants must complete the following five steps:

1. Download and complete the HERS application from the PCSW website. Please note that the application requires the submission of a current resume/CV, as well as a self-descriptive letter. In the letter, please state if you have attended any previous leadership programs and, if so, which one(s). Applications without these supplementary pieces will be deemed incomplete and not considered for review.
   
   
2. Submit one of the following to accompany your application materials: (1) a nomination letter from your supervisor, or (2) a letter of self-nomination, along with a letter of support from your supervisor. Whenever possible, the nomination/support letters should indicate opportunities for promotion or advancement of the applicant.
   
   
3. Draft a statement answering one of the following two questions in no more than 700 words:
      a. What do you feel is the principal issue women face at Emory?
      b. What is the foremost challenge you have faced in your career as a woman at Emory?
   
   
4. Affirm your ability to attend all sessions of the HERS-New England program for 2008-2009 term.
   
   
5. If selected, affirm your ability to serve on the PCSW Women in Leadership (WIL) Committee during the 2008-2009 academic year and to attend all meetings. Meetings occur once per month, with some work/assignments in between. For a description of the Women in Leadership Committee, please go to www.pcsw.emory.edu/leadership.
   

Direct questions to pcsw@emory.edu or to klouder@emory.edu. Submit application materials for receipt by Friday, August 15, 2008, to:

Kim Loudermilk
Chair, Women in Leadership Committee
Sr. Associate Dean, Emory College

Thank you for your interest in the HERS program.

“Attending the HERS program broadened my perspective on higher education and
enabled me to think of my own career opportunities within higher education. … Among the most valuable aspects of the program was the opportunity to connect with a variety of talented, bright accomplished women from a broad range of institutions of higher learning and from a broad range of perspectives within these institutions.” 
--Carolyn Drews-Botsch, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health
  HERS 2005-2006 Participant

“The HERS program was valuable in giving me a broad perspective on key issues and timely topics in today’s institutions of higher education such as crisis management, legal and human resource dilemmas and professional preparation for career advancement to name a few.  … The sharing of individual and personal challenges with the group provided an extraordinary opportunity for frank observations and advice from diverse viewpoints.”
-- Betty Willis, Senior Associate Vice President, Governmental & Community Affairs
   HERS 2005-2006 Participant