Center for Women Blog Series Begins!

I’ve always considered writing to be a personal endeavor (somehow I separate out my own writing from that of my work responsibilities which involves lots of writing in the forms of emails, reports, policies, etc.) and intended to be an audience of one, usually a faculty member. Writing is an exercise that allows me to explore ideas and test my thinking. It’s a space where I am vulnerable and exposed, which is scary to someone who recognizes her deep-seated perfectionist tendencies. And yet, I know that most frequently, it is when I am vulnerable and exposed that I connect to other people, learning more about others and learning more about myself. Getting the running conversation that is in my head onto paper allows me to dialogue with others in meaningful ways. The chance to discuss the small ideas that take up big space in my mind along with the big ideas that don’t have enough space in my head.

Part of the critical work that the Center for Women offers the NASPA community is space to discuss, explore, and champion the experience of women in the academy – staff, students, administrators, faculty, leaders, alumna. And while I am exceptionally proud of the work that the Center has done since 2000, we know that we continually have a responsibility to include more voices in our work and advocacy. The start of this blog series is one of our efforts to engage in a new way, outside of the box we traditionally think of as professional development, to include more voices and ideas in our work and create space for the big and small ideas about how women are represented, engage, and lead in NASPA and in higher education.

I’ve been lucky enough to read many of the blogs that will be shared in the coming months and they are thought-provoking and challenged me to think in new ways as NASPA women share their experiences, vulnerabilities, perceptions, and research – exactly what I want from an author. I share my thanks with the authors in advance and invite you to consider contributing as well. Enjoy the reading!

Jennifer Wegner is the new Board Chair of the NASPA Center for Women and serves as the Executive Director of the Undergraduate Business program in the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. If you’d like to learn more about the Center for Women or become a blog author, please contact her at jwegner@andrew.cmu.edu