Brock’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic Arja Vainio-Mattila shared leadership lessons with attendees from across campus during this special in-person session.

Read the Brock News brief about this event: https://brocku.ca/brock-news/category/briefs/

Guest speaker, Professor of Kinesiology Cathy van Ingen’s research examines the relationship between sport, inequality, and social change. For two decades, her work has been at the forefront of trauma- and violence-informed sport research.

Recently, Cathy earned her Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media and completed her first short documentary film.

This WIL session included a screening of her original award-winning documentary What Ales Us? (2024) that explores what happened to two women who battled gender-based abuse in Canada’s craft beer industry.

Watch the trailer: https://vimeo.com/943452657

Diane Dupont, Professor of Economics, is an internationally known expert in water and its valuation whose long career in academia has garnered many awards and honours. Diane was recently named a Brock University Distinguished Professor.

In “Moving beyond “homo economicus”: bringing heterogeneity to economics,” Diane candidly shares some of the challenges and successes she’s experienced working toward change in a male-dominated field.

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

Caroline, a PhD candidate in Applied Health Sciences and the project coordinator for the Deborah Rosati WIL Mentorship Program, shared her thoughts on the importance of mentorship in the lives of women and highlighted some success stories from the first two cohorts of the mentorship program.

Caroline’s expertise with mentorship comes from both personal experience and research, including SSHRC-funded research that focuses on mentorship, program evaluation and positive youth development in the sport and recreation sector.

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

Discovering the Leader Within: Maintaining Grace Amidst Challenges, guest speaker Karen Brown (BA ’91) shared “tactics for navigating unfamiliar terrain, exhibiting resilience in leadership, seizing pivotal opportunities, and embracing uncertainty.”

In August 2021, Karen made history, becoming the first Black president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, the largest public sector teachers’ union in Canada, representing some 83,000 members. The long-time advocate for inclusion in public education was named the Social Sciences Distinguished Graduate for 2022.

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

In Testing the Balance: Lead without losing yourself, Karin Di Bella, Chair of the Department of Music and Associate Professor of Piano, shares some “concrete tools” to help “preserve your personal space in a world where we are always in demand.”

“Many women shy away from positions of leadership for fear that they become consumed by the demands of their role,” says Karin. “With some strategic boundaries in place, it is possible to navigate the world of leadership and still have a life outside of it.”

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

View a PDF of Karin’s slides here.

In Intergenerational Indigenous Resilience and Navigating Academic Administration, Sheila Cote-Meek, Director of Indigenous Educational Studies Programs in the Faculty of Education, shared some personal “experiences, challenges and reflections as an Anishinaabe-kwe (Indigenous woman) navigating the academy.”

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

Chelsea Takalo, Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, says “working towards the cultivation of safe working and learning environments is pivotal to individuals feeling connected, supported, and seen.”

In Fostering Holistic Safety Through Leadership, Chelsea led an exploration of how social, psychological, physical, emotional, and cultural safety can be promoted in working and learning environments.

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

In Learning from #FemEdTech: leadership lessons from networked participatory scholarship, Giulia Forsythe, Director of Teaching and Learning in Brock University’s Centre for Pedagogical Innovation, shared what she learned from participating in this global open online community that focuses on the intersections of feminism, education and technology.

Giulia says, “Being part of this network helped me think about our work in higher education, supporting transformational pedagogy, and my own leadership journey.”

Learn more about #FemEdTech:

FemEdTech Quilt of Care and Justice in Open Education 

Graphic Narratives of Open Scholarship: a Cartography of #FemEdTech

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

In “It takes a village to raise up a leader,” Nwakerendu (Kay) Waboso (BA ’07, MA ’12), PhD candidate in Child and Youth Studies, reflected on and acknowledged the many people in her ‘village’ whose allyship has influenced her journey to leadership.

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

Shawna Chen, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship with Brock University’s Goodman School of Business, presented a challenge:

Imagine that you are interviewing job candidates. What qualities would you look for among these candidates? Many would look for qualities such as confidence, leadership, and self-reliance. Sounds familiar? If so, you too may be falling prey to a cultural bias called masculine defaults. Masculine defaults is a bias of how we typically consider certain characteristics and behaviours, often associated with men, as standard or best practice that should be rewarded.

In this talk, Shawna discussed how masculine defaults may have contributed to women’s underrepresentation in the workplace, particularly in the entrepreneurship ecosystems. She also proposed some practical examples to mitigate masculine defaults bias in different contexts.

View a recording of this session here (Brock login required)

Krystal Snider shared how her personal story of intergenerational trauma and resilience shaped her journey to leadership and advocacy. Krystal, who completed a residency with Brock’s LINCubator program, spoke about stepping into leadership in the non-profit sector, entering the business world, and the journey that led her to work in gender-based violence prevention.

Krystal is the ‘Executive Disruptor’ of Collaborative Community Solutions, a Niagara-based consulting firm that provides training for agencies on the identification and intervention of human trafficking, and symptoms of trauma associated with gender-based violence.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Cindy Biancaniello, Director of the Hadiyaˀdagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre, explained how she implements the guiding principles of the Inuit in her leadership role and how she uses the Inukshuk to illustrate strength in unity.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

In “Breaking Down Gender Barriers in Leadership: Embracing Feminine Ethics in Organizations,” Associate Professor of Human Resource Management Sadia Jahanzeb challenges organizations to shift away from the traditional narrow focus on masculine leadership ideals that can hinder women’s progress and “towards recognizing the differences and values women bring.”  

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Speaker: Martina Ciglenecki, Health Management Consultant with the office of Health, Safety and Wellness, a section of Brock Human Resources

Leveraging her training and certification with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Martina spoke to the importance of mental health in the workplace, how to lead with empathy, and how leaders can support themselves and in turn support their teams to be successful and productive.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Women in Leadership hosted this hybrid event featuring Brock University President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg. In her talk, entitled “Invisible Leadership,” Lesley candidly shared a vision of leadership that relies on redrawing perceptions of leaders and inviting others to do the same.

Following President Rigg’s presentation, PhD candidate Caroline Hummel spoke about the newly launched Deborah Rosati Women in Leadership Mentorship program.

A reception sponsored by Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC) provided an opportunity for attendees to learn more about SWAAC and enjoy light refreshments, conversation and networking.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Emily O’Connor, Manager of Resource Development for Habitat for Humanity, and Kristen Nilsen, Academic Quality Consultant at Niagara College, discussed the value of community engagement in personal, professional and leadership development. The two friends and Brock alumni also shared insights they’ve learned from their involvement in NEXTNiagara in conjunction with their career journeys.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Assistant Professor of Educational Studies Sandra Della Porta and independent scholar Daniella Ingrao presented “The Realities of Motherhood in Academia During a Pandemic and Beyond.”

The challenges of mothering in academia are far from new; but layering on the struggles of a global pandemic shone a glaring light on the inequities that persist for mothers working in the academic space. This presentation explored the narrative oral history of a mother navigating her career in academia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also The Intersection of Motherhood and Academia During a Pandemic: A Storytelling Approach to Narrative Oral History, a paper co-authored by Sandra and Daniella.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

In this talk, Chandra Sharma, Chief Administrative Officer / Secretary-Treasurer, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), provides insights on the unique attributes of leadership and culture in purpose-driven organizations such as Ontario conservation authorities in her presentation entitled “When Purpose Drives Leadership.”

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Janet Westbury, Experiential Education Coordinator for the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, talked about her own experiences and encouraged everyone to recognize and appreciate the necessary ingredients to embark on – or energize – their own journeys to leadership. 

Janet believes the right mix of FUELS can ignite anyone’s leadership journey. For her, those FUELS include Failure, Uncomfortable situations, Emotional engagement, Listening, and Secret sauce.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Haley Myatt, President and CEO of Brock University’s Graduate Student Association, recounted her journey to leadership, and reflected on some of the lessons she learned along the way.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Trecia McLennon, Director of EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Culture and Education in Brock’s Human Resources office, and staff Vice-Chair on the President’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity and Decolonization, helps us think through “when it’s appropriate to wield or yield power” in her talk, “The Art of Passing the Mic.”

“As leaders, our capacity for deep listening can make or break opportunities to address representation, voice and who gets to speak freely — or speak at all,”  she says. “This talk will address creating the conditions for excellence and innovation to thrive through diverse, decolonized approaches.”

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Other resources shared or recommended by Trecia:

• View the In Group vs Out Group video on YouTube
• Netflix documentary “For Love”
• This amazing article: “How to Fix a Toxic Culture“
• Two books: The Prepared Leader and The Anti-Racist Organization

Rebecca Raby, Brock University Professor of Child and Youth Studies, talks about her personal reluctance to embrace terms such as leader and follower, and how this thinking connects to her scholarship.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Reverberations of the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade are being felt across America as individual states enact their own laws governing access to abortion, in some cases banning it outright. Many Canadians wonder if laws in their own country could withstand a similar challenge.

In this session, Associate Professor of History Tami Friedman helped situate the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision within the larger history of reproductive rights in the U.S. and explored potential implications of the court’s 2022 reversal on the issue of abortion rights in the Canadian context.

Ingrid Makus, Dean of Social Sciences, who has studied and written about the abortion debate from the perspective of the history of ideas and political theory, shared her own thoughts and facilitated the discussion that followed.

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

For seven years Kendra Thomson served in various capacities on the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis (ONTABA) board where, with her colleagues, she helped to lead efforts in professional regulation of behaviour analysts in the province of Ontario.

In this Women in Leadership session, the Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Disability Studies shares her personal experience as a volunteer, a director-at-large, president elect and president and “highlight what I learned balancing service, research, and faculty responsibilities,” she says.

While Kendra acknowledges “the dedicated efforts made by numerous volunteers,” her personal contributions to the field of applied behaviour analysis in Ontario were recently internationally recognized by the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA).

View a recording of this session here (with Brock login)

Brock University Chancellor Hilary Pearson has had the rare opportunity to pursue careers in all three sectors: public, business and nonprofit. In this presentation, she shares stories and observations from her personal trajectory to illustrate insights about women in leadership across these three sectors.

View a recording of this presentation (with Brock login)

Agenda: 

Inspired by our November 1 conversation, we organized a book-club style discussion of the new book Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper and Indira Samarasekera. Some additional context for the discussion came from two articles in University Affairs:

• The struggle for gender equity in university leadership
• Hitting a nerve: Martha Piper and Indira Samarasekera on their new book about women in leadership

Also of interest: a podcast featuring an interview with the two authors:

• Indira Samarasekera & Martha Piper on The Honest Talk

Agenda: 

In “The Reluctant Mentor,” Shannon Kerwin, Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Management, focuses on research showing the importance of mentorship for women leaders in sport, but also shares her own personal reflection on her journey over the last few years.

View a recording of this presentation (Brock login required)

Agenda: 

In this presentation, Angela Salvatore (BA ’02, Sociology) first female Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Taxation Law Section, discussed:

• Male domination of legal field – recent changes in taxation based on influx of women (especially in legal and accounting fields)
• Pay equity – latest research, women in legal profession
• How female leaders handle, navigate, overcome sexual harassment, and gender- and faith-based discrimination
• Challenging a system that perpetuates victim-blaming
• Supports and resources available to women

Throughout the presentation, Angela referred to the Power Gap series from the Globe And Mail and generously shared access to those articles here. (Brock login required)

Watch a video introducing the Globe And Mail series on the Power Gap.

• NLSW presents an inclusive environment to encourage and celebrate women leaders in our community and opens the conversation surrounding women’s issues in Niagara. This event offers many valuable opportunities for women and allies to connect, share common goals and challenges as well as network with like-minded community leaders.
• Brock was well represented in this year’s program, both behind the scenes and as outstanding presenters/panelists, for example:

• • Keynote speaker Robyn Bourgeois, Acting Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement and associate professor of Women’s and Gender Studies
  • Marcella Blanchard, Brock grad (BA in Therapeutic Recreation and Psychology) and Youth Navigator for NPAAMB Urban Indigenous Youth Employment and Training
  • Holly Bolvari, Learning & Organizational Development Manager, Human Resources
    Panel discussion participant: “Cancer, Courage, and Self Advocacy”
  • Janet Westbury, Experiential Education Coordinator for the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, with Lesley Clarke, who holds a Professional Management Certificate from Brock
    Panel discussion participants: “Courage to be Authentically You”
  • Stephanie Harper, Associate Director, Career Education
    Webinar: “Imperfect & Unapologetic: A mother’s leadership journey during a pandemic”
  • Leela MadhavaRau, Director of Human Rights and Equity
    Webinar: “Holding Up Half the Sky: Lessons from Women Activists for Our Future”
  • Kristen Nilsen, Brock alumna (BBA ’12, MEd ’18) and Experiential Education Coordinator for the Goodman School of Business, and Venessa Magny, employer consultant in Career Education
    Workshop: “Express Yourself: Speak confidently about your skills to go after your goals”
  • Aishah Sonekan, undergraduate student in the Psychology Co-op Program with a minor in Business
    Webinar: “Dare to Discover the YOU you Dream of”

Agenda: 

A conversation with Angela Salvatore (BA ’02, Sociology), first female Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Taxation Law Section. Angela originally presented at a WIL session in December 2020.
In this session, Angela touched on:

• the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the legal profession, especially taxation
• encouraging women to consider the two certainties in life (death and taxes) when making a career choice or change
• the intersection of taxation/family law/gender issues
• how to know when to make a career change (how to decide/ what to reach for

View a recording of this presentation (Brock login required)

Agenda: 

A candid conversation with corporate director, entrepreneur, speaker and author Deborah Rosati, CEO and founder of Women Get on Board.

This special virtual engagement event was hosted by Development and Alumni Relations and moderated by Ingrid Makus, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences.

Agenda: SWAAC debrief – learning, sharing, acting

Brock University was well represented at this year’s virtual Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC) conference in May of this year; however, as with all conferences, not everyone who was interested in the event was able to attend. This meeting offered an opportunity to share the knowledge gained as we casually continued the conversations that began at the conference.

The theme of this year’s SWAAC conference was trust. 

Agenda

A presentation about trans inclusion by Jasper Fisher, a Brock student and member of Positive Living Niagara’s Streetworks Team, with Michelle Poirier, Advisor, Human Rights and Equity, for Brock University.

Jasper is currently in the final year of his undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Brock with a focus on developing a pre-medical understanding of endocrinology and neuroanatomy.

He was heavily involved in creating the Trans-inclusion Guide, leading seminars for students, staff, and faculty on Trans-inclusion, and holding a position on the Brock Pride board of executives.

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Additional resources and links

Agenda

Accidentally on purpose: Transforming service into leadership, a conversation with Suzanne Curtin, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies

Suzanne, who is also a Professor of Child and Youth Studies, spoke about the professional development steps she took to enhance her leadership skills and the key mentors who supported her academic and leadership journey. Additionally, she discussed some of the challenges faced by women academics as they move into leadership positions.

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

Robyn Bourgeois, Acting Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement, and an associate professor in the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies presents From Trauma to Triumph.

A survivor of multiple forms of violence, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking, Robyn brings her unique perspective on how trauma can be a source of strength in leadership.

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

Deliberate Ambition: My leadership journey and what I learned along the way, a casual conversation with Lynn Wells, Provost & Vice-President, Academic.

In this session, Lynn outlines her journey to leadership — including her newly announced appointment to Interim President of the University — and shares some lessons learned, while providing some advice to aspiring women leaders.

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

Panel discussion: Opportunities and Experiences of the NWPB’s Immigrant Mentorship Program

In September 2020, Brock University made its long-time collaboration with the Niagara Workforce Planning Board (NWPB) official by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The partnership formalizes both Brock and NWPB’s efforts in contributing to the local community by supporting the health, vitality and well-being of the region, as well as addressing workforce development challenges.

As part of this partnership, Brock University is a partner in the NWPB’s Immigrant Mentorship Program.  This program pairs established local professionals with internationally trained professionals who are new to Canada and are looking to build their careers and expand their knowledge.

This session highlighted the importance of mentoring for women in our community by sharing experiences and outcomes of mentorship programs.

Presenters included:

• Josie Faccini, Mentorship Program Coordinator, NWPB
• Renee Ji, Student Advisor, Brock International
• Vivian Kinnard, Chief Executive Officer, NWPB

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

• Christene Carpenter-Cleland and Poling Bork, co-chairs of Scientifically Yours, and long-time members of Brock’s Faculty of Math and Science on the importance of increasing interest in science among women and girls; they also spoke about their own experiences and the challenges they face in a male-dominated field.

Agenda

• Yasanthi Perera, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Ethics and Entrepreneurship, delivered a presentation on “imposter phenomenon” (also called imposter syndrome).
• “At some point or other, many of us have asked ourselves questions – Do I really belong here? Did I get here by some fluke of chance? Should I be doing this work? In doing so, we discount our academic training, other preparation, and experiences.”
• Drawing upon the stories of several women, as well as her own personal experiences, Yasanthi discussed how we can address feelings of self-doubt at both individual and organizational levels.

View presentation slides

Agenda

Caitlin Mahy is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Developing Memory and Cognition Laboratory.

Are women and men judged differently for being forgetful? A current research study that Caitlin is conducting with one of her Honours thesis students sets out to answer that question. The study examines whether men and women are judged differently for being forgetful in work and home settings or forgetting a task that affects other people vs. themselves.

Conversations among Women in Leadership participants as well as the effects of the COVID pandemic on men and women inspired the research.

In this session, she discusses the research and shares some preliminary results.

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

• Kirsty Spence, Associate Dean of Applied Health Sciences and associate professor of Sport Management, is passionate about leader development, including through experiential learning, mindfulness and leadership coaching. In this presentation she highlights personal experiences that were key in the development of her own leadership evolution. 

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

• Angela Salvatore, Brock alumna (BA ’02, Sociology) and first female Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Taxation Law Section, discussed her path to leadership. In addition, she shared her non-traditional progression to tax law, and spoke about the importance of transferrable skills, networking and outreach, and being involved in one’s legal community. (Although we experienced some technical difficulties, the presentation was thoroughly engaging and very informative.)

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

Women continue to be significantly underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions in sport (e.g., as coaches, managers, on boards of directors, etc.).

When women are not part of the leadership and decision-making in sport organizations, gender inequality persists. The experiences of girls and women are not taken into account, girls and women do not see opportunities for themselves in those positions, and beliefs about “natural” gender differences are reinforced.

Michele Donnelly, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, looks at the challenges and successes that women face in their struggle for equity in sport.

Increasingly, sport organizations such as the International Olympic Committee, have made public commitments to gender equality. Often, these commitments emphasize not only girls’ and women’s participation as athletes, but also as leaders and decision makers in sport. However, Michele contends that progress toward gender equality is not quick or linear, and it is definitely not guaranteed.

View a recording of this event (Brock login required)

Agenda

• A panel discussion on the topic of affordable housing in Niagara based on a policy brief written by Joanne Heritz, Assistant Professor of Political Science, for the Niagara Community Observatory (NCO).
• Panelists include Lori Beech (executive director of Bethlehem Housing) and Elisabeth Zimmermann (executive director of YWCA of the Niagara Region)
• Carol Phillips, Research Coordinator for the NCO, facilitated the discussion.
• View a recording of this session (Brock login required)

Agenda

• Julie Rorison, Brock’s Manager of Community Relations, will discuss ways women in leadership positions can continue to build a culture of engagement at Brock, and talk about her own experience bridging multiple worlds – community, academia and municipal politics.
• Brock’s new Community Engagement Strategic Plan builds on the University’s strong history of community engagement by faculty, researchers, staff and leaders across the University. Community engagement has become a vital part of Brock’s identity and supports the institutional strategic priority to enhance the life and vitality of our local region and beyond. The Office of Government and Community Relations will present the plan and its goals, and discuss ways to work together with women in leadership to continue to build a culture of engagement at Brock.

Agenda

Agenda

• Nicole Regehr will share her insights on leadership as Director of Development & Violence Prevention Programs, Gillian’s Place.
• Nicole will speak about intimate partner violence – recognizing and responding in the workplace. For women experiencing violence in their homes, the social isolation imposed by the covid-19 pandemic created dangerous living situations. Now, as women return to work, begin to visit salons again, etc., it’s important that we know how to respond and how to access supports for our colleagues and ourselves.
• view a recording of this presentation

Agenda

• Learn how to build your LinkedIn profile and explore effective strategies to develop your network and digital brand in this presentation led by Pauline Dawson, Manager of Career Education, and Kara Renaud, Supervisor of Career Education with the Office of Co-op, Career and Experiential Education.
• With more than 560 million users on LinkedIn, 77% of North American companies use this social media platform as part of their candidate search. Managing your online presence effectively and using social networks assists to build and nurture professional relationships in a virtual world.
• view presentation slides

Agenda

• We will be joined by Kattawe Henry, Human Rights & Anti-Racism Advisor for the university.
• This session is offered in response to the crises of anti-Black and other forms of systemic racism currently playing out across the US, Canada and beyond. The need for widespread support of anti-racism initiatives at Brock is more critical than ever. While some of us may have direct experience with racism, others, including non-racialized people, may need to examine our own roles and learn how we can support necessary change by amplifying the voices of our Black and Indigenous colleagues.
• view a recording of this presentation

Agenda

• Using examples from her careers in academia and parks and recreation, Laura Cousens, Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Management, will share insights on how she bridged leadership and value-driven initiatives to create opportunities for women and disadvantaged groups in society.

Agenda

• Sandy Howe, Associate Director of Experiential Education and United Way committee co-chair, will lead a discussion about the links between volunteerism and leadership.
  • What leadership skills can women gain through volunteering?
  • How can those skills transfer to leadership in other areas, both personal and professional?
• Sandy will be joined by Jocelyn Titone, Marketing & Communications Coordinator with the Goodman School of Business and Kristen Smith, Manager of Community Outreach Programs with Student Life & Community Experience.

See a list of volunteer opportunities with links for more information here. This list was compiled based on suggestions from our presenters and participants.

Adjusting to the new normal?

An open conversation with all participants, this meeting will be an opportunity to discuss how we are managing in our new work-from-home situations.

• What’s working for you?
• What are some of your challenges?
• What strategies have you found helpful?

Let’s learn from and support one another as we navigate these uncharted waters.

Please join us and feel free to share this invitation with friends

Agenda

• Kemi Anazodo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurship and Ethics (OBHREE), will share her insights on leadership focusing on some of the challenges and strategies particular to women leaders in marginalized populations.

Looking forward to connecting with everyone from a safe distance!

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

• Neil Culp, Director of HR Strategic Projects, will speak about the goals of Brock’s mentorship program. Joining him will be Cathy Baillie, Learning & Organizational Development Specialist.
• Alesia Dane, Manager of Talent Partnerships & Relations with Co-op, Career & Experiential Education and Ingrid Makus, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, will share their perspectives on mentorship based on their own experiences as mentee/mentor.

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

• Dan Dakin, Manager, Communications and Media Relations will present information to the group on speaking to the media, acknowledging your own expertise and training available
• Jennifer Good, Associate Professor, Communication, Popular Culture and Film will speak on her experience with InformedOpinions.org, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s representation in the media

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda and Meeting Notes

• Recap of Brock’s presence at the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women (NLSW)
  • Increasing Brock presence in NLSW was a goal of the WIL from last year.
  • Feeling that this was accomplished – more members of the Brock community were made aware of the event, more applications to present, 14 students were sponsored by the Dean of Social Sciences and library displays were available leading up to and throughout NLSW
• Brief presentation by Nicole Nolan, Associate University Librarian, Research outlining some of the information the Library pulled together for NLSW-related displays
  • The Library’s displays about some of the prominent women in Brock’s history (herstory) are very interesting and relevant to the goals of the WIL as well as the mandate of the NLSW
  • Nicole interviews Edie Williams

• Ideas for next priorities for Women in Leadership
  • Brock participation in the HeForShe movement
    • How could Brock support/participate?
    • Consider broadening scope to include other equity-seeking groups
    • Diane Dupont will share document (via email)
  • Representation of prominent women on Brock campus
    • suggestions: Laura Secord, Harriet Tubman, Women of Allanburg, Indigenous women leaders, Laura Sabia
  • (In)formal mentorship opportunities via Women in Leadership
  • Blog to share best practices
  • Other suggestions?

As the date conflicts with Brock’s Fall Convocation, this meeting is canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Don’t forget the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women will take place on Brock campus on October 26.

Tickets are available online.

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

One of two dedicated sessions planned to prepare for the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women

• We are pleased to share with the WIL group a call for proposals from the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women which takes place on Saturday, October 26 on the Brock University campus
• WIL is in a position to support an increased Brock presence at this year’s NLSW event
• Please join if you would like to:
  • be part of a steering committee to support the development of proposal(s) OR
  • if you would like feedback on or help with a proposal of your own
  • Note: following proposal submissions, the steering committee can turn its attention to enhancing Brock’s profile and encouraging participation of Brock faculty, staff, students, alumni and the greater community

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

Niagara Leadership Summit (October 26)

• Special thanks to Diana deMan, volunteer on the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women (NLSW) planning committee who will facilitate our discussion
• The Niagara Leadership Summit for Women presents an inclusive environment to encourage and celebrate women leaders in our community and opens the conversation surrounding women’s issues in Niagara. Planning for the Niagara Leadership Summit is well underway. More information available on Facebook and Twitter
• In our last meeting this event was raised and we thought it would be a great idea to come together and share ideas for how group members can participate as well as how to get other Faculties and Departments involved on campus. We would like to increase the representation from Brock as well as explore options for using additional space/ having a larger physical presence at the event.
• A few ideas included having a display in the Library (highlighting research done by women), a Women in Niagara Open House featuring tours, presentations and guest speakers as well as signing up to speak at the event.
• Please come with ideas ready to be shared with the group so we can begin working on action items.

Discussion of Next Steps and WIL Evaluation

• Indigenous leadership
• HeforShe strategies
• Laura Secord art installation
• Media training and poetry contest
• Key questions
  • Should we develop a mission statement?
  • Did the WIL meetings so far meet/exceed/fall short of expectations?
  • Should we continue with our current meeting format?
  • Other ideas/suggestions?

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

• SWAAC Conference 2019 debrief and next steps – we have some ideas but want to hear yours as well!
• Evaluation of the Women in Leadership (WIL) initiative so far
• Discussion of Women in Leadership future directions – what would you like to see?

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

• A Conversation with Diana Huson, Regional Councillor, Town of Pelham and Office of the Registrar; Caroline McCormick, President, Friends of Laura Secord and Gayle Wood, Interim CAO, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. The three women will interview one another using the following questions:
  • How did you get into your position of leadership?
  • As a female leader, how have you overcome a challenge in your career?
  • What have you learned?
  • How does feminism influence your leadership style?
  • What is some of the advice you share with women entering a male-dominated community organization?
  • In your opinion, what skills should women leaders be encouraged to develop?
• Questions and comments from the audience
• Smaller group discussion using the above list of questions (if time allows)

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

• A Conversation with Laura Ip, Regional Councillor for St. Catharines and Founder of Underdogs Boxing Club; Laurie Morrison, Head of Liaison in the Library, Founder and Director of Niagara Veg-Fest and Chair Dharma Retreats and Julia Zhu, Associate Director Co-op Education. The three women will interview one another using the following questions:
  • How did you get into your position of leadership?
  • What have you learned?
  • How do you collaborate/coordinate within your role?
  • How would you encourage young women to seek out leadership opportunities?
  • How can we, as leaders, create good citizens?
• Questions and comments from the audience
• Smaller group discussion using the above list of questions (if time allows)

Join us in Goodman School of Business room 408.

Bring your lunch and bring a friend.

Agenda

• A Conversation with Brock Administrators featuring Geraldine Jones, Registrar; Leela MadhavaRau, Director Human Rights and Equity and Dawn Zinga, Associate Dean Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Social Sciences. The three women will interview one another using the following questions
  • How did you get into your position of leadership?
  • What have you learned?
  • How do you collaborate/coordinate within your role?
  • How would you encourage young women to seek out leadership opportunities?
  • How can we, as leaders, create good citizens?
• Questions and comments from the audience
• Smaller group discussion using the above list of questions

Welcome

Agenda

• Origins of the Women in Leadership Initiative – Ingrid Makus, Angela Book and Diane Dupont will reprise their presentation from the Niagara Leadership Summit, “A Conversation with Brock Administrators.” The three women interviewed one another using the following questions
  • How did you get into your position of leadership?
  • What have you learned?
  • How do you collaborate/coordinate within your role?
  • How would you encourage young women to seek out leadership opportunities?
  • How can we, as leaders, create good citizens?
• Update on Brock’s participation in the upcoming SWAAC 2019 Conference – How many people have signed up so far?
• President’s Fund – financial assistance will be sought for those who wish to attend but for whom cost is a limiting factor

Discussion

• Included mention of the Jan. 14 article, Canadian universities must stop undervaluing female academics in The Globe and Mail

• Add information about SWAAC to current webpage – link to website and registration under Upcoming Events & Opportunities section
• Explore options for webpage to be visible to a wider audience – in progress
• Laura Secord Society representative to be invited to attend meeting – in progress
• Circulate information about moderating panel discussion on March 8 for the Fort Erie Chamber of Commerce – details will be posted

This November 2018 meeting was the first in a planned series that aims to build a support network among women leaders at Brock and to recognize leadership wherever it is found within the University. Several attendees noted the importance of structural support for mentorship, possibly building on a pilot program currently underway.

For more on this meeting, see the Caucus of Women blog.