Five Campus Leaders from University of Massachusetts Amherst Complete Leadership Program at 2019 HERS Institute at Wellesley College

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Sponsored by the University of Massachuetts Amherst, five campus leaders successfully completed an intensive residential leadership program at Wellesley College. HERS (Higher Education Resource Services), a leadership development and research organization dedicated to women in higher education, selected 68 women from across the United States and Canada, who all participated in the 2019 HERS Institute at Wellesley College.

The five UMass representatives include:

• Michelle Budig, professor and vice provost for faculty development
• Daniela Calzetti, professor and department head, department of astronomy
• Mari Castañeda, professor and associate dean for equity and inclusion, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Maeve Howett, clinical professor and assistant dean, College of Nursing
• Christina R. Monte, director of enrollment management and student success, Isenberg School of Management

“Here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, we believe in supporting women leaders and their career development, and our partnership with HERS is an example of that,” said John McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Recent TIAA Institute research reveals a persistent gender leadership gap, in that women hold less than 40 percent of tenured positions, 36 percent of full professorships and 30 percent of presidencies at the nation’s colleges and universities. To combat this gender gap, the HERS Institute, a leadership development program, was created to proactively fill national higher education leadership pipelines with aspiring women leaders—and provide participants opportunities to develop their individual leadership strengths to boldly lead institutional change, while also expanding their knowledge of the national higher education landscape.

According to Hewlett-Packard, research also points to a gender confidence gap in that women only apply for a position if they meet 100 percent of the qualifications, while men will apply even if they only meet 60 percent of the qualifications. Alumnae of the HERS Institute note the program’s unique ability to create a non-competitive space reenergized them around what they could bring to their role, and helped them develop the confidence needed to lead at their respected institutions.

The HERS Institute boasts more than 6,000 alumnae. “Since 1972, HERS has provided leadership development programs, like the HERS Institute, to provide women in higher education with resources and support to succeed in achieving their career goals,” said Verna Fitzsimmons, HERS president. “Our partnerships with institutions like the University of Massachusetts Amherst make it possible for us to cast the widest net possible to achieve gender equity for women in higher education all over the country.”