CRITICAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT
FOR WOMEN FACULTY

An Intervention and Training Program
Suzanna Rose, Ph.D.

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Topics

• Rationale
• Components of Program
• Qualifications of Dr. Rose
• Fees
• Participants' Comments

Rationale

Successful individuals in many fields appear to be well aware of the need to plan and promote their careers, as the above quote suggests. It conveys a point that has been found to be critical to the success of women faculty, as well. A research career in academe requires self-conscious planning and deliberate attention to building a professional reputation as much, if not more so, as the business world, particularly for women.

While many women faculty will not aspire to the 40% time expenditure of male executives when planning their careers, many are able to improve their publishing record and chance of receiving tenure by giving even a little more attention to developing a career strategy.

Research on women faculty has found that women are at a disadvantage in academe compared to men because they usually do not have a network of high status men to promote their careers for them. Thus, it is even more crucial to women’s success than men’s for them to develop a career strategy that enhances their opportunities to publish. At the senior level, women faculty also need to develop strategies for enhancing salary and career development in light of continuing career barriers.

Components of CRITICAL Career Development Program

The CRITICAL Career Development Program addresses the essential features of career planning and is specifically aimed at women faculty. The components of the workshop include how to know and do the following:

• CRiteria for success (both formal and informal);
• Information relevant to building a research program and getting tenure;
• TImetable to accomplish goals;
• Curriculum vitae enhancement;
• Asserting your reputation, competence, and rights;
• Life conflicts and how to meet the challenge (career vs. family conflicts, etc.)

Additional components of the workshop address how networking and mentoring can help women publish.

The CRITICAL Career Development Workshop is a program that is tailored to the needs of the individual participants and makes the best use of faculty time. The program is most effective under the following circumstances:

1. Preliminary Work: Participating faculty complete a preliminary survey detailing their concerns and send to the facilitator to review and compile.
2. Day 1: Facilitator arrives and meets with participating faculty individually for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Day 2: Participants attend day long CRITICAL Career Development Workshop offered by facilitator(s) and develop an individualized publication and career plan.
4. Follow-up return visit by facilitator to evaluate progress and revise/fine-tune career plan.

Individualized attention is particularly important for women faculty. Academe is a peculiar culture compared with other work environments such as corporate cultures and advice is not easily applicable from one situation to the other. Corporate success does not depend on developing an independent endeavor, for instance. Yet that is what faculty must do- develop a nationally respected research program - yet be evaluated by colleagues within a department who may know little about the particulars of a faculty member’s specialized area. It is a unique situation. Departments also differ quite a lot in terms of their expectations. For an intervention to be successful at helping women faculty, these factors must be taken into account. The intensive intervention that is part of CRITICAL Career Development Training is aimed at giving women faculty the attention they need and deserve to succeed.

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QUALIFICATIONS

Suzanna Rose, Ph.D. is Chairperson & Professor of Psychology and Director, Women's Studies Center at Florida International University. She has consulted with women faculty extensively across the U.S. about their careers in academe and has given numerous presentations at professional conferences on career development. She also has done research on women's academic careers in biology and psychology focusing specifically on the development of a professional reputation. In addition, she has edited Career Guide for Women Scholars, a well-respected book giving advice concerning how to get tenure and authored a chapter on “Money Matters: The Art of Negotiation for Women Faculty” for Arming Athena: Career Strategies for Women Academics (Sage,1998).

CONSULTATIONS

• 2005 National Symposium on the Advancement of Women in Science, Harvard-Radcliffe
• 2005 College of Engineering, Mississippi State University
• 2004 Leadership Institute for Women Faculty in Pennsylvania Higher Education System
• 2003 University of the Western Cape, South Africa
• 2003 Engineering Information Foundation, Untenured Women Faculty Program
• 2003 University of Nevada-Reno
• 2003 University of Granada, Spain
• 2003 University of Missouri-St. Louis, 4th Shibusawa Foundation Conference
• 2003 Colby College, Maine
• 2003 Shibusawa Foundation, Japan
• 2002 Texas A & M University
• 2002 University of the Western Cape, South Africa
• 2002 University of Granada, Spain
• 2002 Colby College, Bangor, Maine
• 2002 Mississippi State University
• 2001 University of the Western Cape, South Africa
• 2000 University of Missouri-Rolla
• 1999 Miami University-Ohio
• 1998 University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
• 1998 University of Nevada-Reno
• 1997 University of Nevada-Reno
• 1995 Old Dominion University
• 1994 University of Nevada-Reno
• 1993 University of Illinois-Champaign
• 1992 Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland
• 1992 University of Ulster, Coleraine, N. Ireland
• 1992 Colorado State University
• 1990 Westminster College
• 1989 University of the Western Cape, South Africa

FEES

Contact Suzanna Rose for fees.

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Participants' Comments from Career Development Program

The analysis of my vita was very informative. The reflection on where I wish to take my career was very useful and empowering.
Karen Butler-Purry, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Assistant Dean
Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A & M University, 2003

I was so glad that someone is working in this area particularly regarding salary negotiations.
Fran Gelwick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A & M University, 2003

This workshop was well worth my time. Great Job!
Chanda D. Elbert, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Dept. of Agricultural Education,
Texas A & M University, 2003

The workshop was both inspirational and of great practical use. I received practical advice on improving my c.v. and addressing institutional policies such as equity of space allocation. I gained inspiration and confidence about attaining research goals and promoting my research connections.
Judy Stone, Ph.D., Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor, Biology
Colby College, Maine, 2002

Dr. Rose came prepared to help us with our issues in a knowledgeable way. She was positive yet realistic and made me realize that I do not have to sit back and passively accept what meager rewards I am offered.
Julie Millard, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chemistry
Colby College, Maine, 2002

It was a liberating and empowering experience to find out that I already had all the answers. I'm looking forward to testing the rules; I'll never take the rules for granted again. We need to accept our own creativity and focus on getting what we want. It is that easy!
Lindsay Clowes, Ph.D., Acting Director, Women and Gender Studies
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, 2002

The individual consult helped me to focus on and crystallize my career goals (and the fact that I have any); the workshop helped me to realize that I am entitled to the best, and that this is also good for other women in academe.
Trish van der Spuy, Lecturer, Women's and Gender Studies
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, 2002

You have the ability to show me how to make use of our skills, knowledge, and ability to change one's situation. This has been a great opportunity to ____. Thank you so much.
Denise Jones, Senior Lecturer, Education
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, 2002

This workshop assisted in re-thinking own position as well as women's worth in the academy. The session was an "eye-opener" on what we are able to negotiate within the structures and policies as only a framework for negotiation not that these structures are "cast in stone" but flexibility exists.
Anita Maurtin-Cairncross, Senior Lecturer, Psychology
University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, 2002

Thank you so much for coming to Mississippi State and providing your workshop for the women faculty within the College of Engineering. I've heard great things from all the women who participated. Your frank, open, one-on-one discussions were a needed morale and professional development boost that many of us needed. Your insights into our informal infrastructure and areas for improvement were also very helpful. We really appreciate your willingness to give a frank evaluation of where we are and where we could be. Keep fighting the good fight for women faculty everywhere.
Noel Schulz, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering
Mississippi State University, 2002

Dr. Rose's presentation on the art of negotiating was extremely helpful. I'll be sure to use her practical tips and suggestions during my next opportunity for negotiations.
Lori Mann Bruce, Ph.D.,Assistant Professor, Electrical & Chemical Engineering.
Mississippi State University, 2002

Very helpful, especially for new assistant professors like me. I got a lot of information. It's a great session.
Rose Hu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Electrical & Chemical Engineering
Mississippi State University, 2002

I was particularly happy with the atmosphere of the workshop set by Dr. Rose. It promoted good group discussions and everyone had the attitude that they were there to learn and improve, not complain.
Susan Hudson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Mississippi State University, 2002

One faculty participant told me, 'My hour with Suzanna Rose was the most important hour of my professional life - and the most lucrative.'
Kathy McMahon Klosterman, Ph.D., Affirmative Action Director
Miami University-Ohio, 1999

Thank you again for your wonderful workshop....Your presentation gave credibility and validity to many of the feeling I have had for the past several years. I feel encouraged and revitalized as a result of it and I am implementing some of your excellent suggestions immediately!!
Phyllis Callahan, Ph.D., Professor of Zoology
Miami University-Ohio, 1999

This workshop was a wonderful clarification and synthesis of what had previously been vague notions about best practice for career development. Dr. Rose reminded me that balance and professional success can coexist! I found her information on goal setting and her suggestions for improving my vita particularly useful.
Victoria Manion Fleming, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology
Miami University-Ohio. 1999

Suzanna Rose led two outstanding workshops and on site consultation visits for our NSF-funded, 5-year Women in Science and Engineering Program. She was informative and thought-provoking. Her visits left us with new knowledge of the "system", of ourselves, and of how to enjoy and promote our careers. Through a heightened combination of external AND internal awareness, we can make progress where once we were simply confused, discouraged and exhausted.
Dorothy Hudig, Ph.D., Professor of Cellular and Molecular Immunology
School of Medicine, University of Nevada-Reno
University of Nevada Outstanding Researcher 1998

Suzanna Rose's workshops and one-on-one sessions on "Career Development" helped me greatly in putting things in my hectic life involving work and family in the right perspective. They helped me arrange my priorities with respect to what I should be doing in order to get promoted to full professor. I believe she understands thoroughly what problems are encountered by a lot of women in academia and is able to get them thinking about avenues that will enable them to succeed.
Indira Chatterjee, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
University of Nevada, Reno. 1998

Suzanna Rose's Career Guide for Women Scholars provided a blueprint for my first job search and successful salary negotiation. Ever since, I have relied on her for developing professional advancement strategies. In addition, I always recommend her work to my female graduate students who are launching their own careers.
Carol J. Pierman, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Women's Studies
The University of Alabama, 2000

Other Comments from Participating Faculty:

• Relaxed, clear, organized presentation.
• Encouragement to develop individual plans.
• Helped reinforce the importance of research to career development.
• The program provided a chance to get personalized advice on my career situation, including advice on my C.V. and on strategies to deal with these issues.
• Good overall coverage of issues facing women in career development peppered with relevant examples.
• Gave concrete advice/suggestions. She's great!
• Dr. Rose was especially good at linking work issues with larger life issues.
• Interacted exceptionally well with the group; helped the group to gel quickly.
• I liked the tone she set, and the openness. She helped to ensure that everyone participated.
• Her personal style was warm and inviting.
• Helped me to realize my limitations - 24 hours in a day!
  

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