Unique:

Explores women's leadership and contributions to social change in contexts that range from the New Jersey Legislature to domestic violence shelters; from medical research labs to human rights organizations; from corporate boardrooms to the urban classroom; and from family dining tables to legal clinics. The program engages diverse models of leadership in classroom and experiential settings. IWL Leadership Scholars examine how different institutions inform our understanding and practice of leadership and how they encourage — or inhibit — civic and policy innovations. Offers skills-building workshops, co-mentoring groups (SAP), negotiation and conflict resolution training, an annual Bridging the Gap panel discussion between alumnae and current scholars, workshops in proposal writing, public speaking, and a culminating (funded) Social Action Project, as well as an annual retreat at the Woodhull Institute in upstate NY.

Website Features:

The website offers a description of student projects, internship sites, and quotes about the program. The site also includes a downloadable application, resources to leadership programs the IWL offers; lists descriptions of all consortium members; provides links to publications, seminars, courses, research, newsletter, and events. An alumnae website, which will focus on young women’s leadership, is in construction.

Program Objectives:

1. Give students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of leadership and women's contributions to social change.
2. Enhance students' leadership abilities through a concentrated academic sequence and extracurricular offerings.
3. Provide opportunities for students to learn issues and problems specific to their disciplinary fields and to develop and implement social action projects.
4. Build bridges between the university and the community by connecting students with community activists and women leaders.
5. Provide career-building internships in corporations and nonprofits that benefit both the student and the host organization.

Structure/Governance:

Independent organization; collaborates with the Women’s & Gender Studies Department at the University for course approval; part of a consortium including Institute for Research on Women, Center for Global Women’s Leadership, Center for Women and Work, The Women’s & Gender Studies Department, the Center for American Women in Politics, and Douglass College. An Executive Board and an Alumnae Board advise the program.

Relationship of Program to Institution’s Mission

Two-year selective, interdisciplinary program that prepares Rutgers undergraduate students (sophomores, juniors and seniors) to be informed, innovative, and socially responsible leaders

Foundational Pillars:

The certificate in women’s leadership is integrated with co-curricular experiences and credit-bearing courses. The program is intense where students work 10 hours per week in internships that relate to their specific area of interest. The program is multi-year, as the 6 total courses are covered within a two-year time frame. Nineteen required credit hours are drawn from more than 30 courses throughout the University. The elective courses are often multi-disciplinary and add to a student’s area of focus, interest or expertise. The program is developmental and sequential, starting with an introductory course and culminating with a capstone course. The program focuses on women’s leadership and requires a policy elective. The policy areas include health, human rights, education, poverty, politics, arts/media/literature, law, and work. Though there are no specific poverty courses, the program works with many organizations in the New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark communities that address issues related to poverty, healthcare, and gender-issues. There is a new high school women’s leadership program linked to the IWL program. There are global aspects in the course material but the program does not offer international experience as of yet.

Program/Course Architecture:

A Lead In Course – Introductory Course entitled, “Women’s Leadership”
Poverty Courses – See Electives below; No specific course on poverty
International Exposure – Course materials cover women in the global/international sphere; human rights one elective “track.”
Full Time Internship – 10/12 hours each week for one semester with coursework
Capstone Seminar – Reflective & professional presentation that exhibits experience related to salient themes in women’s leadership & career interests

Specific Courses of Study:

1. Required Courses
A. 988:344 Women and Leadership (3 credits)
B. Context Course (3 credits) – See Electives below
C. 988:426 Internship (6 credits)
D. 988:430 Social Action Project (3 credits)
E. Capstone Course (3 credits)
F. Capstone Cluster (1 credit)

2. Electives (3 credits) – This list is partial. For a complete listing go to: http://iwl.rutgers.edu/programs_course_offerings.html
A. 988:150 The Latin American Woman
B. 988:240 Gender & Science
C. 988:285 Lesbians and Gay Men in Society
D. 988:272 Sociology of the Family
E 988:300 Women Artists
F. 988:304 Queer Cultures in the Hispanic Caribbean
G. 988:315 The Woman in Judaism
H. 988:341 Gender & Popular Culture
I. 988:248 Women in Chinese History
J. 988:366 Black Women Writers
K. 988:376 Theories of Women and Film
L. 988:379 Gender & Power in Africa
M. 988:395 Literature and Masculinity
N. 988:435 Social Constructions of Gender & Sexuality in Russian Literature
3. Pre-requisite Courses (At least one is taken before entering the program)
A. 988:101 Women, Culture, and Society
B. 988:201 Feminist Practices
C. 988:202 Gender, Culture, and Representation
D. 988:235 Dynamics of Race, Class, and Sex

Learning Outcomes for Students:

Knowledge

1. Understanding of leadership theory
2. Self-awareness
3. Life goal and vision
4. Understanding of women’s contemporary and historical roles as leaders in many forums
5. Understanding of challenges women face in society, the family, and the workplace; awareness of the diversity among women with sensitivity to race, ethnicity, and class differences/similarities.
6. Expertise in one selected policy area: arts/media/literature, education, health, human rights, law, politics, and work, or a general leadership area.
7. Understanding of current affairs and leadership challenges within local and global contexts.
8. Understanding of problem-solving processes including research, analysis, action steps and evaluation.

Skills

1. Communication (public speaking, presenting, writing, ability to persuade)
2. Ability to work in groups and with others collaboratively (collegiality)
3. Ability to mentor others and seek out a mentor
4. Ability to listen and be inclusive
5. Ability to conceptualize and carry out a project
6. Time management skills
7. Balance and self-care
8. Ability to take risks and to act
9. Ability to make decisions and solve problems
10. Ability to be social and help build community (sociability and network building)
11. Resume writing, interviewing and transition to the workplace skills
12. Ability to write a funding proposal
Attitudes & Values
1. Learn and grow from adversity and challenging situations (resilience)
2. Persistence and doggedness
3. Ability to deal with ambiguity
4. Respecting diversity
5. Positive self image
6. Social concern and commitment to take action for social change
7. Positive outlook and optimism: willingness to accept criticism and grow from it
8. Ethical awareness
9. Understanding others
10.Ability to follow through (conscientiousness)

Strategies for Bonner Connection

Role of Service: N/A

Student Leadership: The program links educational theory with praxis. As a result, students connect and understand social activism and social change. The program focuses on a non-traditional & non-hierarchal approach to leadership, specifically women’s leadership.

Community Partnerships:
Five potential community partners include: The Eric B. Chandler Health Center, The Institute for Arts and Humanities Education, The New Jersey Division on Women, Women Aware, and Snyder High School in Jersey City, NJ.
Long-term development; 10 hours each week/Community based