PAs Fostering Change You Can Believe In! NAPAHE Conference March 5, 2011 Eddie Summers, ABD-PhD, Assistant to the President/Presidential Fellow and Program.

PAs Fostering Change You Can Believe In!

NAPAHE ConferenceMarch 5, 2011

Eddie Summers, ABD-PhD, Assistant to the President/Presidential Fellow and Program Director, Marist Africa

Elisabeth Tavarez, MA, Special Assistant to the PresidentMarist College

Purpose of Presentation

• To show how Presidential Assistants can leverage their role in the Office of the President to collaborate with colleagues throughout the institution and achieve key goals and objectives

Background

• PAs have long taken on a multiplicity of tasks because of their role supporting a college or university president.

• Often, colleagues around the institution use PAs to get the ear of the president or to promote an agenda.

• At Marist, however, PAs have used their position to promote their own agenda to advance institutional goals and address areas in which the institution needs improvement.

• PAs at Marist have spearheaded initiatives that improve institutional effectiveness and climate, and provide opportunities for professional development.

Background• PAs have collaborated with a number of

different offices to promote a progressive agenda that allows the institution to fulfill its goals as stated in the College’s Strategic Plan.

• In a number of cases, the PA’s role has been vital to the creation of new programs and their continued development and enhancement.

• As the institution grows and becomes more complex, PAs are utilizing their role to ensure that the College’s sense of community remains intact.

How are PAs Fostering Change?

• Collaborating with Vice Presidents and Deans• Partnering with Human Resources• Creating committees and sub-committees to

effectively execute desired goals• Brainstorming to generate creative ideas and

programs for the institution• Driving and implementing those ideas

Everyday Duties• Draft correspondence• Prepare speeches• Staff president for special events• Represent president at meetings and events• Attend Board meetings• Serve as a liaison to alumni, students, staff,

faculty, government officials, and the local community

• Project management • Help to advance the president’s agenda

“Other Duties as Assigned” – 3 Examples

• “Women in Higher Education” initiative– Marist Professional Women’s Mentor Program– Funding for professional development

• Affirmative Action Committee– Diversity Website Committee– Marist Mosaic events– Marist LGBT Issues Committee

• Presidential Referrals

Marist College at a Glance• Independent, coeducational, comprehensive

liberal arts college• 43 Bachelor’s programs• 12 Master’s programs• 12 Certificate programs• Total Student Population: 5,000

– 4,200 traditional undergraduate students– 750 adult education students – 854 full- and part-time graduate students – 56% Female, 44% Male – 14% Diversity

Marist College at a Glance

• Employees (administrative) – 357 administrative staff – 172 Male (48%) – 185 Female (52%)

• Employees (faculty)– 226 full-time professors– 123 Male (54%)– 103 Female (46%)

Marist College at a Glance

• President’s Cabinet – 23 Members (6 Females, 1 African-

American)• Executive Vice President• Vice Presidents• Deans• Others (IR, Public Affairs, PAs, etc.)

“WOMEN IN HIGHER ED” INITIATIVE

Example #1

Rationale• ACE reports that women are significantly

underrepresented in both faculty and senior-level administrative positions at American colleges and universities.

• Marist HR study on turnover found:• 45% of female employees who left cited lack of opportunity for

advancement as reason for departure, versus 13.33% of males who cited this reason.

• 25% cited better job opportunities

• Marist Strategic Plan Initiatives– Offer professional development and mentoring opportunities for

existing minority staff and faculty members to help create promotional opportunities

– Support continuous improvement of staff by offering professional development opportunities

Women In Higher Education Initiative

• Launched in 2006• Presidential directive to support advancement

of female faculty and administrators• Luncheons held to open campus dialogue – what

are impediments to women’s advancement?• Budget line created to fund professional

development• Nominations solicited from line executives –

limited resources, so no self-nominations – buy-in• Letter sent to nominated women – open offer of

assistance

Women In Higher Education Initiative

• Positive Results– Women have attended leadership development

programs at:• Harvard• Bryn Mawr• Wellesley

– Women have moved into leadership roles at the College:• Assistant Dean of School of Communication & the Arts• Interim Director of IR• Most faculty governance committees chaired by women

– Sends important message from the top re: women’s advancement

Marist Professional Women’s Mentor Program

• Launched in 2008• Grew out of larger Women in Higher Ed initiative• Run by/housed in Human Resources with key

assistance from President’s Office• Retention and recruitment tool – keep your best

people• Build a pipeline of talented women who can move

into senior roles• Help younger staff members improve professional

skills and gain exposure on campus

Getting Started

• Form a committee – Designated representatives from HR and President’s

Office as “core” committee– Additional committee members strategically selected

based on skills, knowledge base, and interest in the program

– Invited experienced external representative to join committee for purpose of advising and guiding program development

• Mission statement• Objectives• Metrics

Turning an Idea into Reality• Picked target event date and created “backward” timeline for program kickoff • Defined action steps and assigned to committee members • Developed program materials

– Developed distinctive program brand – Individual applications – FAQ’s – Information for potential mentors and mentees

• Communication – Announcement of program to campus community – Save The Date card and invitation to kickoff event sent to all female administrators

and line executives– Women’s Mentor Program e-mail inbox – Website

• Kickoff luncheon with welcome from President, keynote address, and program information

• Orientation session• Ongoing programming/events

PA’s Role

• Ensure involvement of President at events – “presidential stamp of approval”

• Obtain institutional support as needed

• Update Cabinet on program and ask for their support

• Play active and visible role on steering committee – communications, strategy

Website • Marist Professional Women’s Mentor

Program website:– www.marist.edu/humanresources/mpwm

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Participant Testimonials

• “I needed help being a better manager and my mentor helped me with this transition. She showed me how to be a better leader and how to deliver tough news”

• “The program forced me to focus on career development, which is something we don’t always make time for”

• “I didn’t see myself in a mentor role, but now I see myself in a different light”

• “It feels good to see that Marist is behind this program to help women success”

• “We worked very constructively to come up with meaningful goals and action plans”

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMMITTEEExample #2

The Committee

• The Committee is utilized as a tool to address the following issues: – Strategic Plan goals and initiatives – To fill institutional voids/deficits – To increase diversity, promote inclusion, and

celebrate cultural differences

Rationale • Affirmative Action Committee has been in

existence for more than 20 years • Committee was appointed by the President • Committee’s initial role was to review

employment data and discuss strategies on how to increase campus diversity

• In 2009-10, the Committee became defunct because of a lack of leadership. This provided an opportunity for the PA to step in and help.

Rationale • In 2010, President reinvigorated the Committee • Committee became more diverse in its

representation • Committee’s charge was broadened to focus

not only on employment data, but on a major strategic goal “to create a more diverse and international college community” and to create programs to assist with recruitment and retention of employees.

Rationale • Concurrently, major initiatives surrounding diversity

and inclusion were taking place at Marist– A small group of individuals from Human Resources and

the Office of the President developed a Diversity Website to capture institutional diversity

– In August 2010: Meetings with faculty led to the creation of the Marist Mosaic Events

– Goal of Mosaic Events: To build and maintain community • e.g., social gatherings, readings from authors, coffeehouses, etc.

– In September 2010, suicides among gay students sparked the creation of the LGBTA Issues ad hoc committee

Affirmative Action Committee• In Fall 2010, a decision was made to bring the

ad hoc committees (Diversity Website, Marist Mosaic, and LGBTA Issues) under the umbrella of the Affirmative Action Committee

• Rationale: Committee was appointed by the President, had power and resources to act, represented institutional diversity, and the common dominator was that PAs were the driving force behind all of the committees

Affirmative Action Committee• Affirmative Action Committee – 22 Members – All areas of the College are represented on the Committee

• Sub-Committees– Diversity Website

• 6 Members (3 members are not on the AA Committee)

– Marist Mosaic • 6 Members (3 members are not on the AA Committee)

– LGBTA Issues • 6 Members (4 Members are not on the AA Committee)

Affirmative Action Committee

• Marist Diversity Website – www.marist.edu/humanresources/diversity/

Affirmative Action Committee

• Marist Mosaic – Social Gathering – Readings from noted authors– Celebration of Women’s History Month –

Photograph Exhibit – Future – Coffee House

Affirmative Action Committee

• LGBTA Issues – Discuss and make recommendations to change

institutional policy to create a more inclusive college campus

– In the process of creating a Safe Zone Program – In the process of creating programs that will

embrace inclusiveness and celebrate diversity

Affirmative Action Committee• Serves as a way to fulfill Strategic Plan goals and

initiatives • Serves as a way to bring various parts of the

campus together to work toward common goals – builds community

• Serves as a way to improve institutional climate • Serves as a way to engage staff members • Provides professional development opportunities

for staff and faculty

PRESIDENTIAL REFERRALSExample #3

Program • Presidential Referral Program was created in

2004• Goal: to assist students from Los Angeles with

the admissions process, provide scholarships to attend the College, and then mentoring/academic advising

• Students were identified by PA and friends of the College who interviewed students and thought that they showed promise

Program • In 2004, the program began with 1 student • In 2011, there are currently 40 students enrolled at Marist

who are referred to as Presidential Referrals • PA is primarily responsible for the administration of the

program • PA works collaboratively with the newly-created Center for

Multicultural Affairs to support these students (academic advising, financial aid, and any other support they may need)

• President provides PA with flexibility to assist these students • PA’s main goal is to get these students through 4 years of

Marist

Program • PA helps to eliminate any barriers to the

students’ success (personal, social, financial, and academic)

• PA fundraises for scholarships and for operating costs

• PA works collaboratively with CMA to help students graduate

• PA assists with job placement

Institutional Outcome • Program addresses strategic goal of making

Marist a more diverse institution – Ethnic/racial and geographic diversity

• Program provides students with an opportunity to realize their dreams and allows them the enrich their lives with a high-quality educational experience

• Students enhance the teaching and learning process – diversity of thought, experience

CONCLUSIONPAs Fostering Change You Can Believe in?

What Makes these Programs Successful?

• Support of President• Tie to the College’s Strategic Plan• Commitment of steering committee and

program participants• Clearly defined objectives and goals• Demonstrated need for program • Engagement of college community

What is Required of PAs?• Time commitment• Attention to detail• Ability to work effectively with diverse

groups• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities• Ability to advocate for initiative• Boundaries• Ability to draw on goodwill of colleagues• Teamwork within President’s Office

Key Takeaways

– PAs can engage in worthwhile and rewarding initiatives while advancing the institution.

– PAs are in a unique position because of global view, extensive contacts, and prestige of office.

– The best job in the world can be even better!

Contact Information

• Eddie Summers, Assistant to the President/Presidential Fellow and Program Director, Marist Africa – [email protected]

• Elisabeth Tavarez, Special Assistant to the President– [email protected]

QUESTIONS?