11:30 AM - 12:30 AM | February 8, 2024

Women in Higher Education: Building a Network of Intentional Relationships

Description

Research has demonstrated that building a strong support system at work is extremely beneficial both personally and professionally. Surrounding yourself with colleagues who have a vested interest in your workplace success can help advance your career. But it’s easier said than done -- and it’s even more difficult for women. In this session, we are going to examine how to tips and tricks on how to build your personal board of advisors, which will not only further your professional career but also give you confidence, gain perspectives and connections, as well as feel less isolated. We will discover what makes a good mentor, sponsor, advocate and coach and why it is important to have each of those roles on your personal board. Finally, we will discuss the impact on your career when you leverage these relationships.

Learning Objectives

1. What is an intentional relationship?
2. How to build your personal board of advisors.
3. Why leveraging the board of advisors is so important to your career.

About the Speaker

Dr. Mary Alexander, Vice Provost for Administration and Operations, Baylor University

As the vice provost for administration and operations, Mary Alexander is responsible for the annual budgeting process for academic units, the financial components of hiring, execution of strategic initiatives, and providing financial analytical support to the provost, vice provosts, deans, and directors in the academy. She also works with various stakeholders and project teams across the university in support of the strategic plan.

Prior to her employment at Baylor, Mary Alexander served in a similar role as vice provost for academic affairs and chief of staff at the University of South Carolina, where she provided administrative leadership in budget development, forecasting, internal grant processes, and strategic planning for areas reporting to the divisions of academic affairs. Additional responsibilities included managing the faculty and staff hiring within academic affairs, the office of military affairs, ROTC, the office of continuing education and conferences, and community engagement. At USC she also served as the chair of the Classroom Enhancements Committee, a member of the Provost Advisory Committee on Women’s Initiatives, a member of the space and needs committee, a member of capital planning committee, an ex-officio member of Faculty Senate budget committee and was the University’s Emergency Management Situation Unit Leader.

She earned her B.A., M.P.A. and Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina and began her career in higher education in 2009 at the University of South Carolina. She is a member of several professional organizations and taught several master-level courses in public administration at the University of South Carolina, including Human Resource Management and Administrative Leadership. Alexander was recently recognized with the national leadership award for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education from the American Council on Education.