The Women’s Faculty Forum at Texas A&M at Qatar recently brought together four female deans in Education City.
Doha: The Women’s Faculty Forum (WFF) at Texas A&M University at Qatar recently brought together four female deans in Education City for the first time to share their experiences and advice for other women aspiring to be leaders, particularly in academia.
The virtual discussion featured senior associate dean of education at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Selma Limam Mansar; associate dean of diversity and climate, Annette Vincent; associate dean for teaching, learning and assessment at Georgetown University in Qatar, Anne Nebel and assistant dean for finance and administrative services at Texas A&M at Qatar, Rosalie Nickles. Professors Sara Hillman and Mary Queen of Texas A&M at Qatar’s Liberal Arts Program chaired and moderated the panel.
A common theme running through the stories that brought these remarkable women to leadership positions in Doha was their support networks. Each of these women are in their current positions because someone else encouraged them to be there — whether it was a colleague who supported them to go further, other deans or even childhood encouragement to pursue their leadership talents without male comparison.
Vincent said she credited “excellent mentorship, which helped [her] to grow into [her] position and speak confidently,” while Nebel said she is “grateful to have worked with wonderful colleagues” who have made the process rewarding.
However, societal norms still hold women back from leadership positions around the world, panelists noted. As Mansar described, perceptions of what is acceptable for a woman become “unconscious barriers against women.” When women are raised to believe their role in life is to be the primary caregiver, it is difficult to accept leadership positions and overcome feelings of guilt about the perceptions of abandoning the family. Nickles, part of the first generation of women able to receive a college degree in the US, encouraged the next generation.
“We are the people right now breaking those barriers and moving forward. We need to make sure we’re taking those opportunities afforded to us.” Family and spousal support and agreement upon shared caregiver responsibilities are critical.
The panelists encouraged QF to open Education City universities for potential spousal hires to recruit more women. Universities can also promote professional development through leadership academies to help women to become more comfortable in these positions and ultimately to grow into admirable leaders.
The panelists discussed the additional burden of COVID-19 on female faculty. For many faculty caregivers, the family’s expectation has increased, as the distinct line between work and home has disappeared and family members crave attention and direction.
