Leadership Development for Faculty Women at The Ohio State University

Abstract

The Problem. Universities struggle to create cultures that provide a welcoming home for women and underrepresented minorities. Department chairs often emerge reluctantly from among the faculty and are ill prepared to engage faculty and staff to achieve deep culture change, yet their role is vital if such change is to occur. The Solution. Recognizing a need for a completely new type of leader, Ohio State created the President and Provost’s Leadership Institute (PPLI) to develop a pool of women and underrepresented minority faculty who might move into leadership positions. The Stakeholders. The PPLI can provide a useful template for HRD practitioners who wish to tailor leadership development and succession planning strategies to address higher education’s unique culture and leadership pool challenges. For institutions interested in broadening the diversity of individuals prepared to lead, and developing leaders prepared to lead change, the PPLI is an example of one successful approach.