Monday, December 3, 2012

Blog Authors



Melissa Hernandez



Melissa Hernandez completed her undergraduate degree at Florida International University (FIU) and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration. In April of 2013 Melissa graduated with her Master's of Science in Higher Education Administration from FIU. 

Melissa had the opportunity to travel to Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio and work at the BGSU Career Center as part of FIU's BGSU/FIU Exchange program. She has been an SLS1501/First Year Experience Instructor, as well as a presenter for FIU’s Center for Leadership and Service 2012 Engage Workshop Series. 

Melissa worked as a Student Success Specialist for Broward College (BC), serving as the contact for the BC/FIU Dual Admissions program. At BC she advised a large majority of Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, at-risk and first-generation students. She worked at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida as a Coordinator for Academic Support Services for the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Their she focused on retention initiatives and student success programming while she advised Neuroscience and Psychology majors. 

She has returned to FIU in Miami, Florida and is now working with FIU's Landon Undergraduate School of Business advising all Bachelor of Business Administration majors. She continues to teach First Year Experience (SLS1501) and Introduction to Honors College Leadership Seminar. 




Stephanie Hess


Stephanie Hess completed her undergraduate degree at University of Central Florida, where she majored in Business Management and minored in Legal Studies. She graduated from Florida International University  with a Master's of Science in Higher Education Administration. She served as an Assistant Residence Life Coordinator for FIU’s Department of Residential Life working in Panther Hall. 

As a graduate student, Stephanie completed two practicum experiences: interning at Bowling Green State University’s Department of Housing and Residence Life and at Florida International University’s Department of Undergraduate Education Academic Advising Department. She was involved with the Student Affairs Graduate Association and served as the Chair for the BGSU/FIU Exchange and Advisor for the Residence Life Academic Series Committee.

Stephanie is currently working with FIU's College of Education advising all College of Education majors. She has facilitated many presentations on campus and has presented at state and national conferences. Stephanie's most recent accomplishment has been the creation of a Pinterest account targeted specifically to College of Education majors. While maintaining the account, she has been able to collect data on student perspectives and views through Pinterest picture board views.

 

Jennifer Guerra

 

 

 


Jenny Guerra attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and earned an Animal Science degree and a minor in Spanish. As an undergraduate, she submerged into all aspects of student life activities. These included by not limited to, cultural, social justice, educational, and fraternity/sororities on campus. This multifaceted and diverse involvement along with the guidance and encouragement of her mentors has solidified her decision that Student Affairs was the proper career choice for her. Upon graduation, Jenny worked at the Office of Student Life and Cultural Centers at Cal Poly Pomona as the Student Involvement Advisor and Interim Greek Advisor. Being fully aware of her passion and desire to be an agent for social justice and a student advocate she decided to attend Florida International University to earn a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. Jenny served as the graduate assistant in the Center of Leadership and Services and currently works in the Women’s Center as the graduate assistant. She is also the president for the Student Affairs Graduate Association (SAGA). Her career goal is to provide students with the skills and confidence they need to successfully graduate with their college degree. 







Sunday, December 2, 2012

Dr. Suzanne Onorato


                Dr. Suzanne Onorato is currently the Associate Dean of Students at Agnes Scott College since January of 2011.  Onorato worked at Florida International University for over eleven years where she served in the Women’s Center since December of 2004 and prior to that worked in Housing and Residential Life since June of 2000.  She earned her Doctoral degree in Higher Education from Florida International University.  Onorato earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and her Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amhurst.

            When Dr. Oronato graduated from high school, she knew not attending a university would not be an option, it was an expectation of her family and herself. Oronato chose the University of Massachusetts Amherst to pursue a degree in Art, expecting to become an art teacher one day. Throughout her undergraduate years, she was not involved in extracurricular activities, but worked for the Division of Student Affairs in the Research Office completing assessment on various university programs.  In that job, she found her two faculty mentors: Gary Melanie the director of the office and faculty member for the master’s higher education program who taught her the politics of higher education, and Mary Ellen Steadler a faculty member who encouraged her to continue her education.  She chose to change her career path after learning how Massachusetts’ education system was struggling. The art teacher she worked with during her student teaching experience had lost his classroom; he was required to push a cart from class to class in order to give his lesson.

Onorato decide to pursue higher education. She chose to stay at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for her master’s degree. Her assistantship was in the Student Affairs Research office, and her internship at the Orientation Office. Through these experiences, Onorato discovered higher education was the right fit for her.

            She began her professional career in residence life, working at several institutions including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was the director for the Women’s Center at Florida International University from 2005 - 2010. After working for large research-based institutions, Onorato looked for a unique experience and found her current position at a small liberal arts women’s college located in Georgia. Dr. Oronato is currently serving as the Associate Dean of Students, and holds a national leadership position with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators serving as co-chair for the Women in Student Affairs Knowledge Community. 

            According to Onorato, every day is a struggle to maintain a balance between work and personal life responsibilities.  As a single and independent woman, Oronato has her priorities organized, and she point out how exercise is an important part of her daily schedule.  As a woman, she makes her own choices in life and knows what she wants to achieve.  She admits that she is not interested in marriage and kids, but she hopes to find a partner who supports her.  Oronato's biggest accomplishment is completing her Ed.D while working full time.

            There are a high number of senior men in higher education, but women's representation is gradually increasing.  Men tend to be in the roles of Vice President of Finance or Marketing.  Onorato is fortunate to be part of the education field due to the welcoming atmosphere for females.  However, there are a few males in the higher positions who have treated her as an inexperienced professional due to her youthful appearance.  Her experience working in a women's college, has given her the unique opportunity to work in a female-dominated office.  Dr. Onorato shared that in the Student Affairs there is not much of a variance in the style of offered by women versus men.  She has built positive relationships with those who promote inclusively in the work place.  Dr. Onorato has noticed there is salary discrepancy between genders in higher education.  Oronato mentioned how faculty members (majority men) who teach in the STEM fields earn more money rather than a faculty who teaches education.

            Dr. Onorato's journey to student affairs field is distinctive and inspiring for many women whose goal is to become an administrator in higher education.  She feels that work is part of our lives and believes in the motto of empowering the youth

Women at the Top: It’s not just About the Climb

A Brief Overview of Female Presidents

Article Review: Women at the Top: It’s not just About the Climb

There is a higher percentage of women going to college and studying in the field of education. Many pursue leadership positions in higher education, but there is a low number of females who become university presidents.   The role of the president tends to be designed by men to serve men, but in the United States, the demographics of the school is almost 60% women (Lynn, 2012). 


In 1882, the first female president was appointed at the all-women Wellesley College in Massachusetts.  After 90 years later in the United States, only 6% of presidents were females (Lynn, 2012).  In 2011, 26.4% of all colleges and universities were women.  Although there is an increase of women serving in the presidency, it is important to analyze some factors of the slow increase. Mentoring is a factor to keep women motivated and inspired in their success of their career by providing support and opportunities.


Traditionally, women and men have completely different leadership styles.  Men are most likely to us the top-bottom style.  In terms in stereotypic "masculine traits" include: confidence, assertive, independent, strength, and aggressive.  In order for women to fit what society perceives for a president position, they first adopt a vast number of men characteristics.  According to recent research, women leaders are more advice-giving, interpersonal, collaborative and patient (Lynn, 2012).  The stereotypic of "feminine traits" are as follow: honesty, congeniality, warmth, compassion and emotional.   Female presidents have strengths in the following styles: flexibility, inclusively and teamwork.  


 The organizational structure is changing from a triangular structure to a leader connected to others.  Today, female presidents obtain servant leadership styles which encompasses motivating and empowering the employees, putting the needs of others first, and accepting individuality.


The journey in becoming a female president in a college or university has its challenges compare to males.  In particular, society does not expect for a woman to serve as a president and she is often judged. For female presidents, balancing personal and professional life is constant battle. Women are judge if they take time off due to their children or to accomplish their day-to-day operations (Lynn, 2012).  In addition, the role of the president’s partner plays on campus is crucial.   Women presidents end up fulfilling both roles, because their male partner is less likely to perform unpaid duties.


Females were approximately one-third of the newly hired presidents in 2012.  The number continues to grow, but younger professionals ought to see more female role models in the echelons of higher education to change society’s perception.



Lynn, G. (2012). Women at the Top: It's Not Just About the Climb. Women in Higher Education , 28-29.

Mentoring Female Administrators Toward Leadership Success

The Value of Mentorship

Article Review: Mentoring Female Administrators Toward Leadership Success

Mentorship is a major key component for women who desire to become an administrator in higher education.  There are different types of mentoring, but the most common is when a more experienced individual assists another person.  The role of the most experienced person is to provide support, guidance, and build a relationship with a younger professional (Dunbar & Kinnersley, 2011).  Both the mentee and mentor benefit from this relationship by either learning skills in how to succeed or by sharing their knowledge and experience with others.  “Those women who aspire to administrative positions would do well to have a mentor to help them succeed; in fact, female administrators have indicated that having a mentor was important to their success” (Dunbar & Kinnersley, 2011).


When seeking a mentor or mentee, there is a variety of factors to consider.  Mentoring relationships are most likely to succeed when is develop informally, instead where they are matched through a mentoring program.  In addition, mentoring inclines when the relationship share many similarities, such as experiences, gender, ethnicity, culture and values.  Majority of the participants mentioned that having a female mentor was beneficial due their work experiences as females.  However, some of the functions discussed by the mentors to the mentee, there is no difference of gender.


According to Kram (1988), there is two basic areas that a mentee experiences: psychological development and career development. For instance, if the mentee has a mentor who holds a high administrative position, the mentor tend to provide a more career direction instead to a low rank.  The study illustrated that 90% of the mentors were in higher positions than their mentees (Dunbar & Kinnersley, 2011).


The women in the study who were administrators shared that their mentor(s) made an impact in preparing them for a leadership role in which they highly recommend for women to seek for a mentor.


According to the research, creating a mentoring relationship is vital for women who have the desire to hold higher positions within an university or college.  It is important to encourage new administrators share their expertise and their journey to the future generation.  There is different ways in increasing the number of mentoring in higher education such as creating mentoring programs, and providing opportunities for graduate students to find a mentor.



Dunbar, D. P., & Kinnersley, R. T. (2011). Mentoring Female Administrators Toward Leadership Success. Models of Leadership , 17-24.


Gender and the Career Aspirations, Professional Assets, and Personal Variables of Higher Education Administrators

Exploration of Current Status of Women Administrators and Barriers to Female Advancement

Article Review: Gender and the Career Aspirations, Professional Assets, and Personal Variables of Higher Education Administrators

Though women today are earning 58% of all bachelor’s degrees and 45% of all doctorates, they are underrepresented at the highest levels of higher education administration. A recent study conducted by the American Council on Education found only 23% of higher education institutions presidents were women and only 13.8% of presidents at doctoral-granting institutions. These numbers are paralleled in the number of full-time professors that are female: only 19.3% full professor tenured positions at doctoral degree granting institutions, 28.3% at master’s degree granting, and 46.9% at associate degree granting are held by women. Though women are earning approximately half of all higher education degrees, very few are attaining upper administrative positions. The author wanted to see if the common thought reasons proved to actually create barriers to female advancement. Gender differences in career aspirations, professional assets, and personal variables are suggested to be the biggest contributors to this disparity.


Career aspirations include the types of positions administrators are interested in striving for. Some studies have indicated the possibility that women have lower positional goal aspirations, aspiring for middle level administrative roles. Though the statistical differences between women and men positional goals were slight, this variation may be a contributing factor. Women exhibit different leadership styles, qualities, and preferences than men. Men are less likely to share information, while women set aside time to share information within the organization. Traditionally men viewed themselves through their jobs while women viewed their position and self as more multidimensional. Though the style of leadership may differ between genders, the effectiveness is relative. Career aspirations also include career commitments, or what people hope to accomplish during their career. In a study of academic deans, a significant gender difference in the reasons why an individual chose the position was revealed. More women listed reasons such as contribute to the university, improve the college, help faculty develop, and personal growth. More men listed reasons such as advance career, financial gain, and power. These three factors of career aspirations each show differences between genders that may impact advancement.


Professional assets have been shown to be contributing factors in a woman’s career development and advancement. Career planning is developing a goal and a plan for how to achieve that goal. Most studies prove career planning has a positive correlation with achievement of high level leadership positions in higher education administration, and encourage more women to take part in career planning. Mentoring is a vital strategy for all staff members in the field of higher education. The author bring up a study where female college presidents were asked if they had mentors and 91% had primary mentors and were mentors to others. This proves the importance for women to gain a mentor early in their career as it may be an influencing factor in attaining high level positions. Networking in higher education includes getting to know administrators from different universities, attending conferences, and working with other departments. Females tend to use their networks to cope with frustrations or explore new ideas. Males tend to use their networks when making difficult personal decisions. Building a network early in a career can help women advance in the field. Leadership training is the final piece of professional assets. Leadership training can help women gain skills in negotiation, decision making, conflict resolution, and political posturing, setting them apart as valuable contributors to the institution.


Personal variables are commonly thought as the biggest contributions to the variations between women and men. The author chose three factors that can potentially create barriers for women in higher education administration. The first being gender, as gender stereotypes and biases have often played a role in various work settings, and it is no different in higher education. Data proves that women in academia are often paid less, promoted more slowly, and tenured more slowly. Marriage and children have often caused adverse effects on the career advancement to women. Studies show women are less likely to achieve tenure when they have children early in their career versus men in a similar family circumstance. 59% of married women with children were considering leaving the academia, and many indicated children being one of the influencing factors. Of college presidents, 89% of men were married and 91% had children while only 63% of female presidents were married and 68% had children. These surprising statistics show marriage and children may directly influence a women unfavorably. Two-thirds of faculty women feel overwhelmed from balancing their household and work responsibilities. The last personal variable that can create variances between men and women is the ability to move for a position. Higher education often requires a professional to have geographic mobility in order to advance in the field. This article found women were more geographically constrained than their male counterparts. The author's study proved these statistics, and found geographical mobility to be the most significant influencing factor hindering women’s career development and advancement.


This article breaks down the author's study into the three areas to figure out which is the most significant variable. Approximately 200 individuals in positions of deans or higher were surveyed around Minnesota in order to see whether these variables influenced their advancement to their current position. Slight statistical variances were found between men and women in each area, which when combined create real disparities. Career aspirations, professional assets, and personal variables cause inequalities between women and men in the field of higher education. The article gave insight to the current status of women in higher education, and the influencing factors.

Lepkowski, C. C. (2009). Gender and the career aspirations, professional assets, and personal variables of higher education administrators. Advancing Women in Leadership, 29(6), 1.

Tips to Beat the Top 10 Factors Holding Women Back

Advice for Women Looking to Advance in Higher Education Administration

Article Review: Tips to Beat the Top 10 Factors Holding Women Back


            This article, found in the Journal for Women in Higher Education, was developed as a guide for women to break some of the most influencing barriers that cause low representation of women in high administrative positions. For each of the factors affecting female advancement in the workplace there are recommendations. This list can assist women to reach their full potential in the workplace.


            Focus on precision can be detrimental for women. It is impossible to achieve perfection in every area of work and life at all times. Coming to this realization, women can focus on saving their time and energy to tackle the big items.


As women leaders are representative of the university, their clothes, hair, and makeup can face criticism. Academic culture has a limited range of acceptable appearance standards. It is important to balance your personal standards with those of your colleagues.


            Many women lack the ability to accept a compliment without deflecting or devaluing it. Though modesty is expected of women in society, the author challenges women to take credit for their work; to be proud of the hard work completed without bragging.


            Many studies have found women are less confident of their abilities compared to men. It is important for administrators to take an inventory of their strengths and intentionally use them. Self-reflection on personal skills can encourage self-confidence.


            Co-dependency in and out of the workplace is common for all women, but it is important to combat those tendencies. Women leaders on a university may feel the need for student and subordinate approval, or agreeing to complete undesirable tasks. This article advises women to not rely on external validation, but value themselves.


            Statistics show there are differences between male and female career aspirations. The article provides guidance to fight this discrepancy. One way is to complete a career map. A career map requires people to think about where they want to be in the future both personally and professionally. It is important to intentionally set goals and develop a plan to reach them.


            Downtime is essential for the human body. It could be easy for a woman to ignore the necessary maintenance needed to keep her body in top shape. The author encourages women to make exercise, healthy eating, sleep, relationships, and fun a priority.


            It is important for women to overcome gender stereotypes. Common myths that women cannot make tough decisions, are deficient in financial skills, or are overly emotional should not be proven true. It is important for women to get training and experience in each category.


            The American way of self-sufficiency does not allow inquiry, but asking questions could be the only way women can get ahead in the workplace. Mentorship and collaboration are both outcomes from asking for help. It is important to learn from others and stretch resources for your department.


            The article states the number one factor working against women in higher education is having children. It is a challenge for women to balance work and household responsibilities. A few ways to overcome this challenge are: choosing the right partner, hiring sufficient help, and living near family and friends willing to help.


Dee, M. (2012, October). Tips to beat the top 10 factors holding women back. Women in Higher Education, 21(10), 32



Lonely at the Top?

Women Presidents and their Distinct Leadership

Article Review: Lonely at the Top?

            Becoming a college or university president is challenging, and can be even more challenging for women and/or minority women. The field of education stereotypically is assumed to be female-dominated at the bottom when associated with primary school teaching however at the administration level, in special regard to higher education, it continues to be male-dominated. In 2006, 27 percent of women were presidents at community colleges and 18 percent were presidents at four=year institutions (Valdata, p. 1). As an example, “Dr. Ding-Jo Hsia Currie was only one of 13 Asian-American college presidents”, making it difficult to fit in in an already male-dominated field (Valdata, 2006, p.2).


            Women are encouraged to build relationships with other women and to have mentors. Female or male mentors can be beneficial to advancement. It is an important factor to be familiar with negotiating or working with the other sex. A support system is crucial for personal and professional well-being up the career ladder. Dr. Karen Gayton Swisher of Haskell Indian Nation University had a unique perspective in her advancement expressing that having female role models is significant but for her observing strong individualism among her Native-American role models made her see leadership in a different manner, when compared to the while male method Americans are traditionally accustomed to.


A common trend among university and college presidents is the ability to take risks. Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum of Spelman College took a large risk when accepting her position as the third black women president of Spelman College. She had both son and husband in Massachusetts while beginning her position as her son finished high school and husband, faculty member of a Massachusetts institution awaited early retirement. Dr.Patricia Granados of Triton College knew she was taking a risk when her predecessor came from faculty and had a very different leadership style than she did.     


For minority presidents the statistics show an alarming picture in 2006 demonstrating that there were only 6.3 percent of Black presidents, 3.7 percent Hispanic presidents,1.2 percent Asian-American presidents, and 1.1 American Indians presidents (Valdata, p. 1-2). Desiring to go against the odds, “Dr. Juliet Garcia was the first Mexican-American woman to become president of an American college or university.”(Valdata, 2006, p. 3). Among the majority of women minority presidents of higher education settings have an open-minded perspective of various backgrounds and concepts to diversity. They strive to understand the people in their organization of different levels and be a voice for their passion and the passion of others.


Valdata, P. (2006). Lonely at the top? Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 23(20), 28-33. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fiu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/194229279?accountid=10901

Women’s Leadership Thrives in Community Colleges


A Spotlight on Three Female Administrators Making a Difference in the Community College Setting

Article Review: Women’s Leadership Thrives in Community Colleges


            Positions for women in the upper echelon of public administration may be sparse but among community colleges women leaders are paving the way. According to an article featured in Women in Higher Education (2012), one-third of community colleges are led by women (p.9). The article features three women and their perspectives on leadership in higher education with special regard to the community college setting. All three women highlighted in the article were graduates of Rowan University’s doctoral program in community college leadership. The degree title in itself exemplifies the current movement for distinct management in community colleges while promoting the increase of female administration.


            Dr. Karen Archambault, Director of Services for Brookdale Community College, recognizes that rewards may be minimal in an environment that seeks high standards and expectations. As an administrator, she acknowledges that her sense of authority is balanced between ethical and moral decision making, valuing the minority perspective, and instituting responsibility.  Archambault emphasizes that if women desire positions of leadership, roles that are responsible for making decisions, then women need to make their presence acknowledged in order to create such opportunity.


            Dr. Paula P. Pando, Hudson Community College’s Vice President for Student Affairs, understands the notion of being strong and secure with oneself as a female administrator. She prides her leadership style on her strong passion to inspire others. Pando’s perspective on management plays a large factor in her ability to perform her job duties. Being a good manager incorporates the ability to empower others while focusing on the tasks and responsibilities that need to be met. Pando also identified the importance of political judgment, recognizing the policies while using political knowledge with good intention.


            Dr. Elvy Vieira, Associate Dean of Essex County College’s West Essex Campus, has a student-centered philosophy. She is an advocate for students and a leader that empowers staff and students to live up to their desired potential. As an educator her focus is on active learning, establishing a culture that fosters the collaboration of various perspectives. Vieira admits that achieving balance in all aspects, whether work related or personal, is a struggle as an educational administrator with special recognition to women’s issues and unique experiences. Vieira advises women to be aware but not distracted by the imbalance of the current male-dominated structure.


            A woman’s journey transforms her ability to lead. Each woman has a story and a unique perspective to bring to her style of management. In a male-dominated society the increase in women leaders is an improvement in the wellbeing of society. The traditional male-oriented roles are gradually becoming shared amongst women. Is this really an accomplishment in the year 2012? Even if your expectations of society are of higher standards, female leadership should continue to be encouraged and embraced.

Archambault, K., Pando, P. & Vieira, E. (2012, May 1). Women's leadership thrives in community colleges. Women in Higher Education, Retrieved from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-289724574/women-leadership-thrives-community.html

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Dr. Lourdes Oroza


Dr. Lourdes Oroza is the President of Miami Dade College (MDC) Kendall Campus. She is a community leader that has extensive experience in education working in various positions throughout the education field including, but not limited to, secondary education, adult education, educational leadership, and higher education administration. Kendall Campus is the largest of the eight Miami-Dade College campuses. Oroza’s journey has provided her with an impressive understanding of the diverse student population of MDC and has represented a unique perspective on her role as president.

Dr. Oroza’s parents, both immigrants to America, did not attend college, but encouraged her and her sister to gain their degrees. Oroza’s two older cousins and older sister paved a way for Oroza, following in their footsteps to pursue higher education. She completed her undergraduate career at Tulane University, gaining her degree in French with a Teaching Certificate. During her undergrad, Oroza joined an organization called the Community Action Council of Tulane University Students, CACTUS, a student-led community service organization. She was responsible for setting up various trips; and she thoroughly enjoyed helping kids in the New Orleans area. This form of involvement helped her develop leadership skills and assisted her in learning about becoming an administrator. Oroza was also involved as a Student Assistant Clerk for the Student Government Association.

After graduation, Dr. Oroza began her career as a high school French teacher that lasted eleven years. Her passion for foreign languages and education made the position incredibly rewarding. Oroza worked as an Assistant Principal for a short span of time before moving back home to help her parents in Miami, Florida. During her time Miami, Oroza was offered a remarkable opportunity to go back to school and pursue her Master’s degree at the University of Miami. Oroza’s mentor, Rosa Castro Feinberg had written a grant that supported Oroza to obtain her Master’s degree.

The particular grant was designed to help foreign language teachers, who were interested in becoming school administrators, gain their graduate degree. Promoting administrators who were sensitive to the needs of ESOL students continues to be a major initiative. Castro Feinberg provided a large amount of guidance and challenged Oroza to achieve her goals. Dr. Oroza’s most impactful accomplishment was the completion of her Ed.D from Florida International University. This “test of endurance” lasted 8 years, while working full time until her last year when she finished her dissertation.

Dr. Oroza has served Miami Dade College since 1998 through numerous forms. For a short period she worked at Broward College as Provost for Judson A. Samuels South Campus, before returning to the MDC Kendall Campus. For the last two years, Oroza has been the first female president of Kendall Campus. Oroza disclosed that her gender and race has been an advantage giving her a unique perspective in her position, making her invaluable to the college.

Through her career, Dr. Oroza journey did not go without criticism. As a young high level female administrator, she often felt underestimated. This experience motivated her to look for people that supported and respected her. Oroza expressed that though females are different than males, women provide several advantages and benefits to an organization. Traditionally women may tend to be more detail-oriented, which is one of Oroza’s talents. Some of the men in similar positions enjoy the political aspects and do well with public relations, which is not Oroza’s favorite part of the job.

Dr. Lourdes Oroza’s strong passion for education has enriched her ability to be a great leader in higher education. Her career path has served as an inspiration for women. She successfully navigated her way to the upper echelons of higher education administration. As part of her position she is expected to be present at events and on-campus in addition to numerous leadership responsibilities. Dr. Oroza also shared how her feelings of joy in her position has empowered and inspired her to succeed.

Dr. Cathy Akens


Dr. Catherine (Cathy) Akens is the Associate Vice President of Students Affairs and Dean of Students for Florida International University (FIU). She has had an extensive background working in administration implementing new initiatives, fostering student development, and representing profound leadership in state public institutions.   As a native of Ohio, she attended the University of Toledo and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Relations. She continued her academic career completing a Master’s in College and University Administration from Michigan State University and her doctoral degree from Florida International University in Higher Education.

During her undergraduate degree, Akens contributed a large amount of her time to the university as a work study student for the College of Business advising center and as a Resident Assistant (RA). Without her realizing, this would be the beginning of a career pathway publicly serving institutions of higher education. She was able to handle two part-time jobs while attending school full-time. Not knowing exactly what career she was going to have, she had aspired to work for a non-profit organization performing duties that consisted of writing, advocating, event planning, and/or public relations. Coincidentally at different times her male supervisor, Dean of the College of Business and her female supervisor, Hall Director encouraged her to pursue higher education focusing on student affairs.

At Michigan State University she was a Graduate Assistant for Residential Life and graduate student in the College and University master’s program. She knew she wanted to pursue a position that involved leadership and after her time at Michigan State University, she took on the role of Hall Director of a men’s residence hall at Bowling Green State University. She was the first woman to live and work in the men’s residence hall. The all-male RA staff was apprehensive at first and even showed up to their first meeting chewing tobacco, which had been a traditional occurrence with their previous male supervisor. Testing her to see how she would respond, Dr. Akens quickly addressed the situation and with time they grew to respect her. Recognizing that her role was not a traditional nine a.m. to five p.m. job, she was prepared for evening commitments and to be on-call. Serving as a mentor, now Associate Vice President, Jill Carr was one of her first supervisors and was instrumental in helping Akens professional goals. Dr. Akens continues to value Jill Carr’s genuineness in really caring about students.

Another career opportunity had come her way in Miami, Florida at FIU serving as Associate Director of Housing. It was during this time that she would experience several sacrifices as she also took on the goal of earning a doctoral degree in Higher Education. It was an intense struggle to complete the doctorate degree quickly, doing little else but studying and working.  In order to complete her goal of completing courses within two and a half years and her dissertation under two years, she devoted a large amount of time working every night and weekend, reading and doing papers while serving in her professional role.

Throughout all the personal sacrifices she always felt fortunate and accomplished to have worked in Residence Life at FIU for such a long period especially while the department was young. She was able to influence and develop new initiatives for the department while having the ability to hire teams of talented people. Akens soon earned the position of Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus. Once hired for the position she encountered a situation of gender difference, when a comment was made in a school paper with the use of very “fluffy” or feminine word choice to describe Akens.  Similar to Hilary Clinton’s comment when asked what her favorite designer was, Akens wondered if the same word choice would have been used if a man were hired for the position.

Dr. Akens currently serves as FIU’s Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, and Assistant Professor (courtesy appointment) of FIU’s College of Education Higher Education program. Recognizing that her primary position can be distinguished as having duties that can be classified as both female and male oriented, Dr. Akens does acknowledge that the pathway to becoming a women administrator can have its advantages and disadvantages. She expresses that the field of Student Affairs does have more of an open culture for women compared to some other areas of public administration; however, due to assumptions based on gender, experiences pertaining to budgeting, facilities management and construction may not be forwardly presented or taught to women. Often time’s women should intentionally seek out opportunities.

Helping students in crisis or in distress can sometimes be interpreted as a traditional female role in which people assume that women automatically do well. In her case, this stereotype seemed to be an advantage in her role of Dean of Students. With this said, Dr. Akens does identify that as a woman when interacting with other divisions that are often classified as male-dominant (like business or construction), making relationships can be challenging. “There are lots of politics and power struggles involved, and side conversations do occur outside of committee meetings, where actually a lot of business takes place”, Dr. Akens states.

When asked about salary discrepancies between genders, Akens commented by saying, “some positions are traditionally rewarded more than others, and those positions are traditional male positions, like someone who raises money or participates in areas of building and construction”. Not to be interpreted that these positions are not for women or are solely for men, but in public administration assumptions and societal stereotypes do occur. Negotiating a salary is something Akens had to learn from when seeking a higher position and advises others to research similar positions and cost of living, and not to be hesitant to negotiate. Personal decisions involving location of living and separation from family and friends are commonly affected for advancement in administrative roles in higher administration.

 In regards to personal and work balance, Dr. Akens has always felt a sense of balance and does admit that it is important to take time vacation time/ time off to maintain stability. She finds it important for women in administration to have a strong support system of friends, and to find a partner that supports their goals. She recommends women pursuing careers in administration to find people that care about professional self-development. FIU’s former Vice President for Student Affairs, Patricia Telles-Irvin had become another mentor to Akens. Telles-Irvin gave Akens opportunities to learn various skills in the VP office while surrounding her with responsibilities in order to gain opportunities that would help her in the future. She articulates that women should make their interests known because it is easy for assumptions to be made and if budgeting experience is something that one seeks, for example, it is vital to be willing to speak up and ask for the experience.