Building a Community of Women

In 1994 the Women of Color in the Academy Project (WOCAP) was founded to highlight the contributions women of color make to the University community and society at large and to build a campus-wide network of women of color faculty. Today, the Project remains a vital part of the University community, engaging both new and established faculty women of color.

Ongoing Programs and Events
“Path to Tenure” Workshop"

We dub this popular annual event a “behind closed doors” session, during which a panel of senior women discuss their personal experiences and best advice for achieving tenure at UM. We invite a different group of panelists every year, and their valuable comments bring junior women back again and again. This workshop was held recently. Read the notes from the "Path to Tenure Workshop."

"Establishing Personal Writing Plans and Goals" Workshop

Rena Seltzer, a personal and professional coach, presented a program designed to help junior women faculty to develop:

-long and short term writing and publishing goals, in preparation for tenure

-a personal plan for establishing regular periods of writing

-a social support for writing.

Notes from this popular workshop will be available soon.

In addition, CEW’s programs and workshops include many offerings that interest junior faculty.

WOC Faculty Network

The Women of Color Faculty Network serves to link women of color faculty across the campus, thus reducing isolation and building community. The meetings provide an opportunity for women of color faculty to address specific concerns and issues affecting them and a forum to identify agenda items for future discussion and attention.

WOC Faculty/Graduate Student Network

In addition to networking events held exclusively for women of color (WOC) faculty, WOCAP has hosted one event annually to provide a forum across disciplines for networking among women of color faculty and graduate students.

Through My Lens Video Project

The video project Through My Lens was completed in the fall of 1999. The video was produced to capture the experiences of women of color faculty at U-Mñthose both common and unique. The project is a part of a broad undertaking to create a dialogue that will lead to promoting reform in the recruitment, retention, and overall satisfaction of women of color faculty in academe.

The 27-minute presentation captures salient commentary by women of color faculty on such pertinent themes as

campus climate,

isolation/lack of community,

balance issues between career and family, and

recruitment/retention issues.

The objectives of the video are twofold

To provide information so that all adminstrators and University leaders can be more aware of the experiences and challenges facing women of color in the academy

To provide valuable information about successful strategies for effective recruitment, support and retention for career development of women of color faculty.

The targeted audiences of the video include college and university administrators, faculty and students who are considering careers in the academy. The video is available for purchase through The Center for the Education of Women.

For more information about WOCAP, contact Carmela Alcantara, Program Coordinator, Women of Color in the Academy Project, Carmela Alcantara or 734.764.6292.