Shaping the Next Generation of Women Leaders

By Jamie L. Freedman

The red-brick academic buildings and greenery of GW’s Mount Vernon Campus form a picture-perfect backdrop for the acclaimed Elizabeth J. Somers Women’s Leadership Program (WLP). Since its establishment in 1997, the yearlong, interdisciplinary living and learning program for freshmen has helped blaze new trails for some 700 GW women.

Participants, split into four discipline-based academic cohorts, live together as a group in Somers Hall and take two courses and a weekly leadership symposium together each semester. The cohorts—focusing on art and culture; globalization, economics, and business; science, health, and medicine; and international politics—are led by experienced faculty members who serve as academic mentors for the students. The professors are supported by graduate teaching assistants who live in the same residence hall as the 80 freshmen participants, providing additional academic and social leadership.

“The Women’s Leadership Program gives freshmen a small liberal arts college experience within a large university,” says Lee Ann Fujii, assistant professor of political science and international affairs and coordinator of the international politics cohort. “It’s a real up-close and personal experience for students and professors alike, with lots of linkages and synergy across the various components of the program.”

Faculty and students form an intellectual community, exploring issues of women’s leadership in the classroom and beyond. “The program teaches vital leadership skills, such as the ability to communicate well both orally and in writing, engage in critical argument without dismissing opposing opinions, and network, all within a strong, intimate academic environment with constant access to program faculty,” says Rachelle S. Heller, associate dean of academic affairs at the Mount Vernon Campus, who oversees the program.

A cornerstone of the program is a yearlong seminar series, featuring guest speakers, special events, and field experiences that bring students together with women leaders from across the disciplines. “We run weekly symposia featuring women leaders from all walks of life—politicians, writers, scientists, artists, and business people—speaking about their careers, their trajectories, and other issues of concern to women,” says Dr. Heller.

Recent visitors include Vera Rubin, an award-winning astronomer who coined the term “black matter”; Vinca LaFleur, foreign policy speechwriter in the Clinton White House; Metropolitan Opera star Andrea Rost; and Rita Kieber-Beck, the foreign minister of Liechtenstein. “Last year, we hosted an evening for the students with six women ambassadors to the United States,” adds Dr. Heller. “Each ambassador sat at a table with seven or eight students for an informal conversation, and then they took to the podium for a panel discussion moderated by Nan Cohen, former undersecretary of state.”

Dr. Heller says the visitors speak “astoundingly candidly” with the students about their paths to the top. “It never ceases to amaze me how open and direct the women are about the issues they’ve faced and the things they’ve struggled with,” she says.

The WLP symposium also incorporates a variety of off-campus visits to organizations, museums, and performances throughout Washington, taking full advantage of the capital’s vast political and cultural resources. The trips typically include an interactive component. When the group goes to the theater, for example, the outing usually culminates with a post-show discussion with the director, producer, writer, or actresses.

“We went to the Library of Congress in the fall to attend the inaugural reading of the new poet laureate of the United States, Kay Ryan, followed by a book signing and reception,” says Dr. Fujii. “Around that same time, my students met with the director of a nongovernmental organization based in Rwanda dedicated to videotaping stories of Rwandan genocide survivors. The program exposes our students to a variety of new fields, experiences, and possibilities, and they greet every opportunity with tremendous enthusiasm. It’s a joy to teach them.”

Dr. Heller says that many participants achieve success both during and after the program. “Women’s Leadership Program students are always represented well beyond their numbers when it comes to earning academic excellence awards and assuming campus leadership and service positions,” she states. “Many WLP alumni are CI cabinet members and go on to receive Fulbright Scholarships, Pickering Awards, and many other honors.”

Students sing the praises of the program, giving special kudos to the WLP’s team of dedicated faculty cohort leaders comprising Fujii, Mary Buckley (arts), Laura Eisen (science), and Suzanne McCoskey (globalization).

“The program has been a great kick off to my undergraduate experience,” says freshman Marybeth Benton, a journalism major from Fayetteville, Ark. “I’ve enjoyed the smaller classes, the excellent professors who work so closely with us, and the great connections we’ve been able to make with accomplished women in many fields. The Women’s Leadership Program really advances you.”

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu