The tenth anniversary of the Michigan ACE Senior-Level Leadership Job Shadow Program marks a milestone in advancing women’s leadership in higher education. Over the past decade, the program has provided mid-level women leaders across Michigan with mentorship and insight into institutional leadership. Guests Dr. Malia Roberts and Dr. Diane Anderson reflect on the program’s growth and its impact on participants’ career paths, highlighting the importance of authentic leadership and strong professional networks.

Website: Senior-Level Leadership Program

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Website: MI-ACE at Lansing Community College

Website: MI-ACE Women's Network

Hello and welcome to Leading the Way Women in Higher Education, a podcast dedicated to celebrating, supporting and advancing women in higher education across Michigan. Well, hello and welcome to Leading the Way Women in Higher Education.

Now this is a podcast that is dedicated to celebrating, supporting and advancing women in higher education across this great state of Michigan. I'm Dr. Cynthia Rooker and I'm so excited about today's podcast because we're marking a very special occasion.

The Michigan ACE Senior Level Leadership Job Shadow Program are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. So over the past decade, this outstanding program, they have been transformative experience for mid level women leaders throughout Michigan.

They have provided an invaluable mentorship, meaningful exposure to senior leadership and a deeper understanding of institutional operations.

I believe that it's also helped shape countless careers and it remains a CornerStone of Michigan ACE's commitment to to professional development and empowerment. So joining me today to reflect on this milestone are two incredible leaders who have played a key role in the program's success.

Dr. Malia Roberts and Dr. Diane Anderson. Good afternoon to both of you. Would you please introduce yourselves to our audience, starting with Dr. Roberts.

Hello.

I'm so glad to be with all of you today. Thank you so much for taking some time out of your schedule to offer us this opportunity.

Opportunity to really highlight this 10 year anniversary of the Senior Level Leadership Job Shadow program. My name is Malia Roberts and I serve as the Senior Director of Graduate college enrollment at Western Michigan University.

I also have the pleasure of serving as the institutional representative for the institution as well as co chair for this incredible Senior level Job Shadow program with my Co Co Chair, Dr. Marlene Koboldsky Brolin at Grand Valley State University.

Excellent.

My name is Diane Anderson and I'm the Vice President for Student affairs at Western Michigan University. And I've had the distinct privilege of serving on the Michigan ACE Women's Network board for decades. I actually have served in various capacities.

But one of the things that I'm excited to talk about today is I was one of the original people that helped form the Senior Level Straddle program. So really excited about celebrating 10 years with that great program.

Excellent. Well, that's great. Thank you both so much for being here. It's truly a pleasure to have you join us for this special episode.

So I'm excited to dive into this conversation, reflect on the journey so far and explore what's next for this powerful initiative. So let's go ahead and get started. So congratulations on the 10 year anniversary of the Senior Level Leadership Job Shadow Program.

Now looking back, can you Please tell us what were the original goals of the program and how have they evolved over the past decade?

Yes, I'd be happy to talk about that. The original goal of the Michigan ACE Senior Level Leadership Job Shadow program was to create a structured experiential mentorship opportunity

for mid level women leaders in higher

ed who aspire to senior level roles.

That whole idea was inspired by the ACE Fellows program because some people have the opportunity to participate in that and those are people who are aspiring to become presidents.

We wanted to create something for women that were at the mid level so they could look at the opportunity to move up the next level before the presidency.

So again, we wanted to honor the depth of the program that was done in the ACA Fellows program, but also create opportunities for talent at the national mid level across the state of Michigan. Over the past decade, the program has evolved to become more intentional in its design and impact.

There is a careful selection and pairing process, a co designed learning contract and structured reflections.

And I would have to say I think the co designed learning contract is critical because it gives the person who is being mentored the opportunity to really shape the experience that they are wanting to have and gives the mentor the opportunity to have a good understanding of what that needs to look like for them to reach their goals and objectives.

So the program has expanded its reach with 42 university presidents or senior leaders from 28 different institutions mentoring 51 mentees from 24 Michigan colleges and universities. It has also embraced a broader equity lens, helping participants develop leadership identity, self awareness and a greater sense of purpose.

Well, that's fantastic. That's great that a lot of women have really enhanced their careers through this program.

Well, can you please explain how the program supports mid level leaders in preparing for senior roles? Such as what kinds of mentorship and learning experiences that are built into the structure?

Absolutely. The program supports mid level women leaders by offering a customized immersive leadership development experience.

And I would emphasize the word customized.

Again, it was really critical to those of us that were involved in the very beginning phases of it to give voice to the people involved and particularly the person who was choosing to be a mentee. We really wanted them to have an opportunity to shape the learning outcomes that they were wanting to achieve.

So each mentee is paired with a senior leader from a host institution and together they design a 150 hour learning experience.

And that learning experience includes things like engaging in one on one mentoring, attending leadership meetings, conducting informational interviews, engaging in institutional events, and reflecting on leadership development. I can tell you from having had the opportunity to have someone shadow me.

It was really extraordinary because it gave me the opportunity to see my institution from someone else's lens.

So based on the questions my mentee was asking me, it caused me to have to really think about what it was we were offering and why we were offering it. And even the questions sometimes caused me to rethink how we did things at Western.

So it was really a vital experience, not only for the mentee, but for the mentor.

But one of the ways we did this was through monthly mentee meetings, mid year and year end reflections and final evaluation to ensure continue engagement and growth.

So the program emphasizes building a strong relationship between the mentor and the mentee, fostering authentic communication and mentorship and personal transformation.

That's fantastic. Wow. Very flexible. It sounds like within the program for learning experience outcomes as well.

Well, can you please share any success stories or an example of a participant whose career trajectory was positively impacted by this program?

Dr. Rooker, I'm happy to join the conversation at this point.

So this study included eight participants from four different cohorts and revealed how the program helped them to do things like refine their leadership philosophies, broaden their view of leadership, and overall gain a deeper sense of purpose.

Through this program, the participants really began to see leadership as an inclusive process, not just one that was tied to fancy titles, but actually recognize the value of their own contributions. And it was this shift in perspective that truly empowered them to pursue leadership roles with greater confidence and greater clarity.

Oh, fantastic. Well, thank you. That was a lot of work I'm sure that you had done within that study as well. Wow.

Thank you. It was a rewarding one, I will say.

Excellent. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that.

So what feedback have you received from past participants and mentors such as how was their experience shaped for the future direction of the program?

Oh, great question. Well, the feedback from both the mentees and the mentors have been overwhelmingly positive.

The mentees, they often discuss the experience of one that's truly transformative. They talk about this increased self awareness, level of confidence and clarity in their leadership journey.

And the mentors, they have expressed appreciation for this opportunity to really give back and re engage in Meaningful dialogue with these emerging leaders.

Overall, this feedback has led to some program enhancements like really underscoring the importance of of the monthly mentee meeting for peer support and also utilizing the structured learning contract that co designed learning contract as a guide for developing these really customized learning opportunities.

And altogether, these elements help to ensure that the program remains relevant and responsive to participant needs while maintaining its highest standards.

Wow, that's great. Having a guide with the monthly meetings and make it at all accountable. That's fantastic.

So since we all know that change is constant, can you please tell us how has the program adapted to changes in higher education and leadership needs over the years? Like what innovations or enhancements have been introduced?

Sure.

Well, the program has certainly adapted by incorporating flexible learning formats, certainly when we needed to pivot to this during the COVID pandemic, of course, but also expanding the diversity of host institutions and emphasizing equity outcomes. We include leaders from community colleges, public and private institutions, and a broad range of functional areas.

And some of the key innovations include the competency based self assessment tool that we introduced, certainly leaning into that co designed learning contract that's always being tailored to the mentee goals, and also the monthly virtual mentee meetings that truly do foster a greater sense of community within that cohort.

Oh, that's excellent. To put the sense of community in there as well. That really brings it all together. Excellent.

So tell me, as you celebrate this milestone, what are your hopes or visions for the next 10 years of the program?

Well, looking ahead, the vision is to continue to expand the program's reach and deepen its impact.

Can include things such as increasing the number and breadth of host institutions and mentors, certainly encouraging more applications from diverse institutions and backgrounds, also enhancing collaboration across the Michigan ACE women's network as a whole.

Because ultimately the goal is to continue to lift up women higher, creating these pathways for leadership that are inclusive, that are intentional and also transformative.

Great. And as we all know that there's going to be plenty of opportunity down the road as things continue to change within our institutions.

So there may be room for more positions, different positions that they want to enhance and move forward into?

Oh, absolutely. With this retirement boom, we are bound to see those opportunities open up.

So making sure that we have that pipeline at the ready, critically important.

Yes. Great. So what has surprised you most about the journey of this program over the past decade? Any surprises?

What's been most surprising and also deeply rewarding, I would suggest, is that the profound depth of transformation that occurs for the mentees, and while we anticipated this professional growth. We hadn't fully appreciated the extent to which participants would experience this personal level transformation.

And through the program, the mentees have not only gained leadership skills, but also redefined their leadership identity, broaden their perspectives, and discovered a renewed sense of purpose.

And so altogether, this level of impact on confidence, clarity, self awareness has just exceeded my own expectations for what the program has evolved into.

I would like to add just one other comment to that.

I would say we have not been surprised, but rather impressed with how the program has flourished in the midst of so many challenging things in our political environment, in our national climate, more women are applying, more mentors are stepping up, indicating there is a real commitment in this state to growing our women leaders. So again, that's not a surprise, but it's definitely something that we're very grateful for and proud of.

Fantastic. So then, what's one wish or piece of advice you have for the next generation of women leaders in higher education?

I suppose my wish is that people give themselves permission to lead authentically and unapologetically, being reminded that leadership doesn't have to look one way. It can be empathetic, it can be collaborative, it can be deeply rooted in our personal values.

And this shadow program has shown us that when women embrace their unique leadership styles and bring their full self to the table, they are not only thriving, but also transforming the spaces that they lead. So my best advice is to really own your journey and seek mentorship. Ask for what you need. Don't wait for permission to lead.

The next generation of women leaders have the power to redefine leadership in higher education, and we need their voices now more than ever. Yeah.

And I just would like to add to that. Watching the election results was so encouraging and exciting.

We now have our first African American female mayor in Detroit, and we had some just phenomenal women gain significant leadership roles throughout the country. So for me, that just speaks to the fact that we need to continue to up our game and reinforce women's potential to be really effective leaders.

And that's what we're all about at Michigan ace.

Absolutely. I agree with that so much, Diane. The connectivity with the Michigan ACE Women's network is extremely supportive and connective.

And I think there are so many different opportunities for women to get involved with Michigan ACE and also to feel the support of the Network.

Oh, absolutely. I couldn't agree more. Absolutely. So how has your own leadership journey been shaped by witnessing the growth of others?

Well, witnessing the growth of others through this program, it's just been one of the most affirming aspects of my own personal leadership journey. It's a strong reminder that leadership is not all about titles. It's about impact, relationships, collaboration, legacy.

Every time I see a mentee really step into this program and take a risk or articulate her vision with newfound clarity, I'm just reminded of the importance of creating space to help others rise. And it's also helped to deepen my commitment to mentorship and equity.

Just seeing the ripple effect of this program, how one woman's growth can really influence an entire institution, it's reinforced my belief in the collective power of women supporting women. And it's not just about developing leaders, it's about transforming systems.

I would totally echo that.

And one of the things I have always loved about the Michigan AC Women's Network, you know, it started with the idea that we were really focused on helping women advance into presidencies. But we quickly learned that we wanted to help women, wherever they were in their professional journey, move to the next level if they wanted to move.

But we wanted to reinforce how important it was that they figured out what they wanted to do with their lives and that we provided the support and the network and the skills to help them get there.

So, again, it's about helping women find their own voice, create their own path, and no two paths are the same, but giving opportunities not just to the top positions, but to positions all across the spectrum so that women would be empowered to lead from wherever they were. And so focusing on the mid level of the professional journey was one tangible way we could expand our reach. And I think that's been really effective.

Excellent. Wow. What opportunities that your leadership journey has really grown through the years, it sounds like, through this program as well. Wow.

So this has been amazing.

I want to thank our guests for sharing their reflections and stories as they celebrate 10 years of Michigan ACE senior level leadership job shadow program.

This initiative continues to be a powerful example of how mentorship opportunity and intentional leadership development can truly transform careers and institutions.

And so, as Dr. Roberts and Dr. Anderson mentioned, if you're a mid level leader in higher education, considering your next step, we encourage you to explore this program and Connect with Michigan ACE. For more information, please visit LCCConnect.com or our webpage at LCC. EDU Women's Network.

Thanks so much for joining in to leading the Way Women in Higher Education until next time. Keep leading, keep learning, and keep lifting others along the way. Thanks for tuning in to Leading the Way Women in Higher Education.

To listen to this episode and others, visit lcconnect.com until next time. Keep leading, keep learning, and keep lifting others along the way.