Training Modules

In order to support the training workshops, a core focus of the ACU's Gender Programme has been the commissioning of a series of user-friendly training modules which address the key problems encountered by women in higher education leadership and management.  A total of eight themes has been developed so far, written by women in/from a wide range of Commonwealth countries:

• Management Development for Women: a Facilitator's Handbook, by Margaret Rowland and June Gleeson (both Australian), is a fundamental guide to planning and running workshops for women in higher education leadership and management.

• Academic Leadership, by Sheryl Bond (Canadian), provides insights into the dearth of women leaders in the academy, identifies factors which nurture leadership potential and argues that women have not only the right but also an obligation to assume leadership positions in the university.

• Women's Studies as a Catalyst for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education, by Gwendoline Williams and Claudia Harvey (both Caribbean), aims to help create and strengthen a cadre of women leaders who, by their involvement in research, teaching, outreach and advocacy within the university system, will have the capacity to transform the currently male dominated patterns of gender relations within tertiary institutions.

• Managing Personal and Professional Roles, by Indira J Parikh (Indian), deals with the multiple roles that women play in society, and the often expressed dilemma of managing all those roles and achieving a balanced life.

• Women and Research, by Ingrid Moses (Australian) argues that research prowess enables women to take their share of professorial positions and suggests strategies whereby women can improve their research capacity and hence their visibility.

• Women and Governance in Higher Education, by Maureen Atkinson and Angela Carryer (both British) highlights the relevance and importance of understanding and participating in university governance and assists women to develop their skills in committee and legislative work.

• Women and Mentoring in Higher Education, by Colleen Chesterman (Australian), looks at the particular relevance of mentoring for higher education and argues that women, through their relatively limited access to higher management, are particularly well suited to mentoring relationships. The module examines the value of mentoring from a variety of angles, proposes training for both mentors and mentees, and considers the relative benefits of formal and informal systems.

• Developing Management Skills, by Anne Gold (British), is designed to offer women who are, or who wish to become, leaders and managers in higher education the opportunity to develop some of the most useful and important management skills.

A ninth module, entitled Introduction to Gender Mainstreaming Universities, by Maithree Wickramasinghe (Sri Lankan), is nearing completion. This module will add valuable insights into how to integrate gender concerns and issues into academic disciplines, departments and the university as a whole.

The first six modules, along with a volume of ancillary materials, were published in three volumes on strong paper (for long life) and loose leaf (for ease of photocopying). These are available from the ACU (d.garland@acu.ac.uk). The intention was that the last three would also be published in hard copy but technology and expectations have overtaken us, and we are now planning to make all nine modules, and the volume of ancillary materials, available for users to download from this website in a format in which they will be able to adapt them for their own context.