Overcoming Barriers and Challenges for Women in Universities | Webinar summary and recording

‘Overcoming Barriers and Challenges for Women in Universities’ webinar summary

On Thursday 10 November, jobs.ac.uk teamed up with Women-Space to bring you their first-ever international webinar ‘Overcoming Barriers and Challenges for Women in Universities’. Aimed at Canadian, European and North American audiences the webinar addressed some of the barriers women face in universities. Watch the webinar recording to see Dana Brown and a panel of women explore topics such as career development, leadership experience, and managing a work/life balance.

Can you explain some of the challenges or barriers you have faced along the way in your own career as you progressed up the ranks and how you have overcome them?

Dr. Lisa Watson and Reena Atanasiadis reflect on their careers and how not saying ‘no’ and taking on more responsibility than men defined their careers. Saying ‘yes’ to opportunities that become available to you can aid you in your career by embracing the experience and the knowledge gained from taking on extra tasks. Reena pointed out that institutions will give management responsibilities to women without hesitation. However, when it comes to leadership roles, this is not the case and it’s something that needs to be worked towards to see women in those positions.

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Why do you think barriers to senior leadership roles still exist?

More women are leaving leadership roles and Dr. Alison Yacyshyn and Reena Atanasiadis believe that one of the major reasons is that women tend to overthink. Dr. Lisa Watson takes the conversation further, exploring impostor syndrome and how building confidence is crucial to overcome the doubt of thinking you can’t be a leader.

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What have you found in your career in the big positions you’ve held?

Do you want to change the world or fit into the world? Christina Hughes makes you question what you want to get out of your career. She reveals that people try to fix women so they fit into the status quo. Christina also speaks about the ways in which women must adapt to their roles when being the only female sitting at the table. Therefore, a key takeaway Christina has found is that there need to be more women supporting other women as this can help change the gender balance and allow us to see more women in those spaces. This will then also result in women becoming less like men and give everyone an equal footing.

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Can you reflect on that on how you’ve addressed some of the challenges you have faced in the workplace as a woman?

When it comes to sexism, bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination, Dr. Alison Yacyshyn explains that you must step up and call out that this is not appropriate. Having a respectful workplace matters as it allows everyone to have these conversations and not be afraid to call out inappropriate behaviour. Reena Atanasiadis shines a light on regulations in place and to be yourself as at times being seen as ‘one of the guys’ is a sign of acceptance.

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How do you juggle both your internal responsibilities and caring for your students?

Do you get overwhelmed with your responsibilities? Dr. Alison Yacyshyn, Dr. Lisa Watson and Reena Atanasiadis share their tips and strategies that help them have a work/life balance:

• Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and open up to others
• Exercise, such as going for a walk with the dog
• Have someone important in your life to support you and remind you of the balance
• Set boundaries like logging off on the weekends
• Make your needs known in the workplace to ensure you don’t work outside of work hours
• Set expectations with staff such as working hybrid and when you’re available

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What role has coaching and mentorship played in your career?

Dr. Alison Yacyshyn and Dr. Lisa Watson discuss that having a coach and a great peer network can help you to gain a new perspective, have someone listen to you, be able to draw ideas from, and gain more insight which then allows you to pass on the advice.

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How do you build coaching and mentorship into the lives of those you’re leading and ensure people are getting that mentorship and coaching when they need it?

The experience Reena Atanasiadis has faced is two types of women:

• Women who genuinely help and are true mentors
• Women who see women as competition

Therefore, it’s important to not see other women succeeding as a sign that there is less chance for them to progress to the top too. Another key point is that younger women aspiring for executive positions should apply and overcome a sense of imposter syndrome, which makes them feel like they don’t qualify and that they need to tick all the boxes.

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What steps should women take to get into leadership?

There are many routes to take to get into leadership roles. Dr. Lisa Watson and Reena Atanasiadis discuss some steps you can take:

• Say ‘yes’ to opportunities you’re given
• Apply for positions and don’t worry if it’s a perfect fit with your qualifications
• When approached by headhunters, listen to what they’re offering and think about the opportunity they’re presenting you with

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Has anyone been in a situation where you look up to the senior roles that could be the next step in your career, but all the leaders are male and there seems to be no gaps and no opportunities to move up, what have you done?

Reena Atanasiadis’s big tip is to change institutions and don’t be afraid of change. She also points out that if there is that type of resistance to diversity at the top, that institution is probably stale. It might be best to ask yourself, do you really want to be there? Do you want to be in an environment that shuts you out?

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In relation to being one of the boys, do you think there is also an impact on country culture and subject area and how it looks in the workplace?

Dr. Alison Yacyshyn agrees. As the Dean of Faculty of Management and the interim Dean of Education, she explains the faculties are different, many hats need to be worn and it’s about perspective and being conscious of where you are and what you’re doing. Therefore, relying on mentors and those we champion can help.

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View the full webinar recording to watch the summary of the main points or browse jobs.ac.uk’s career advice section to find articles such as Women Leaders in Higher Education – Professor Christina Hughes for more discussion on women in academia.

Panellists:

Professor Christina Hughes CEO Women-Space

Professor Christina Hughes has held senior leadership roles in three large universities in the UK and is an internationally recognised feminist researcher with over 15 book publications. Christina set up Women-Space to build community, provide support and create the change that will enable women to thrive in the academy.

Dana Brown, Dean of Sprott Business School at Carleton University in Ottawa

Prior to coming to Canada, Dana served as Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise and Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at DeMontfort University in Leicester, England, and Director of the MBA at the Said Business School, Oxford University. She is a Full Professor of International Business and has worked in business schools worldwide. Dana also serves as President of the Board of Warm Heart Worldwide, Chair of the Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise, Director on the Kanata North Business Association Board and member of the board of the Business Schools Association of Canada. She is married and a mother of 3 wonderful daughters.

Reena Atanasiadis, Dean of the Williams School of Business at Bishop’s University

Reena Atanasiadis brings over two decades of wealth management and finance experience to her university. Her areas of academic interest include Behavioural Finance, Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management and Financial Institutions Management. Prior to her arrival at Bishop’s, Dean Atanasiadis was Director of the John Molson’s School of Business’s MBA in Investment Management. As a senior lecturer in Finance, she received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence at the Graduate Level and served as Director of the Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program, an innovative initiative through which undergraduates actively manage a three million dollar portfolio. With significant expertise in the areas of AACSB accreditation, student-led portfolio management programs, case competition coaching, faculty development, online/hybrid learning and executive education, she has acted as a consultant to universities, organizations and businesses.

Dr. Lisa Watson, Dean of the Faculty of Business at Athabasca University

Dr. Watson has worked in academia for over 20 years. She most recently spent over 16 years at University or Regina, a traditional bricks and mortar university on Treaty 4 territory, before moving to Treaty 7 territory to lead the business faculty at Canada’s only open and online university in January 2022. Her administrative experience at universities is extensive and wide-ranging. She is also an Associate Professor of marketing and sustainable consumption researcher.

Dr. Alison Yacyshyn, Dean of the Mihalcheon School of Management at Concordia University of Edmonton

Dr. Alison Yacyshyn is the Dean of the Mihalcheon School of Management at Concordia University of Edmonton and interim Dean of the Faculty of Education. Being a “Double Duty” Dean is not new to Alison. Prior to becoming interim Dean of Education, she was the interim Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, while also holding the Dean of Management position. Holding simultaneous decanal positions demonstrates the reliance the institution places on her leadership talents. Alison has also helped launch several programs and she is most proud of launching the Data Management emphasis for the Bachelor of Management program, which includes a Business Demography course. As a trained demographer, the course is within her area of expertise and a course that Alison continues to teach. Alison is a knowledgeable business school leader and a member of an academic administrative team moving Concordia University of Edmonton forward to become Canada’s pre-eminent small university.

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