Baylor conference designed to support women in higher education

On average, women have higher GPAs and score higher on the GRE than men. Yet statistics show that women take longer than men to complete their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees (and are less likely to graduate).

That’s why the Baylor Graduate School hosts the annual Women in the Academy (WITA) conference. It was started in 2011 by grad student Megan Oster, MSED ’11, as a way to engage in meaningful discussion around women’s roles, triumphs and challenges in higher education. At this year’s conference on April 9, attendees will hear “Herstories” of the paths graduate students and professionals have travelled in higher education.

Dr. Nichola Gutgold, associate dean of academic affairs at Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College, is WITA’s keynote speaker. Her latest (and aptly-titled) book is Women in the Academy: Learning From Our Diverse Career Pathways, one of several books Gutgold has authored and co-authored on women in male-dominated fields and how they got where they are today. (Her motto: “Speak up and speak well!”)

If you’re a woman looking for support and advice for furthering your career, WITA is for you. And if you’re a man eager to better understand the issues surrounding women in higher education and how to approach them, WITA is for you, too. Registration is open through March 31.

Sic ’em, Bears!