Ding-Jo H. Currie

Creating New Realities for Women of Color: The Kaleidoscope Leadership Institute
By Ding-Jo H. Currie, interim chancellor of Coast Community College District and president of Coastline Community College

In the United States, only 23 percent of colleges and universities have women presidents, and minority women are a scant subset of that population (American Council on Education 2007). On my own journey to the presidency, I seldom saw other women like me. I often wondered, “Where are the minority women on the track to higher education leadership, and who is leading the way for them?” Most importantly, I wondered, “Whose footsteps are they following?” Like many women, I found an answer—and the role models I was seeking—at the Kaleidoscope Leadership Institute.

Donna Lisker

The Baldwin Scholars of Duke University: Inclusive Leadership at Work
By Donna Lisker, associate dean of undergraduate education and codirector of the Baldwin Scholars program at Duke University
In the spring of 2009, a woman was elected the next student government president at Duke University. Most wouldn’t consider this an earth-shattering feminist breakthrough: women have led college student governments for decades. Although there is a glass ceiling for women in politics, it typically does not appear quite so early in an aspiring politician’s career. At Duke, however, Awa Nur’s election was greeted with jubilation, especially by women, because Awa is the first woman to occupy the role in ten years.

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