Sister Nancy Hynes Institute for Women's Leadership

In the spring of 2003, CSB students Beth Heinzen and Sarah Sumers & Vice President of Student Development Mary Geller had the idea to start a Women's Center, noting the importance of having a resource for the advancement of women on campus. The center opened on March 29, 2004 and held its first program, a discussion about feminism titled "The 'F' Word." The Institute for Women's Leadership was dedicated to Dr. Sister Nancy Hynes on September 16, 2007, because of her dedication to the women's movement and her activism concerning women's issues. The IWL continues to be committed to honoring her work and continuing her legacy. The Institute for Women's Leadership is unique in that it is a student-lead program under Student Development. The program is led by a student intern working twenty hours per week. She serves as the program director and is in charge of hiring, training, managing and supervising a staff of 7-9 fellow students. In addition the Student Director works closely with a faculty advisor to achieve learning goals via intensive study on gender and leadership. Guided by a dynamic advisory board made up of faculty and administrative staff, students are ultimately in charge of the direction that the Institute takes throughout the year - what programs are put on, what themes programs center on, and how to further advance the Institute and its role on campus. By doing this, students are able to gain hands-on leadership experience, find their leadership style, and understand first-hand how gender influences leadership. This allows them to develop better quality programs with intentionality and better help the student body at large learn the importance of understanding gender and leadership. The Institute for Women's Leadership has a mission to empower women to become local and global leaders by engaging in inclusive dialogue, reflective thinking, and values-based leadership that celebrates and recognizes women as shapers of our world.