What is the Women's Leadership Center?

Within Alfred University’s student community The Women’s Leadership Center is often addressed in polarized tones. Many students have had or have heard of exceptional achievements coming out of the building and its sponsored projects. While others feel accessibility is nominally and therefore innately inhibited.

However it is commonly stated that people are most skeptical of those things they understand least. Hopefully the following facts will dispel any harbored fictions.

The Women’s Leadership Center, located adjacent to the Ford Street Apartments, was the result of approximately a decade’s worth of preparation that finally saw establishment in 2006. The center’s goals as stated by Julia Overton-Healey, director of the WLC, were originally and continue to be educational.

“The mission remains pretty much the same today: to provide leadership development opportunities for AU's women to explore, develop and fulfill their potential as leaders…in their communities as they meet the challenges of a complex society. Of course, that doesn’t mean to the exclusion of men,” claimed Overton Healey, as we began a question and answer exchange on the WLC.

The Women’s Leadership Academy, which may be called the brainchild of the WLC, has never been exclusive to women. It is true that as the academy launches a search for its fifth class it has never had a male join the ranks. However that all may change as well intended curiosity has yielded the first application by a male to be submitted to the academy.

When asked about various leadership styles one of which being masculine and the other feminine Overton-Healey stated the differing aspects and continued to affirm the fact that these categories are generally inconsequential.

“I really don't like the labels of masculine or feminine style,” replied the director. “What's important to me is that we find ways to help people identify their own leadership strengths…men are just as likely to be successful when acting in a so-called feminine style and women are just as effective when leading in a masculine style.”

The academy’s inaugural class had 10 students in it and while class sizes have varied the average class size remains at 10. With that Overton-Healey added that she is excitedly anticipating a larger and more diversified fall 2010 class.

“The Women's Leadership Center does a lot on the campus, beyond the Academy,” emphasized the director earnestly. “Our programs are so varied and we develop our events calendar trying to appeal to everyone at least a little bit. We offer workshops on basic leadership skills [and] we bring in speakers for our Women of Influence series who share their advice and wisdom about how to succeed professionally.”

While the WLC’s dedicated staff is happy to answer all questions the final answer to be articulated by this article is that for either sex the WLC is exactly what students, faculty and staff of AU are willing to make of it. Thus far that answer is breeding success both personally and professionally.