New course dovetails with diversity trends

When it comes to leadership development, women in the workplace typically have not had the best support system. Of late, however, that seems to be changing, as the search for higher levels of diversity and inclusion has reached an apparent tipping point.

In that vein, the University of Notre Dame’s Stayer Center for Executive Education is offering a new online Women in Leadership course through its highly ranked Mendoza College of Business.

Launched on Sept. 1, the course is designed to prepare women to “build strategic leadership skills, lead effective change, practice ethical decision-making, negotiate and resolve conflict, and build relationships through mentorship and networking,” according to a release. Plus, the course can benefit women with a range of professional experience, from first stages of their careers to senior leadership to re-entering the workforce.

“Women in Leadership was designed with a specific focus on topics related to gender diversity and inclusivity that are critical to an organization’s success,” says Robin Kistler, the director of non-degree programs at the Stayer Center for Executive Education. “It is important for Notre Dame to offer educational opportunities that inspire women to engage in purposeful career development and provide transformational leadership that benefits their organizations and communities.”

“We have been working diligently to create a program that provides the resources and dynamic environment where women can learn, grow and impact their organizations in positive ways,” adds Walter Clements, associate dean of the Stayer Center for Executive Education.

Created with working professionals in mind, the four-week course is offered 100% online so participants can get a world-class business education from one of the top-rated business schools, from anywhere in the world, Kistler explains. Three Mendoza faculty members will teach the course: associate teaching professors Amanda McKendree and Angela Logan, and Alice Obermiller, director of experiential learning and leadership development in Mendoza’s graduate business programs.

The program is powered by Bisk, a digital learning company that partners with universities to deliver online degree and certificate programs to learners globally. The Women in Leadership course can be taken on its own or with an online Executive Certificate in Leadership for comprehensive leadership training.

Rebecca Laman, vice president of strategic partnerships at Bisk, says Women in Leadership delivers development for women in all stages of their careers through a values-based approach, using leadership “as a force for good.”

Note: With leadership development for women a key trend these days, the 2019 HR Technology Conference & Expo is offering attendees a chance to explore emerging diversity trends and how to foster them in a session titled New Technologies to Manage Workplace Diversity, part of the conference’s Women in HR Technology Summit. To learn more, attend this session at 10 a.m. Oct. 1.

 

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Tom Starner
Tom Starner is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia who has been covering the human resource space and all of its component processes for over two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].