Dear OCL Students,
Applications are now open for the USC Rossier Hagen Women’s Leadership Fellowship
Funded by the Veronica and David Hagen Chair in Women’s Leadership, this program aims to increase access to professional development, networking, and mentors for women in Rossier EdD programs through participation in academic and professional conferences.
Women leaders enrolled in one of Rossier’s Doctorate in Education (EdD) programs may apply for the fellowship, which will fund attendance at a conference to take place in the 2023-24 academic year. The conference can be professional or academic and should provide an opportunity for the participant to showcase their leadership roles and skills. Six to nine doctoral students will be funded $1000 to $1500 each through a competitive application process; funding awards will vary depending on whether fellows will be presenting at the conference or attending.
To apply, please complete the application and write 2 essays of no more than 400 words each. The deadline for applications is Monday, November 4, 2024. Applicants must be enrolled in Rossier EdD program courses at the time of application.
Participants will be selected by an alumni panel of graduates from the Educational Leadership, Organizational Change and Leadership and Global Executive EdD programs. Applications will be reviewed and awarded in the fall semester and funding must be spent by the following June. Please contact Professor Tracy Poon Tambascia (tpoon@usc.edu) if you have questions.
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Why is this Fellowship being offered?
Despite gains in educational attainment, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles in government, industry and education (Pew Research, 2021). For example, women CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies reached its peak in 2020 with 7%; in the US there have only been 44 women governors in 30 states; and only one-quarter of Senators are women (Pew Research, 2021). For many years, the lack of a qualified pipeline was blamed for the low number of women in leadership positions, but a 2017 report from the American Council on Education (ACE Higher Education Spotlight, 2017) noted that women have been well represented in the attainment of baccalaureate degrees for the past 30 years, and half of all doctoral degrees since 2006. In academia, women held less than one-third of full professorships in 2015, and in 2017 they held less than one-third of college or university presidencies (ACE Leading the Way to Parity, 2017). Just over 25% of women lead school districts as superintendents in the US (Hechinger Report, 2020).
Even with modest gains over time, gender parity and women’s access to senior leadership roles remains a challenge. More direct action and support is needed. Though this program is only a small part of what is needed to strengthen the pathway to senior leadership roles for women, it is an important step in this journey. Fellows will not only benefit from the program, but become part of a community of mentors and supporters for other women.
Other important information
Students will be reimbursed after the conference, usually for conference registration, travel, lodging, or per diem up to the amount of the fellowship total. USC travel policies will apply to all reimbursements. Receipts will be required for reimbursement up to the amount of the grant from this program. Funding will be available each academic year, and EdD students can reapply if their initial request was not accepted.
After the conference, fellows will be asked to share an abstract of their presentation or brief summary of what they learned at the conference and will be featured on a Hagen leadership website. Fellows will also be asked to review applications in subsequent funding cycles and to mentor rising women leaders in professional settings.