On Thursday, November 9, approximately 50 participants attended the Female Faculty Network Twente (FFNT) second annual conference on academic leadership.
The FFNT was founded a little over a year ago to address the fact that women lag behind in academic careers. Says FFNT member Mieke Boon (Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science and Technology), `Modern women don't want to feel like victims; they want to solve the problems. We at the FFNT want to empower them to do so.'
Last year the FFNT hosted its first conference entitled `What does it mean to be a professional in academia?' Over the course of the year, the organization offered several workshops to contribute to professionalism among women. As it turned out, said Boon in opening this year's conference, `High skills and standards are not enough. Success is gained in part from assuming roles and playing games. Many women academics feel that they do not understand university politics.' University leaders, however, are well versed in the `rules of the game.'
Hence the non-academic speakers, beginning with Executive Board chairman Anne Flierman. `When I arrived at the UT, I was astonished by the fact that there were so few women in senior faculty positions,' declared Flierman. Since then, he has made it a priority to address this issue. Flierman: `One of the performance indicators the Executive Board has established, is increasing the number of women in high positions at the UT. Budget-wise, this should be possible. Many vacancies are projected over the next few years. This will be a great opportunity to attract new staff members. And, this is not including the 29 new professors in the 3TU next year.'
According to Flierman, adding women to the ranks is vital to maintaining and improving the status of the UT. `We need women to serve as role models and to attract female students.' Women are also invaluable contributors to the way teams work. In short, says the chairman, `We can't afford to leave out half of our talent.'
The solution to the problem is not simple. First, while women are glaringly absent from full and associate professorships, how to recruit? Next, solutions may require unorthodox steps based on political rationale, which defy traditional academic reasoning. Finally, some women do not want to be part of the world of senior faculty members, which is often characterized by aggressive, back-stabbing behavior.
Flierman concluded with a promise of discrete problem-solving: `If you encounter a situation which doesn't feel right, come see me or any board member and we will try to address issues in general terms, when the opportunity arises.'
Following Flierman was former Minister of Justice Winnie Sorgdrager, who spoke about what it takes to succeed in a leadership position, be it in politics or academics.
As the first female public prosecutor in Almelo, Sorgdrager experienced sexist attitudes: she was mistaken for a secretary, asked to make coffee, assumed to be the wife of `someone.' She learned not to get close; she found that authority is gained from expertise, but also from distance.
As Attorney General, Sorgdrager was appointed to a position which many other colleagues sought. Jealous rivals accused her of winning the position because of her gender.
`There is no place for naïveté in politics,' said Sorgdrager. As Minister of Justice under Prime Minister Wim Kok, she thought `if I had a good proposal, I could present it thoroughly and sincerely to convince the MPs and get it passed in Parliament. Ha!' Most proposals are negotiated outside of actual sessions. `More important than knowing how to play the game is being aware of what is going on and determining how to deal with it.'
To lead, according to Sorgdrager, one must form strategic alliances, seek compromise; have personality and charisma, be totally involved while keeping a distance, and have a stable home life.
During the Q&A that followed, several women in the audience recognized the scenarios Sorgdrager described. They acknowledged that success comes from `playing the game,' but one clarified, `I try to play it according to my own conditions.'
Anna Tudos, a Bulgarian participant working in the faculty of Science and Technology, confessed that she finds the Netherlands modern, but not emancipated. Once, at a gathering with male colleagues, she brought up the differences in the way that men and women communicate. The men were totally baffled, `We see no difference.' Therein lies a significant part of the challenge faced by women. Tudos averred, `I think that male professionals should be required to attend a conference like this.'
Currently there are 154 members in the FFNT, up from 50 last year at this time. Roughly half of the female scientific professionals at the UT are members of the FFNT. The network invites any female faculty members - from full professors to PhD students - to join.
