Focus on female leaders

This weekend, females from the IU campus and community will come together to discuss their role in a "changing world."\nSaturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Office for Women's Affairs and the Student Activities Office will co-sponsor the 8th Annual Women's Leadership Conference in the Devault Alumni Center. \nJeannine Bankey, coordinator for programming and research of the Office for Women's Affairs and coordinator of the upcoming conference, said the theme of this year's conference is "Women in a Changing World" and will openly discuss the barriers that exist for women in life after college. Bankey said that the theme is coincidently quite relevant, as freedom all around the world continues to be questioned while America strikes back against the attacks made Sept. 11.\nSpecifically, this conference will address the barriers women face after college, how to balance work and family and how to take care of oneself and lead others in this changing society. Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm will be speaking at the conference about her success as a leader and how she managed to earn her position. \n"To be chancellor and a woman…of a university is a big deal," Bankey said. \nThe conference is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty members for $10. \nBut various departments throughout campus are offering scholarships to those who may not be able to pay; the sponsors want a well rounded group of attendees, Bankey said. \nA minority board composed of a diverse group of women will speak at the conference as well, to portray that "a leader just doesn't look like this," Bankey said.\nOther leaders, such as Dean of Students Richard McKaig; Associate professor Audrey McCluskey; and Professor Carol McCord, assistant dean of women's affairs will also speak.\nA leadership panel of women from different divisions of campus will also be featured speakers. Jean Robinson, dean of women's affairs and political science associate professor, will introduce Brehm and work with a different panel of women. Robinson said they will be talking about friendship and personal life, and how that plays a role in the lives of women. \nCampus administrators have been featured speakers in the past. In 1999, Associate Vice Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs Gloria Gibson, used film footage to lead a discussion of women's leadership roles in a cultural context. \nGibson said interacting with women attending the conference was very beneficial for her, even as a speaker. She had the opportunity to interact with other women throughout the day and learn about their cultures and backgrounds. \n"When we look at women in cultural roles, culture becomes an important part of their leadership," Gibson said. \nAs for the students of past conferences, particularly last year's, Bankey said, "I think they left feeling encouraged, charged up, excited…proud to be a women"