The Irish sector has been challenged by higher education policy and frameworks to improve gender equity and provide more support for women to thrive in leadership roles at all levels.
Building on the huge success of the Aurora programme in Ireland, we’ve developed a contextualised Senior Women’s Leadership Development Programme for the nation. Aimed at senior academic and professional services roles, the programme provides a safe space for women and equips them with the knowledge, skills and network necessary to succeed.
The current cohort is now closed. Please register your interest to receive updates regarding future cohorts.
Who is the programme for?
This programme is designed for women in senior academic and professional services roles, such as professors, heads of department, deputy directors and directors. It’s suitable for those who are not yet at the executive level but may aspire to be executive team members, as well as those already working closely with their senior executive team. It is also suitable for those who are working at a senior level and want to expand their leadership horizontally, for example through influencing a wider arena of work.
“For us as a new university with multiple campuses, across a large geographic region, one of the great benefits for my colleagues doing the programme was simply to get to know each other and the strength of female leadership in the organisation.
Dr Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
“The programme offers formal learning about processes and the way organisations are structured, particularly around governance. Participants also had access to guest speakers from across the sector, excellent workshops and access to a network of peers which is such an important part of any leadership programme.
“My team in ATU have been positive about their experience. When people are busy and have multiple competing priorities, it can be hard to take the time to do a programme like that, but they have really enjoyed the programme.”
Programme outcomes
By taking part in the programme, participants will:
- build momentum in their career progression through renewed commitment and a supportive network of senior women
- develop skills and confidence related to leadership, finance, governance, culture, politics, and influence
- understand the organisational and decision-making frameworks of Irish HEIs and their links to institutional purpose
- explore emergent leadership approaches in the current dynamic HE context
- better understand their unique leadership style, personal impact, and legacy
- enhance their abilities to engage in an organisational dialogue more effectively.
How is the programme structured?
The programme provides a fertile ground for in-depth exploration of current leadership thinking, aligned with practical strategic leadership challenges that participants bring to the room. It provides a safe space to build a network of trusted allies.
Introduction
Setting the scene for Senior Women’s leadership in the current HE context.
Leadership as an art of influence
Exploring leadership influence based on relationships, conversation and shared purpose.
Governance and Finance
Exploring frameworks and developing practical strategies for success, especially around funding and finance, accountability and governance.
Action learning sets
Smaller group work on practical leadership challenges pertinent to the participants’ leadership roles.
Leadership and legacy
Discussing current leadership trends and their impact on female leadership.
Explore two distinct programmes from Advance HE for HE leaders in Ireland
Find out more about our Strategic Leadership Programme Ireland here.
How the programme complements Aurora
The Senior Women’s Leadership Development Programme provides a natural progression from Aurora for those with more leadership experience and exposure, to progress to senior executive roles of influence and leading.
This programme enables deep development and exploration of current leadership thinking alongside a significantly smaller cohort of 24 participants. Women can build close bonds and form alliances that support their career development and progression. The Senior Women’s Leadership Programme Ireland is a much more in-depth experience compared to Aurora.
Programme Facilitators
Barbara Bassa
Senior Consultant, Leadership and Organisational Development , Advance HE
Barbara is a versatile senior advisor and programme director who works across the higher education sector in the UK and worldwide. She holds a broad remit of responsibility and a diverse portfolio of projects, working with senior and aspiring university leaders on a wide range of national and bespoke programmes, driving strategic development, effective team collaborations and culture change. Watch Barbara’s video to learn more about the programme.
Professor Karise Hutchinson
Professor of Leadership and the founder of Illuminaire Leadership , Advance HE
Karise Hutchinson is a Professor of Leadership and the founder of Illuminaire Leadership – a global institute providing high quality, research-led insight to leaders in private, public and third sector organisations. She is an award-winning researcher, author, educator, speaker, and strategic advisor to leaders in government, public and private sector, as well as not-for-profit organisations. In this video Karise introduces the programme.
Karen Delgado
Associate – Leadership, Advance HE
Karen is an Accredited Leadership and Team Coach and a dedicated advocate for female leadership. Through her experience and diverse skillset, she is committed to enhancing the capabilities of leaders across various sectors and building trust and strong meaningful networks that champion leadership excellence.
Sharon Bailey
Associate – Finance & Governance, Advance HE
Since 2018, Sharon has been the Bursar and Chief Financial Officer in University of Galway leading the University’s Financial Planning, Financial Accounting and Research Accounting teams. Sharon supports the development and execution of University of Galway’s strategic plans through the strategic management of the University’s finances, investments, research support, and business support.
Caroline Loughnane
Associate – Governance, Advance HE
Caroline is an experienced, dynamic university leader, with expertise in HE governance, strategy development, leadership of academic affairs, change management, and external engagement. She has held senior positions in Higher Education for twenty years. Caroline is a skilled communicator with a thorough understanding of the changing nature of Higher Education governance, informed by international trends and objective analysis.
