I'm in Clearwater, Florida, this weekend to speak to participants in the 2008 Alice Manicur Symposium for Women Aspiring to be Senior Student Affairs Officers. That's a long title, but the importance of the event deserves it. The 60 women here have been selected by their campuses as individuals with proven track records, talent and creativity. They are quite rightly learning more about senior leadership in higher education BEFORE plunging in.
I've been asked to tell them what a president wants from a vice president of student affairs. I probably should have brought our VP for Student Affairs, Joe Paul, with me and presented him to the group. He is one of the best in the business.
The symposium was named for Alice Manicur, the daughter of an Italian immigrant and coal miner from West Virginia. Manicur opened doors to the profession for many women. In 1982, she was the recipient of the Fred Turner Award for outstanding service to the profession.