Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/63429
Because you were a female or because you hadn't had the experience? Both. How did you convince them? You just do a good job. You surprise them. There's some- thing to be said for low expectations. How is such technology being implemented at your School of Business Administration? Every classroom at the University of Miami is outfitted with very sophisticated technology. In addition, we're entirely wireless. Students can sit anywhere on campus without hav- ing to plug in their computers—they can even sit outside. Increasingly, business is an IT culture, so students are learn- ing modern technology while they're learning business. What other challenges will your business school face in the next three to five years? I think increasingly our challenges will be related to our abil- ity to operate globally in a world we don't necessarily know. One day you might be in India, and the next day you might be in Iran. Students can't just take business courses. They need to understand culture, philosophy, and religion. Let's turn to the subject of women in education. How do you think the picture for women has changed in the past 20 years? Number one, women dominate higher education. Most of the people in higher education are women. Two, women have moved into administrative positions in higher educa- tion, including leadership positions, particularly in public higher education. Women have had wonderful opportunities to manage large institutions. But the stumbling blocks for women in higher education have always been fund-raising and athletics. Before Nan Keohane became president of Duke University, she and I discussed the best way to talk about athletics. I just said, "Show your enthusiasm." I think there's no question now that women can raise money, and that they can talk to basketball and football coaches. As the first woman to head a Big Ten University, did you face any specific challenges or obstacles? I certainly did. In fact, until I got to this position, no one thought I was qualified for any position I had. Right through my career, I overreached, until I got here. I've never been in an administrative position in which the consensus was that I actually had the qualifications. In management education, only about 33 percent of the student population is female. How can we interest women in business schools? Make them gender-friendly. Women aren't underrepresented in law or medicine. Business is just lagging behind. But those numbers were five percent when I was in school, so there's been a huge increase. Do I think it will get to 50 percent? You bet. Over the next decade? Yes. No question in my mind. How can schools improve the numbers of women occupying top administrative positions? I think that number will keep growing, particularly now that we have women in the Ivy Leagues, leading some of the best universities in the country. Do you consider yourself a role model for other women? I've helped coach a number of college presidents over the years. I had a number of senior women at the department of Health and Human Services. And here at Miami I have three women vice-presidents. One I employed, two were already here. It's a very diverse set of vice presidents. What advice would you give to other women first assuming a presidency of a major university? Learn how to work with the faculty, that's the most impor- tant thing. University presidents get killed if they don't listen carefully enough. Faculty members can either make or break a presidency. At the same time, they are the key to the repu- tation of the institution. Therefore, shared governance becomes extremely important to understand. It's a different world, a different culture. It's a guild. What are some of your goals for the University of Miami while you're there? To make it better! To move it to the top ranks of American research universities, to improve the quality of undergradu- ate education, to help our medical school move to the top 20, and to help the school be a better citizen of our com- munity. That's good enough. s z BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2002 21 KEITH BOWERMASTER, COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI