Cheryl Jensen featured in Maclean’s article focusing on women in college leadership
Posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2016
A Maclean’s magazine article that delves into the stronger representation of women as heads of colleges than of universities focuses on a small number of the 38 female college presidents in Canada, including Cheryl.
The article suggests that women are better-represented in the top leadership positions at colleges because of the college system’s relative youth, its founding purpose in democratizing higher education and in the talent pool it draws on when looking for leaders.
The magazine’s reporter, Nikki Wiart, notes that despite the fact that there is some way to go to achieve gender parity — 30 per cent or 38 out of the 127 presidents of members of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) — much has been achieved. About 20 per cent of Canadian university presidents are women.
“We are very proud of our numbers,” says Denise Amyot, president of CICan, who added that colleges are institutions of their communities, meaning it’s an advantage for the community that a woman head the college.
“A woman will be more sensitive to ensure they also think about women in traditionally male-dominated sectors, such as trades,” said Amyot, by way of example.
The reporter noted that when Cheryl transitioned from the chemical industry to academia, in 1983, she brought with her the experience of what it’s like to be the only woman at the table.
As the Maclean’s article shows, women in leadership positions at Canadian colleges are no longer alone at the table.
“We have quite a few women,” said Amyot. “It’s just amazing.”
Photo: Maclean’s
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