NYC Georgia M. Willis Luncheon - February 2004
Photos from this Event

Attendees

Autumn J. Adkins (A&S '94)
"Vinnie" Henderson Bauer (A&S '75)
Haifa N. Bautista (Educ. '81)
Nancy Lyons Callahan (Engin. '82; Darden '84)
Susan Warren Casscells (A&S '81)
Kathleen M. Citera (Law '88)
Lyn Cortright (A&S '73; Educ. '75)
Katherine deRosset (A&S '99)
Taisha L. Edouard (A&S '97)
Catherine Foster (Darden '82)
Donna Garban (Commerce '83)
Polly R. Gardiner (A&S '89)
Amy Mitchell Griffin (A&S '98)
Anne Goulet (Arch. '95)
Kathleen K. Hall (A&S '77)
Laura Heim (Arch. '81)
Chris Howe (Commerce '89; Darden '94)
Loree Jarrell (A&S '00)
Zoe E. Jasper (A&S '95)
Nancy Kingston (A&S '80)
Diana L. Mahle (Associate Dean for External Affairs, McIntire School of Commerce)
Linda B. McGrath (A&S '81)
Lisa A. Midyette (Commerce '85)
Regina C. Mysliwiec (Law '72)
Sara Neher (A&S '96; Undergraduate Scholarship Program Jefferson Scholars Foundation)
Eliza Phillips (A&S '95; Associate Director Regional Development)
Karen Kjorlien Phillips (Darden '82)
Lisa Emmons Pyne (A&S '75)
Beth Rasin (A&S '79)
Becky H. Ruegger (Nursing '73)
Sylvia J. Smith (Grad. Arch. '79)
Leslie Tarkington (Darden '69)
Anita Thompson (Grad. A&S '95)
Carrie Trost (Commerce '94)
Suzanne Tufts (Law '82)
Tara Smith Tyberg (A&S '77)
Georgia Willis (Commerce '83)
Jenny Wyss-Jones (Special Asst. to the Sr. Vice President for Development & Public Affairs)

Georgia Willis' Talking Points

Good afternoon.    It is a pleasure to be here with you - to meet so many women alumnae and friends of The University.  

In reviewing the guest list, I was thrilled to see a wonderful array of professional women here today from various years of graduation and also a diversity of schools:   representatives are here from Nursing, Darden, A&S, Law, Education, Engineering, Architecture, and Commerce - my respective school!   It is wonderful to be with you all!

Your being here today and fitting this luncheon into your busy schedule speaks volumes of your interest in UVA and also your interest in the knowledge of women in leadership and philanthropy.   

I do bring greetings from President Casteen, the Board of Visitors, and all of the Hoos in Charlottesville - who are keeping warm there as you are here in beautiful New York City!  

In our speech classes, our professors always said "Tell them what you are doing to tell them; tell them; and then tell them what you told them."   So, here we go!

There are three features of my presentation:   One addressing the professional women working in The University at all levels; the second discussing leadership qualities and how important that is to you; the third being the responsibility you own in philanthropy, whether you are a woman or a man, whether you be a working person or a student, whether you live in NYC, Virginia, or any other of the wonders of America......giving back is a part of each of our life's agendas.   Let me give you some information and facts and then I will be happy to answer the questions you may still have in a Q&A session after the presentation.   Is that agreeable?

I understand that many of you wish to know of the women who work at The University and at what level.   It is my pleasure to do this, for being a woman is special to me and I carry that with pride.  

My investigation of the various levels of women's participation in the everyday workings of The University was enlightening and I am glad you have given me the opportunity to do that.

The more knowledge we have, the better.

In my responsibilities as a member of the Board of Visitors, I have witnessed the thought processes and decision-making of several senior women officers at UVA and have complemented their presentations and production.   There are several women who occupy vice-president positions and report to Leonard Sandridge, who is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The University.   Leonard is President Casteen's right-hand man, for John can not be everywhere at one time, nor make the administrative decisions while marketing The University throughout the world raising the monies needed for this educational institution to live.

In fact, President Casteen is in Ireland now securing funds, and we wish him well.

Being distributed to you now is an organizational chart of all levels with The University.   If you have a pen with you, I want you to mark each of the following--for these are the women who occupy the positions noted.   I need you to stay with me, for there are many and I am going to roll on through.   Organizational Chart: http://www.virginia.edu/orgchart/

You can see from the numerous notations that The University is very supportive of women and of developing women leaders.

President Casteen and Mr. Sandridge support professional development and that of other women in the administration as well.   In my opinion, UVA has one of the best senior leadership teams in higher education, committed to diversity and quality.

Now, I want you to focus with me on the numbers of women faculty at UVA and what is being distributed to you now is data given to me this past Friday afternoon from the Provost's Office.   We have just finished talking about the business tier of women at The University and now we will be focusing on the teaching tier of women at The University.....both important and necessary.   Walk with me through this chart:   the upper section presents to you percentages and the bottom chart show the numbers which justify those percentages.  

You can see the total number of women in instruction - you must remember we are now talking about the teaching area, not the business area of The University.  

At the left of the upper chart, you see there were 490 women of the total faculty of 1817 and below that, the respective percentages of full, associate, assistant professors, along with the instructor and lecturer numbers in the year 1998.   As you walk across to the extreme right, you will see 2003, where the total number of women in the instructional area were 585 of the total 2015 faculty.  

In the bottom chart, you can look at the extreme left and see 75 women in 1998 in the "full professor section" vs. 100 women in 2003 noted in the extreme right on that same line.

When you look at 1998, there are 131 women "associate professors" and as you scan over to 2003, you see 174 women holding this title.     When you go back and look in 1998 at the women "assistant professor level", there are 214 and in 2003, there are 223; 29 female instructors in 1998 and then in 2003, there are 32.     Going back to the lecturers in 1998, there are 41 vs. in 2003, there are 56.    SO, the numbers are growing, even though sometimes small, they are growing.

A statistic of which you should know is published by the American Association of Universities, the AAU.   Our peer data is reported as of the fall of 2001, for AAU data is given to us every other year, so the fall of 2003 has not yet been finalized.    Even so, in the fall of 2001, you can look at the hand-out that has the two sections on it and see the total women in 2001 is 530.   Do you see that?   This is 27% of the total faculty of 1,953.  

With this information being submitted to the AAU, the American Association of Universities, this places UVA in the list of its peers, which total 61, this ranks UVA as 50 th for women in full-time instructional research.   Now, it was interesting to see Cal Tech at the bottom, being number 61 with 14.8% of women, MIT being #60 with 19.6%; remembering that these two schools are high in math, science, and technical education; and Stanford at 21.5%, being #59 on the list.

I hear your concern; I can feel it and see it in your eyes. Do know we are concerned also.   Let me tell you that Gene Block, our Provost, is taking measures to increase these percentages; it is the right thing to do.   At the Board of Visitors meeting this past week, we were introduced to Gertrude Fraser, who is the Chief Officer of Diversity and one of the responsibilities here is to research the reasons why and to increase the numbers of women faculty at The University.   An increased focus is being presented to attract women into teaching positions at UVA.

Let us recognize there are some variables here which we must respect and acknowledge.   There are many all-female higher-educational institutions throughout the country....there is only one all-male school in this country, Hampton-Sydney in Virginia.   Therefore, so many women instructors have more options and may prefer to teach in these single-gender higher-ed schools.

Another variable is that in some cases, women are married and their spouses do not wish to interrupt his respective career path or move to another area where they may not find a continuum of this career path; they do not wish to move to Charlottesville, Virginia, very conservative and possibly difficult to be socially accepted in the community.   These are realisms.   Lifestyles happen.

Wherever you are in your life cycle makes a difference also.   In each chapter of your life as a woman, you experience different things - and these are also variables affecting the numbers you see here in the faculty arena.

What I see, and what these charts tell us, is there is a lot of women in the business arena of The University, and the numbers of women are improving in the professorial arena.   These women are in high-level, decision-making positions within UVA.   That is healthy!   We want those women in those positions!

It is very gratifying to see an environment that supports individual women's decisions.   This takes place at your alma mater.    You can see there is a challenge getting the female instructors to come to Charlottesville; however, do know there is a lot of energy being placed in turning around these numbers, increasing the percentages of female instructors!

I know you have a strong attachment and dedication to UVA--it is in your blood.   It is in mine.   There is definitely something special about this school, its history, its legacy.   You are a part of that; you are an important part of The University!

You have heard about Women in The University.  

The second part of this presentation is for us, as women, to focus on leadership - women in leadership.   That is YOU.    It is important that each of us hold ourselves with pride in who we are and in what we do ....in what we do every day of our lives, for we are making a difference.    You, each of you is mentoring others, you are teaching others, you are leading others.   Stand tall in your beliefs and know you are an example.   Research the facts in any situation and present them as professionally as you can, making sure you respect those facts and everyone who is to hear them.

A leader is one who challenges her team to grow and encourages them to challenge themselves.   A leader has integrity and fortitude and knows the organizations that succeed recognize the best asset in the company -- its people!

Being an effective leader in your company and also in your community is important to your life and also to your role in society.   Honesty and integrity should be the cornerstones of your leadership style.   Jefferson's reputation for absolute honesty gave him an edge with other people.   They may have disagreed with him; however, they could not question his integrity.   Honesty is one of the best ways to strengthen anyone's reputation, and therefore, your leadership foundation.   As a result, you will always have the support and loyalty of those who can help you most in your business, those that work with you on your mission.

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

The third item on the agenda is "philanthropy"?   What is this?   What is a philanthropist?   Webster's says it is one "who loves and seeks to benefit mankind; desires to help; one who uses money for this."

It is important for us to give of ourselves - in time, talents, and thousands.   On the boards on which I serve, each has the mission of developing youth.   This is a mission that I have committed to myself.   Each of you should have a mission in your life.   Being a member of these boards, this is what I have stated time and time again - you must give of your talent, of your time, and your thousands.   If you do not have thousands, then you must go get them.    For accomplishments do not occur without money; it is necessary to make something happen.   It is out there, and we must find it.

My father was an example in giving....in every way.   He told me when I was a young girl that "You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give."   This is so true.   As long as your hand is open, then you can give.   As long as it is closed, you will not give, and therefore, with your hand being closed, you will not receive.  

It is as simple as that.   Open your hand to share and to give; only then, will you receive.   And, you will be blessed in so many ways that you can't even imagine.

SO, your part in philanthropy?   You have to decide that.   I have mine.   You must have yours.   You must believe in something very strongly and then give to it.  

Invest in yourself; invest in the future.   I challenge you to do that.    I challenge you to make a difference in the lives of others.

I invest in the University of Virginia because I see the commitment the faculty, administration, doctors, nurses, staff and students make everyday.   I invest in it because I see the difference it is making in the youth of this country and in the future of America.

We each have been given time; we each have been given talents.   We each are blessed with careers where we do focus and work hard earning a living - in the thousands.   Time - talents - thousands.   For one to whom much is given; much is expected.   It is your responsibility; it is mine.

Education is our future.   It is the only way we will fight terrorism.   The only way.  

I applaud your connection to this University - and mine as well, for I am so fortunate to have matriculated on the grounds where Thomas Jefferson walked.......and you   also!!!

We have talked about many things this afternoon and I hope this time has been worthwhile for you.

I hope you have learned more about the women in the business side of The University as well as the teaching side; that you know an increased importance to your leadership in your respective walk of life, and that you realize the importance of giving, giving of yourself   -- the best gift you can give!

Recall what UVA has contributed to your life so others can experience the uniqueness of UVA in the future.

Thank you very much for your time and attention and for allowing me to share New York City with you today!