Dayton Business Journal: Wright State’s women-led leadership marks an anomaly in higher education

Wright State University remains an anomaly. In addition to its cutting-edge programs, the university also showcases a unique leadership structure: with women in place.

In recent years, the gender gap in college enrollment has been widening, with women in the United States being more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree and to enroll in college than men. Despite these numbers, females are still underrepresented in leadership roles across higher education institutions in the U.S., with only 33% of college or university president roles held by women across the country.

Wright State is defying those odds and breaking barriers. It has formed a strong leadership team in the last five years comprised of mostly women, which includes the college president, provost, athletic director and others.

The DBJ sat down with these women leaders to discuss how this came together and what it means for Wright State, one of the largest four-year public universities in the Dayton region with more than 11,000 students.

The decision to have a predominantly female-led team came by chance, not choice.

Wright State President Sue Edwards believes in hiring leaders who will be the perfect fit for Wright State and deliver on the university’s mission to empower all students to excel in their lives and chosen careers.

“We chose the best people for the jobs – and they just happened to be women,” Edwards said. “It wasn’t a conscious decision at all. I had an exceptional number of candidates to choose from, but all of these individuals rose to the top of the pack.”

Edwards emphasized the need for “team players” who don’t come into the position for the title or attention, but instead are willing to dedicate their time and effort into something bigger than them.

It’s easy for coworkers to develop a special bond after spending copious amounts of time together, and the Wright State leadership team is no exception. Through spending the last few years together, the group has formed a synergy that allows for collaborative thinking and efforts with an ultimate goal of upholding student success.

While the leadership team shares many commonalities and a deep understanding for one another through their womanhood, it’s their morals that really tie them together.

“We came in with a positive attitude, great energy and wanting to work together,” said Joylynn Brown, athletic director. “We automatically started out liking each other because we have the same goals and the same values. The fact that we’re all women, for me, just adds to that.”

Read the complete article at bizjournals.com.