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Women's Mentoring Network Holds 2nd Annual Conference
Network Coordinators

Network Coordinators from left
Julie Ruby, Teri Farr, and
Women's Studies Director
Alison Bailey

The Women’s Mentoring Network recently held its 2nd annual Women’s Mentoring Conference at the Bone Student Center on September 17. The Network provides support and information to women students beginning or returning to college. President Bowman, Provost Presley, and Dean Olson joined Network Coordinator Teri Farr in welcoming mentees, mentors, and guests to the day-long conference. Dr. Carol Ann Baily, Director of Adult Services Center at Middle Tennessee State University, delivered the keynote address entitled “Mentor was a Goddess.” Conference participants also attended two break-out sessions during the afternoon, which included such topics as technology at ISU, time management issues, making deliberate career decisions, and study skills.

 


Kirsten Dunlap and Dr. Alison Bailey

The Dorothy E. Lee Scholarship was presented at the conference by Dean Olson and Dr. Alison Bailey, Director of the Women’s Studies Program to this year’s recipient, Kirsten L. Dunlap. Dunlap is a graduate of Illinois Valley Community College and began her studies toward a degree in Special Education at ISU this fall semester. “The Women’s Studies Program is very excited that the Lee scholarship is a part of our program because it reaches out to a part of the ISU population that really needs help,” said Dr. Bailey. “Most of the women applying for it have families and are returning to school for the first time after a long absence.” The Lee Scholarship fund also awards grants that assist eligible students with books, childcare, transportation, and incidental expenses. “This is such a unique and worthwhile part of the grant because it helps women with expenses such as nursing uniforms, car repairs, fees, and tutoring sessions,” said Dr. Bailey. “This year we had about $500 to award. To increase the fund through donations to such a wonderful program is always important.”

Emerita faculty member, Dr. Dorothy E. Lee is the former chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work and was instrumental in the efforts to establish the Women’s Studies Program and minor. She created the endowed fund in 2004 for nontraditional women students. The purpose of this fund is to help women 25 years or older to begin a college education or to return to college to continue studies toward a degree.

The Women’s Mentoring Network was established in the fall of 2003 by a group of University employees as a support organization for female non-traditional students. Mentors are female professionals on campus who wish to create welcoming environment for these students in an effort to ease the transition to higher education.

For further information and/or questions about the Women’s Mentoring Network visit the Network website at www.mentoringnetwork.ilstu.edu or contact Teri Farr at 438-8669 or tjfarr@isltu.edu. Applications to become a mentee or a mentor can be downloaded from the website. 

For further information about the Dorothy E. Lee Scholarship visit the Women’s Studies website at www.womenstudies.ilstu.edu.


 
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