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Womxn's Leadership Initiative

Womxn’s Leadership Initiative

Womxn’s Leadership Initiative is a series of workshops and a retreat focused on the development of feminist transformative leadership. It’s open to all 2nd year and above womxn in elected or hired positions across campus with the explicit goals of creating community, providing opportunities to gain additional leadership, and develop intentional support structures. We examine what it means to be a feminist transformative leader, develop the language and experiences that promote transformation and advocacy, and create a framework for clear and accessible pathways to leadership for womxn identified folx utilizing culturally appropriate, intersection, and feminist approaches.

Womxn's Leadership Initiative is a developmental program open to 20 womxn identified leaders. Students must apply and be selected to participate. The program helps womxn identified leaders to understand what it means to be a womxn leader in todays society, assists them in developing strategies for addressing inequities and successfully leading and building a sense of community with other womxn identified leaders. This program can help expand on leadership skills gain in programs such as the P.A.W.S. Leadership Seminar from the Margo Souza Leadership Center.

 

Womxn’s Leadership Initiative Learning Objectives:

Students who complete the Womxn’s Leadership Initiative will:

  • Develop a greater understanding of their personal identities, particularly gender identity, gender expression, and leadership
  • Gain knowledge of various methods to understand and change the sexist behaviors of others and, if relevant, their own internalized sexism
  • Articulate the diversity within the womxn’s community in regards to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, spirituality, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or circumstances of life
  • Develop effective personal and leadership skills, including but not limited to time management, effective written and oral communication, teamwork, group facilitation, and peer education
  • Develop an ability to navigate interpersonal conflict
  • Demonstrate a commitment to advocating for womxn
  • Gain knowledge of and ability to articulate the contemporary issues facing the womxn
  • Develop and/or empower womxn to create positive social change for themselves and other womxn
  • Demonstrate an ability and commitment to help womxn find and use the support and resources available to them

 

Program Requirements:

By applying to this program, you agree to complete the following requirements:

  • Attend the Womxn’s Leadership Initiative Retreat
  • Attend monthly Womxn’s Leadership Initiative Workshops
  • Complete Womxn’s Leadership Initiative Readings
  • Maintain a Womxn’s Leadership Initiative Journal

 

Workshops:

The workshops dates will be determined during the retreat.

Retreat:

The Womxn’s Leadership Initiative Retreat will take place on Sept 28th-Sept 30th 2018at the Yosemite Filed Station in the Yosemite National Forest in Wawaona, CA.  We will bus to the location, leaving on Sept 28th at 12pm and returning on Sep 30th around 7pm at the latest.

Who Can Apply:

Womxn identified leaders interested in participating in this program must meet the below criteria you must:
   

  1. Identify with womxnhood (this include trans* womxn, gender non-conforming folx and non-binary folx).
  2. Be involved in organizations, departments, or other communities at UC Merced in Fall 2018
  3. Be in good academic and judicial standing 

~Good academic standing means you have a cumulative UC grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 and your last completed semester grade point average (GPA) is at least 2.0

~Good judicial standing means are currently not on university probation

If you do not meet the above criteria but would still like to apply to participate in the Women's Leadership Initiative, please contact Taylor Fugere at tfugere@ucmerced.edu to set up an interview.

 

What do you need to apply:

To be considered, you must qualify with the “Who Can Apply” criteria and complete the application questions located at http://bit.ly/UCMWLI2018. Applications close Sept 10th 2018 at 11:59pm.
 

 

If Selected as a Participant:

If you are selected as a participant, you are required to provide a $20 deposit to reserve your space. To submit your deposit, it must be received in the Office of Student Life (OSL) no later than Sept 18th 2018 at 4pm. Your deposit will be returned to you once you get on the bus Friday, Sept 28th 2018. The deposit will be donated to Women’s Programs if you do not show up for the Retreat. If selected as a participant, you will also need to complete a Liability Waiver.

 

We invite you to apply today!