The Caltech Women's Center

The Caltech Women's Center

Candace Rypisi

The mission of the Caltech Women's Center (www.womenscenter.caltech.edu) is to promote the advancement of women in science and engineering. The Women's Center works to supports the central research and educational mission of Caltech, while providing students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty with opportunities, programs, and services that address gender issues and promote success, equity, and safety.

Research has shown that mentoring:

• increases student retention
• fosters both professional and personal development
• increases morale
• lowers stress
• fosters organizational change.

For women in science mentoring:

• offers women role models that show a career in science is possible
• encourages women to be competitive and take risks when necessary
• provides focused attention in an atmosphere which is often silent or discouraging
• helps increase self-confidence and esteem.

New ways of looking at mentoring

According to Lois Zachary, The Mentor's Guide, the old paradigm for mentoring was that it was based on the assumption that the mentor is an "expert" in a field and that the protegé passively learns through what is passed on by the mentor, and the new paradigm is that mentoring is a partnership based on mutual learning, growth, and satisfaction. In the new model mentoring can take on many roles:

counselor

acts as a sounding board to help protegés solve problems or issues

coach

gives candid feedback, assistance with career, and advice

role model

leads by example

advocate/champion

listens, helps protegé gain exposure, opens doors

In many cases the old paradigm assumed that all of your mentoring needs could or would be met by one person. Today, experts suggest that we seek out different mentors for different needs.

Needs Assessment with Students

Undergraduates believe strongly that mentoring is needed, especially in times of transition. They identify their primary needs as academic progress, negotiating campus culture, and gaining leadership skills. They also identified an interest in gaining access and connection to women faculty and women in industry-role models. The ideal mentors are seen as faculty women; someone who understands Caltech culture, and someone they like

Graduate Students feel mentoring is needed and a key part of their academic and professional development. They identify their primary needs as academic progress, career development, work-life balance, and challenges for women in science. They state that faculty women make the best mentors. Their main concern is confidentiality.

Program Development

At the Cal Tech Women's Center an effort is made to think about mentoring in a broader, more holistic way and to develop programs that allow for one-to-one mentoring with a more senior person; peer support and community building; career development opportunities; and access to women role models/leaders in science and engineering.

The center taps into other campus resources to "round out" our programs and struggles with the challenges of not enough women faculty and not enough women in certain disciplines to meet the need. The initial program was begun in a small way with an emphasis on personal connection and on the training of mentors and protegés. Several of the projects initiated by the program follow.

Women Mentoring Women Program

JPL Undergraduate Mentoring Program (JUMP)

MentorNet

Graduate Women's Discussion Group

Other programs

Several smaller programs in which the Center is involved include the SWE Big Sister Program, WEST events, the Career Development Leadership Series, and the Project of Effective Teaching.

The Caltech Women's Center