A Champion for Gender Equity

For decades, over 60 percent of the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in many disciplines have been awarded to women, according to data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics. Yet, the face of higher education leadership has remained largely unchanged, with only a third of all U.S. college and university presidents and chancellors identifying as women, according to a 2017 study by the American Council on Education.

Gloria D. Thomas (PhD ’04), a CSHPE alumna and former Director of the U-M Center for the Education of Women, has dedicated over 20 years of her career to addressing this issue. This August, Thomas was named President of HERS, a professional organization that supports gender equity, inclusion, and excellence in higher education. HERS programs support the advancement of women throughout their career trajectory, and the HERS Network connects over 3,000 program alums virtually.

“I was attracted to this work in order to empower others and strengthen voices of those who have been historically marginalized, particularly women in their intersectional gender identities. I know first-hand how it feels to be powerless and unheard. My aim is to shift that paradigm,” Thomas said.

Thomas joins HERS at a critical inflection point in higher education. The COVID-19 pandemic forced most postsecondary institutions to shift their mode of instruction online and address the health and wellbeing of their students, faculty, and staff more intentionally. According to Thomas, “higher education is one industry of the workforce where employee and student well-being are a must to address in order for our institutions to remain viable and relevant as engines of innovative research, teaching and service.” In addition to a global pandemic, many institutions faced a racial reckoning in 2020. Thomas believes “higher education requires bold and courageous leaders who are willing to advocate for those who encounter constant barriers in their efforts to succeed. Women, and especially women of color, are more likely to use their leadership roles to remove barriers for all to thrive.” She points to a recent report by McKinsey and Lean In that suggests that women are the necessary change agents required to address employee well-being and toxic cultural issues in the workplace.

Founded in 1972, HERS is the only organization committed to narrowing the gender gap in higher education leadership, and thus is uniquely positioned to increase the number of women-identifying leaders. As Thomas and her colleagues prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of HERS, her vision for the organization includes expanding access to programs, offering more points of connection for alums, and establishing a program of research on women-identified leaders. Thomas is excited to build on the past accomplishments of HERS and to continue advancing intersectional gender equity, inclusivity, and excellence in higher education.