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June 4-13, 2024
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), Philadelphia, PA
July 24-August 2, 2024
University of Denver (DU), Denver, CO
University of Pennsylvania: please arrive between 12-3 pm on the first day of the Institute (June 4th) and check out of your room by 9 am on the second Thursday (June 13th). When making travel arrangements, please give yourself time to get from the airport to your Institute location.
University of Denver: please arrive between 12-3 pm on the first day of the Institute (July 24th) and check out of your room by 9 am on the second Friday (August 2nd). When making travel arrangements, please give yourself time to get from the airport to your Institute location.
We cannot access Institute facilities until the designated check-in time. You will have to make your own hotel arrangements if you arrive early.
University of Pennsylvania Area Lodging
University of Denver Area Lodging
Programming starts shortly after check-in. We don’t want you to miss anything but understand that may not be realistic for everyone’s travel plans. Please get in touch with Charlene Emory-Proctor (charlene@hersnetwork.org) if you know you will be arriving late.
UPenn: Gutmann College House
211 South 40th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3578 (Google Maps link)
DU: Nelson Hall
2222 High Street, Denver, CO 80210 (Google Maps link)
It’s ideal to attend all days of the Institute. If we’re unsure where someone is during sessions, we do wellness checks to see if you need anything. If you learn that you will be unable to attend a particular session or a particular day, please get in touch with Charlene Emory-Proctor (charlene@hersnetwork.org).
Yes, all bedrooms are single occupancy, but room styles for the summer HLIs may consist of singles and doubles in suite and pod configurations.
UPenn: Gutmann College House is all suites and suitemates will share a bathroom. There will be no more than two people per bathroom.
DU: Nelson Hall is all suites, and suitemates share a bathroom. Please see this Dropbox link for suite configurations and photos.
UPenn: each suite has a small refrigerator.
DU: Each suite and/or individual sleeping room will have a fridge. If you will need to ensure access to a freezer for the purposes of storing expressed milk, medicine, etc., please contact Charlene Emory-Proctor (charlene@hersnetwork.org).
Yes, the residence halls are air-conditioned.
Dress to what suits you best and makes you most comfortable. We recommend wearing layers, especially if it’s warm outside, because the meeting room may be chilly. The temperature in the residence halls will vary.
We suggest business casual attire for the class photo and graduation.
The 2024 Summer Intensive HLI includes 9 nights of lodging, 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 2 dinners. Lodging accommodations for our summer programs are in a campus residence hall.
UPenn: linen packs through the institution will be $115.00 + tax and they include a flat sheet, fitted sheet, lightweight blanket, pillow with pillowcase, bath towels, wash cloth, and hand towel. You can use this link to pay before May 19th and use the registration code: “HERSlinens2024”. Please note you may want to pack an extra blanket for your bed as the blanket provided in the linen package is often thin. You are also welcome to avoid paying this fee by bringing or purchasing your own linens (please be sure that bed sheets are Twin XL size if you’re bringing your own linens).
DU: each linen packet comes with a fitted sheet, flat sheet, towel, washcloth, pillow, and pillowcase. This is included in the cost of the program. Guests get a second set during their stay halfway through the Institute.
Please note, you may want to pack an extra blanket for your bed as the blanket provided in the linen package is often thin.
UPenn: free washers and dryers are available on the 3rd floor of Guttman College House. Individuals will need to provide their own laundry products (detergent, softener, etc.)
DU: Laundry facilities are located on the main floor of Nelson Hall, which can be paid for with quarters or the Speed Queen mobile app. Instructions for the Speed Queen Mobile app are posted in the laundry room.
UPenn: The Pottruck Gymnasium front desk will sell day passes for $25 per day. Attendees will need their Penn ID (provided at check-in) and a photo ID to purchase a day pass. Gym hours are Monday-Friday: 6am-10pm, Saturdays: 8am-8pm, Sundays: 9am-8pm
DU: Participants can access the Coors Fitness Center at the Ritchie Center. Visit the front desk at the gym to sign a waiver and pay $10 cash per visit.
UPenn: parking is not available through the university. You can park at 4009 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 and pay with a credit card. Current daily rates (as of March 2024) are $18 per day and $15 for evenings and weekends. Rates are subject to change.
Driving Directions from Philadelphia International Airport:
DU: Parking passes will be available at the front desk of the residence hall upon check in. Passes are $64 and they can accept CASH ONLY. The campus lies just south and west of the intersection of I-25 and University Blvd. DU is easily accessible from I-25, the main route running through the Denver metro area north/south.
Driving Directions from Denver International Airport:
UPenn: University of Pennsylvania is 7 miles from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
You can take the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Airport Line directly from the airport to campus. Gutmann College House is a 20 minute walk from the Penn Medicine Station. Alternatively, you can take the Airport Line to the the William H. Gray III 30th Station. From there you can transfer to the 30th Street Market–Frankford Line and get off at the 40th Street Station. This station is a short 6-minute walk to Gutmann College House.
DU: Participants should travel to the Denver International Airport (DEN). It takes approximately 35 minutes to drive from DIA to the University of Denver campus.
You can take the A Line from the airport to Union Station. From there you can transfer to the E, F, or H lines and get off at the University of Denver stop. Nelson Hall is about a 15 minute walk from here.
Additionally, multiple buses connect the community to the campus with stops on both University Blvd. and Evans Ave.
Breakfast is provided in the dining hall, and a catered lunch is provided in our meeting space every day that we have a full day of programming. Below are the exceptions of when our meal offerings vary:
Breakfast and lunch will not be provided on check-in day when most people travel.
All dinners are on your own except for the welcome and closing receptions and dinners, held on the Institutes’ opening (the first Tuesday at UPenn and the first Wednesday at DU) and last full day of programming (the last Wednesday at UPenn and the last Thursday at DU).
UPenn: Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner are on your own (weekend break). Sunday breakfast is on your own, and we provide lunch once the Institute resumes.
DU: Sunday breakfast, lunch, and dinner are on your own (weekend break). Monday breakfast is on your own, and we provide lunch once the Institute resumes.
Both summer HLI locations are within a 10-15 minute walking distance of restaurants.
Dietary restrictions will be collected once each cohort has been established and the application period has closed. We work hard to ensure everyone has a balanced meal available, no matter their dietary needs. If changes have occurred since registration, please email Charlene Emory-Proctor (charlene@hersnetwork.org) to inform her of the changes. When you arrive on-site, please contact Charlene if any questions remain.
While at the Institute, we encourage you to practice agency and check in with the catering staff if you have any concerns. For those with strict dietary restrictions, the staff has often already prepared a special meal and needs you to connect with them to ensure you receive it.
Unfortunately, HERS is unable to arrange long-term childcare during the Institute. If this is a need, we can discuss options with you however, we encourage you to make other arrangements whenever possible so that your children are under the care of another throughout your participation in the Institute.
While HERS cannot provide access to pumping equipment, you can bring your own and take breaks as needed, and everyone will have a private bedroom at each Institute.
UPenn: you can access a shared refrigerator (with freezer) on each suite floor to store expressed milk.
DU: mini-fridges with a small freezer are available upon request
Unfortunately, the residence halls cannot accommodate guests.
Go to https://www.hersnetwork.org. In the top right-hand corner of the page, you will see a button labeled APPLY. Click that button to start the application process. The application requires you to talk about your leadership: your current strengths and accomplishments, your vision of leadership within higher education, and your desired future in higher education. We also ask that you secure a letter of recommendation from one senior leader on your campus. There are additional instructions within the application, and we are available to assist you with completing your application. Just email hers@hersnetwork.org.
You should reach out to one of the following individuals at your institution to secure a recommendation and sponsorship to cover the cost of your attendance:
These are the individuals that you’ll want to have invested in your development and supportive of your growth, both during and after the program. If you’ve never met the senior staff officers in your unit, this application provides a great opportunity to introduce yourself or ask your manager to help make the introduction. You’ll want someone at the top advocating on your behalf to ensure you’re granted the time and resources needed to participate.
We will accept a letter of recommendation from your direct manager but a letter from senior leadership will strengthen your candidacy. We’ve included this as an application requirement because we want you to think across the institution and beyond your role. Additionally, we encourage you to discuss the availability of funding for your attendance at the time you request your recommendation. These senior officers typically approve the release of additional professional development funding.
Even if you don’t think funding will be available, we encourage you to still make the ask. No matter what, it will increase your visibility — and you may be surprised by the response.
Visit the HERS Leadership Institute program page for this year’s pricing and deadline information.
Payment of the program fee is typically due at least 6 weeks before the program start date. This allows participants to receive their pre-institute readings and assignments with enough time to orient themselves to the curriculum and its expectations. This is essential if participants hope to yield the learning outcomes outlined.
Visit the HERS Leadership Institute program page for this year’s pricing and deadline information.
Payment of the program fee is typically due at least 6 weeks before the program start date. This allows participants to receive their pre-institute readings and assignments with enough time to orient themselves to the curriculum and its expectations. This is essential if participants hope to yield the learning outcomes outlined.
We have limited assistance funds available for institutions that are under-resourced and underrepresented at HERS–HBCUs, community colleges, tribal colleges, HSIs, and theological seminaries–to foster cohorts that are as diverse and equitable as possible.
To be considered for financial support, please follow these steps:
First, congratulations for working at a place that values and supports the leadership of women and people who are gender diverse! Most likely your employer has an internal selection process running through the women’s center, human resources, academic affairs, or the president or chancellor’s office. Please contact us at hers@hersnetwork.org to inquire about your school’s status.
Why HERS? For five decades, we have been thinking about, improving, and delivering what women and gender diverse leaders need to advance in higher education. There is nothing better than something designed with you in mind. We know the unique challenges faced by women and people who are gender diverse. There are three things every leader needs to be successful: know your organization, identify the resources available to you, and know yourself. At every HERS program, and specifically the HERS Leadership Institute, we create opportunities for you to expand your knowledge of your institution and other higher education institutions. We primarily leverage the collective expertise of the HERS network, over 6,000 women and gender diverse leaders, to accomplish this. We help you build your network before, during, and after your Leadership Institute experience.
You will leave the HERS Leadership Institute knowing more about higher education and more about yourself as a leader. You will have clarity on how you’ll implement strategies and new tools as a campus leader. You will also have a national network of HERS alums to champion your next leadership goals.
The core curriculum of the Leadership Institute covers three areas of focus: Institutional Awareness, Networking, and Self-Knowledge. The program culminates with a self-designed capstone project, wherein participants apply the knowledge they’ve gained to a case study that they can immediately apply or implement within their current role to positively impact their respective institutions.
There are five modules that build off of one another and support your leadership project development. We start with either innovation and change or equity-minded leadership. We then move to communicating change and follow that with self and institutional awareness. We conclude with team (re)building.
The Leadership Institute is about you and how you lead at your institution. You will grow to learn more about the responsibilities of higher education leadership, your institution, how your institution solves challenging problems, and who is tasked with developing solutions. You’ll spend some time increasing your knowledge of your personal leadership identity, and you’ll be challenged to develop the skills necessary to actualize your professional vision.
The HERS Leadership Institute is a transformational leadership development program for higher education professionals. The HERS Leadership Institute is designed for faculty and staff who generally hold mid-to-senior level positions in higher education and have a desire to emerge as more dynamic leaders for themselves and their institutions. The HERS Leadership Institute is an inclusive program, with a focus on women and people who are gender diverse. All HERS programs and services are open to all regardless of gender identity.
This means that everyone can learn from one another, and gain insight into the unique perspectives of each role. This setting replicates what could happen on campus if faculty, staff, and administrators were all working together. If you don’t have your career path defined yet and you want to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of your cohort peers, the Leadership Institute is a great space for that.
The HERS Network is representative of a diverse range of racial and ethnic groups, nationalities, veteran and disability statuses, religious affiliations, ages, and years of experience in higher education. We are committed to delivering a diverse and equity-minded leadership space, thereby broadening the range of perspectives and insights enriching each session.
The HERS Leadership Institute is currently delivered in two formats: an intensive and immersive setting (completed within 9 days during the summer), and our staggered weekend format (completed in 4 weekends over the span of 6 months during the academic year). Traditionally, the in-person offerings of the HERS Leadership Institute have rotated between the Boston, MA; Denver, CO; and Philadelphia, PA metro areas, although locations are subject to change each year. We are currently looking to expand our programs into other cities as we continue growing. If you are looking for a HERS Leadership Institute in your local area, check https://www.hersnetwork.org/programs/hers-institute/ for more information.
Yes! Whether virtual or in-person, there are lots of opportunities to connect with the broader HERS alum network. In addition to virtual connections like social media, HERS hosts regional alum receptions throughout the year. Contact hers@hersnetwork.org if you are interested in hosting a reception in your area!
We were in the process of developing new affinity groups for alums. Please stay in communication with us with your ideas and feedback! The HLI does offer vibrant discussions of inclusive leadership and makes space for Black women and other affinity and identity groups to meet and discuss issues unique to their lived experience within higher education.
No, negotiating salary is not a topic included in in the agenda of the HLI. If negotiating salary is of interest to you, we suggest considering Next Stages Next Steps.
HERS has programs dedicated entirely to career development needs, allowing the HERS Leadership Institute to put a greater focus on developing critical leadership and management skills. To view our other programs—like Next Stages Next Steps — visit https://www.hersnetwork.org/programs/overview/. We’d also love to talk to you about our programs. Email us at hers@hersnetwork.org with your questions!
As one of our partners, you can be a leader behind much-needed change in the educational sector. Support for our programs drives leadership equity, enabling institutions to better support an increasingly diverse student body and better prepare their students to create a more equitable society.