The eighth annual Women in Educational Leadership Symposium (WIELS) will be held virtually, Thursday, October 5, and Friday, October 6, 2023 from 1:00-5:00 pm EST. The symposium theme is Building Capacity for Safety and Wellness. WIELS invites attendees from all sectors involved in educational leadership from across the globe.
This year, WIELS will sponsor two keynote speakers and an invited panel:
Tricia McManus, Superintendent of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, October 5, Leadership for Safety in Schools.
Christine Reed Davis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, will moderate a panel following the keynote address on Thursday, October 5, Empathy and Empowerment: Women in Education Shaping a Culture of Campus Safety.
Elaine Miller-Karas, Executive Director Emeritus of the Trauma Resource Institute, will deliver the keynote address on Friday, October 6, Leadership for Wellbeing and Mental Health.
Additionally, there will be three concurrent sessions with nine additional panels, critical conversations, and paper presentations throughout the two day event.
WIELS is a partnership between faculty members in Appalachian State University's Reich College of Education and practicing educators. The partnership aims to equip women with pragmatic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that prepare them for success as educational leaders.
Event Schedule
Please plan to join on Thursday, October 5, 2023, from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm and on Friday, October 6, 2023, from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. For more information please review the online event schedule and the session descriptions. Zoom links will be sent out to registrants closer to the date of the symposium.
Thursday, October 5
1:00pm - 1:10 pm - Opening Remarks
1:10 pm - 1:30 pm - Remarks from Dr. Melba Spooner, Dean of the Reich College of Education
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm - Keynote Presentation: Leadership for Powerful Student Care
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm - Break
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm - Invited Panel: Empathy and Empowerment: Women in Educational Leadership Shaping a Culture of Campus Safety
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm - Break
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Concurrent Sessions
Friday, October 6
1:00 pm - 1:10 pm - Welcome Day Two
1:10 pm - 2:20 pm - Keynote Presentation: Leadership for Wellbeing and Mental Health
2:20 pm - 2:30 pm - Break
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Concurrent Sessions
3:30 pm - 3:40 pm - Break
3:40 pm - 4:40 pm - Concurrent Sessions
4:40 pm - 5:00 pm - Closing Remarks
Registration
Because the event will be virtual, there are no registration fees this year; however, in order to plan for digital needs, please register here by Monday, October 2, 2023. Participants are encouraged to donate a suggested amount of $20 or more to WIELS to pay honoraria to our speakers.
For disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu.
Questions? Please contact Dr. Precious Mudiwa, WIELS Executive Director (mudiwap@appstate.edu) or Dr. Susan Colby, WIELS Associate Executive Director (colbysa@appstate.edu)