This past Spring, I was fortunate to once again present at the annual conference of the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences, sponsored by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, College of Liberal Arts; as well as at the concurrent conference sponsored by UNLV’s College of Education, Conference in Academic Research in Education (CARE).
The Conference in Academic Research in Education brings together scholars from around the U.S. and abroad in order to present scholarship related specifically related to education.
“CARE is a juried, national research conference, meaning that presentation proposals undergo peer-review prior to potential acceptance for presentation.”
My presentation for the CARE conference, “Transitioning Adults: Meeting the Unique Needs of Mid-Career College Students,” was based on extensive literature review and a 20-year follow up study I conducted at Vanguard University. Participants learned to: (a) identify common barriers mid-career adults experience while returning to college; (b) mitigate common biases regarding mid-career adult students; (c) incorporate five implications for meeting the career needs of mid-career adult students.
The content of the presentation included generally applied knowledge. For example: the majority of post-traditional college students are 25 and older, with 90% returning to better their careers; to finish the education that was interrupted for various reasons – family demands, time conflict, and early career opportunities.
Unfortunately, many career counseling services often remain focused on younger students (18 to 21 year-olds) who are looking for entry-level jobs, starting at salaries less than half of the average income for older students.
The American Association of Behavioral and Social Science conference includes a broad range of topics related to the social and behavioral sciences. Strands may include empirical or theoretical scholarship as well as research methodology evaluation, meta-analyses, critical literature reviews, and topics related to applied practice that are grounded in scholarship. From the conference website:
It is a juried conference, meaning that presentation proposals undergo peer-review prior to potential acceptance for presentation. We are in the 23rd annual year as a robust conference with ample opportunities to exchange theoretical ideas, share research results, help advance practice, make collaborative connections, and learn from one another’s scholarship.”
My presentation for the AASB Conference, “Misogyny in the Workplace,” provided a historical development review of the literature pertaining to women in the workforce as well as contextual applications for leaders. In spite of decades-old legal mandates, recent media have revealed a persistent misogyny among the powerful male ranks in nearly every work sector, particularly government, business, and entertainment.
Modeling these leaders, hostility throughout all levels of the organization can permeate. Sometimes this hostility is blatant and more easily identified. Other times it appears more subtle, in the form of microaggressions, the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults… which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages.
An entire generation removed from the ERA movement, it seems as if the American workplace has slipped backwards. This presentation examined the historical context, today’s multigenerational misogynic backlash, and the intervening workplace applications that can help mitigate abuse and foster organizational health.
This presentation was also delivered at the Coalition of Christian Colleges and University’s recent Advancing Women in Leadership Conference in April.