Rebecca Kocher, Wittenberg vice president for advancement and alumni engagement, was selected as one of 30 women for the new program.
In her role at the university, Kocher leads alumni engagement and all fundraising efforts. She has more than 17 years of experience in higher education fundraising, and served as chair and helped present a three-day campaign workshop for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
“I’m excited to help break barriers for other women,” Kocher said. “It is a great opportunity, and we’ve already hit the ground running.”
Participants in the program will have an opportunity to address and reflect on the complex roles of women leaders, broaden their understanding of the scope of leadership responsibility, and collaborate on mentee and mentor goals and expectations, Kocher said.
The program, which runs from January to June, matches 30 pairs of mentors and mentees to participate in at least five virtual sessions. The mentors include presidents, vice presidents, deans, associate vice presidents and other cabinet-level positions employed by an ACE member institutions or organization.
The ACE designed this program to support and advance women through their careers in higher education, according to the website. It’s a part of the Moving the Needle: Advancing Women In Higher Education Leadership initiative, which is an effort of the ACE Women’s Network, that “brings national awareness to the importance of achieving gender parity and diversity in higher education leadership.”
ACE is a membership organization that helps the higher education community shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practices, according to the website. It includes more than 1,700 colleges and universities, related associations and other organizations in America and abroad.
For more information on ACE and the mentoring program, visit www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Mentoring-Program-Women-Leaders.aspx.
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