MI-ACE Women's Network Conference Breakout Sessions

You're "The Actual" – the true commander of your life's mission, not just a passenger reacting to whatever comes your way. By embracing this powerful mindset, you unlock the ability to find genuine fulfillment, conquer seemingly impossible challenges, and design a life that reflects your deepest values.

The term "The Actual" comes straight from military tradition – it's the distinctive call sign reserved for a unit's Commanding Officer. The Actual doesn't just accomplish the mission; they make the impossible become reality. Even more impressive? They build and lead teams of passionate, motivated individuals who are fully committed to the cause.

When you step into the role of The Actual in your life and work, you help your team answer three fundamental questions that drive exceptional results:

• Who are we together? – Defining your collective identity and purpose
• How are we together? – Establishing the culture and relationships that power your success
• What are we doing together? – Clarifying the mission that unites and propels you forward

Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a vital role in creating leaders who are equipped to influence and drive change. Leaders with high EI are better able to create a culture of emotional support, collaboration, and openness. This contributes to lasting institutional change by ensuring that all members of the academic community feel valued, heard, and supported. This session will help attendees embrace EI not only as a tool for personal development but also a powerful mechanism for breaking down barriers and influencing meaningful, lasting change in higher education.

The transformative aspects of volunteering affect women leaders and organizational culture in higher education, deeper than we thought. Women make a difference in local and global communities, impacting job performance, commitment to goals, competitiveness, and organizational culture. This is a presentation of impactful transformative volunteering journeys of women leaders in higher education, through community engagement and outreach. The goal is to discover yourself as a compassionate pathfinder in supporting education, and philanthropy, by using your 4ACE: bringing awareness, showing appreciation, being a supportive ally and advocate for your peers, and taking action on important women's issues.

Leadership is not confined to those at the top or those with specific titles; instead, it can be exercised from any position within an organization. Discover the transformative power of "360 Degree Leadership" in this engaging session designed to empower individuals at all levels to become effective leaders. Learn how to develop your influence and harness principles that allow you to lead up, across, and down. We’ll explore actionable strategies that will help you add value from every corner of the organization and equip you with skills to becoming a 360-degree leader, someone who not only guides teams effectively but also, inspires peers and those in management roles alike.

Meet the 2025 DWA Awardees. This award was established in 2001 and is the premier award to recognize women leaders in higher education in Michigan. It honors those who, beyond the call of their job duties, mentor, encourage, promote, and celebrate women, making a positive impact on women on and beyond their own campus. Awardees serve as role models by breaking gender barriers and attaining leadership positions. Today is about celebrating such women.

This lively session will explain the Senior Leadership Job Shadow program, now going into its 10th year. The session will feature a panel of 2024-25 mentees discussing their experiences and offer details for colleagues interested in applying for the 2025-26 cohort.

This session explores how authentic, purpose-driven leadership can inspire growth, and the importance of creating spaces where all voices are heard, valued, and empowered. Participants will learn how mindset, self-awareness, and goal setting can drive personal and professional development. Grounded in research and practical strategies, the session encourages thriving where you are while helping others do the same. Together, these perspectives invite you to reimagine leadership as a personal, grounded, and transformative journey rooted in who you are and how you show up for others.