Let's lift women HIGHER
Founded by Wisr, HIGHER is a series of professional development conferences and webinars designed to create space for conversations and connections that empower women in higher education to push through barriers to reaching their career goals and to pull other women up along the way.
Presidents at US colleges and universities
HIGHER equips hundreds of women in higher education with the resources and relationships to reach senior leadership positions.
If you are eager to expand your local and national network of women in higher education, are questioning whether you want to build a career in higher education, or could simply use a burst of inspiration, HIGHER is for you.
What to expect
Join the national movement of women in higher education by participating in the unique, attendee-guided programming at HIGHER. Regardless of when you attend, you'll walk away with a strong network of supportive women (and potential mentors!) in your field, increased clarity on the strengths and expertise you currently bring to your role, and a plan for how to take the next step in your career.
0
Cities0
Institutions0
Women0
SpeakersRegister for a HIGHER session
Earlier this year, we hosted events on COVID 2.0 - Now What? Casting a Vision in the Midst of a Pandemic, Women of Color in Education: Creating Spaces for Women of Color to Thrive, and Getting to the C-Suite: Positioning Yourself for Success in Student Affairs.
Webinars and workshops are available through our partner The Flora Stone Mather Center for Women at Case Western Reserve University. Explore their website for dates and topics, such as positioning yourself for success in academic affairs, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and negotiation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore the answers to some of our frequently asked questions and if you still have additional questions that we haven't answered, email us!
Each HIGHER conference brings together women who work at nearby institutions of higher learning. We welcome women in faculty and staff positions across all higher education areas and levels to join in this close-knit professional development experience. In 2019 already, more than 1,000 women from 300+ institutions attended HIGHER in cities across the US. While a majority of 2019 attendees were Dean or Director-level, attendees more junior in their careers also found the conference highly beneficial for better understanding various career paths in higher education and connecting with similarly ambitious peers. Wisr welcomes participants of diverse backgrounds, including those of diverse gender identities. We are committed to championing the careers and personal wellbeing of all women, including cisgender and transgender individuals. When we use the term “women” it is wholeheartedly inclusive of transgender women.
The conference and webinars will cover issues affecting women’s opportunity for advancement in higher education, including negotiation skills, bias and discrimination, pay equity, mentorship and sponsorship, networking, confidence and imposter syndrome, and more. The program is not designed as a lecture. Rather, sessions are highly interactive, allowing attendees to guide the conversation.
Absolutely yes. While HIGHER is organized around the larger umbrella of women in higher education, attendees are encouraged to share their unique intersectional perspectives. This is an opportunity to inform, listen, and learn from one another, even if our experiences may differ.
Allow us to introduce ourselves! Wisr is an education technology company based in Cleveland, Ohio. As a (female-led) company, we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how technology can democratize access to opportunity. It’s why Kate Volzer, our founder, feels so passionate about the potential for Wisr to support the academic and professional careers of first-gen, under-represented, and military students. It’s also why, when we learned more about the lack of representation of women in senior leadership positions in higher education, we felt compelled to do something about it. In January 2019, we launched the HIGHER series in 23 cities across the US. The goal was to impact the careers of 500 women. We were amazed and inspired by the thousands of women who wanted to join the movement. Our role at each conference is not to tell you how to fix the problems in higher education. Rather, we work to create space for women to come together to share lessons learned and strategies with each other. As part of our commitment to women in higher education, we also created the HIGHER Network, the largest digital community of women in higher education. All attendees have access to join the network to share resources, seek mentorship, and expand their national networks. In 2020 we formed a partnership with the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women at Case Western University. While we will still be involved with HIGHER, they will be spearheading the events moving forward.
What participants are saying
Related EAB resources
5 steps to improve your pipeline of women leaders, according to 57 female CEOs
Strong professional networks, a background in STEM, and sponsorship support may help women advance to leadership positions, study finds.
9 female presidents: Here’s the
biggest challenge
I’ve faced
The Chronicle of Higher Education asked nine current and former college presidents about the biggest challenges they have faced as a female leader.
