he Women’s Summit is an annual event that is hosted by the Committee on the Status of Women. Started in March 2010, this year marked the third Summit.
The planning team, led by the assistant dean of students Allison Taylor, and associate director of the Center for Student Integrity Desiree Nownes, started working in the summer and came up with this year’s theme of “Inspire, Influence, Innovate.”
The event was registration only and was advertised through the Student News, Creighton Today and various other Creighton listerves. About 170 people registered for the event.
Two featured speakers were brought in and were accompanied by four break-out sessions. A networking lunch was included as well.
The first speaker was Mary Pat Statz McCarthy, a ‘77 graduate from Creighton who recently retired as the executive director of KPMG in Kansas City.
“She spoke about her experience as a female leader in the business world and her ability to achieve sucess in her career while also achieving personal goals,” Taylor said.
The second speaker was Dr. Barb Braden, the dean emeritus of University College. She used the theme of the event to talk about how to work as a supportive and contributing member of a team.
This year’s Summit introduced something new as well — the use of “Guidebook”.
“Guidebook is a smartphone app that serves as a conference booklet,” Taylor said. “This app provided participants with information on all of the Summit programs and speakers in addition to providing a Twitter feed and shared photo album for the Summit. The app was a great way for the Committee on the Status of Women to use sustainable technology to enhance participants’ Summit experience.”
The Summit offered participants the ability to sign up for a book club following the Summit. Participants were able to choose from five different books and will meet with their club later this semester or early next fall.
Women’s Summit participants have the opportunity to apply for continuing personal and professional development opportunities through a Summit scholarship. The Committee on the Status of Women is able to offer three scholarships, worth $500, to those who participated in the Summit. These funds can be used for conference registration fees or travel costs associated with training or a conference.