About The Way Up

Developing Women Leaders to Enhance Iowa Higher Education

• Provide professional development for formal and informal leadership positions in higher education.
• Evaluate issues and trends in higher education in Iowa.
• Sharpen women's abilities to move ahead in higher education administration and leadership positions.
• Strengthen higher education leadership skills by helping women to maximize their effectiveness and efficiency.
• Provide opportunities to learn about current trends in higher education leadership and management.
• Enhance women's abilities to view the big picture in higher education.
• Provide networking opportunities for women in higher education in Iowa.

During the 1980's, numerous organizations were highlighting the earning gap between men and women and Iowa was in the news as having very few women in educational administration.   As an answer, Beverly Bunker (formerly Beverly Gillette) from the Iowa Department of Education organized the first conference, called Women in Higher Education, which was held in 1982 with over 500 women in attendance with many women in secondary and post-secondary education administration participating.

Following the success of that first conference, a group was organized by then Board of Regents member Peg Anderson, with guidance from a group of other committed individuals: Pat Geadelmann, University of Northern Iowa; the late Sue Follon, then chair of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and later a Vice President at UNI; the late Carol Rocklin Kay of ISU; John Hartung from the private college sector; Bob Barak from the Board of Regents office; Gene Gardner from the Iowa Community College Board of Trustees office;  Beverly Bunker (formerly Beverly Gillette) from the Iowa Department of Education and others.  The goal was to "get women thinking about moving up; about providing leadership" on Iowa higher education campuses.

The first The Way Up conference was then held in 1983 and was also funded by federal vocational funds from the Iowa Department of Education.  The first conference reflected an enrollment of over 300 participants; and the conference continues today.

Founders

• Peg Anderson – representing the State Board of Regents, Regent Member, Iowa Coordinating Council for Post High School Education and the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women
• Bob Barak – representing the State Board of Regents 
• Beverly Gillette Bunker – representing the Iowa Department of Education
• Gene Gardner – representing the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees
• Pat Geadelmann – representing the Iowa ACE-NIP Executive Committee,  the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and the University of Northern Iowa
• Sue Follon – representing the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women  
• John Hartung – representing the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Iowa Coordinating Council for Post High School Education  
• Charlotte Nelson – representing the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Supporting Organizations

• Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT)
• Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (IAICU)
• Iowa Board of Regents, State of Iowa
• Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW)
• Iowa Department of Education  (Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation)

Continuing Supporters

• Sue Doody – Emeritus, University of Northern Iowa
• Larry Ebbers – Emeritus, Iowa State University
• Iowa Coordinating Council for Post High School Education (ICCPHSE) 
• University of Northern Iowa

The logo for The Way Up annual conference was designed to show women on their way up, with that persistent glass ceiling stopping the way for some women.  The W represents both Women and The Way Up Conference.  The arrow designates women on their Way Up.  The rays on the bottom represent all the many glorious attributes and characteristics that women bring with them to help move them up and through the glass ceiling, which is represented by the line across the top of the W.  

The EPIC Corporate Challenge brings together Iowa businesses to formally commit to grow and retain women at all levels of company leadership, creating a unique community of companies working collectively on the vital issues of recruiting, retaining, and promoting women in the workforce.