Voices Rising: A Community Workshop for Women in Higher Ed IT
into a deeper, more hands-on workshop. In higher education IT, women are navigating complex challenges around leadership, visibility, growth, and belonging, often without spaces designed for honest conversation and collective problem-solving. This preconference workshop creates that space. Designed as an interactive, community-centered experience, this session brings together women in IT roles to reflect on shared challenges, exchange strategies, and build meaningful connections across institutions. Facilitated by members of the EDUCAUSE Young Professionals Advisory Committee (YPAC), the workshop blends storytelling, guided reflection, and small-group dialogue to explore topics such as navigating power dynamics, advocating for yourself, finding (or creating) mentorship, and leading with confidence in evolving environments.Participants won’t just hear stories. They’ll contribute their own, identify patterns across experiences, and leave with practical strategies and a stronger professional network. Last year, we ran out of time before we ran out of curiosity. This year, we fixed that. This day-long session is intentionally designed to move beyond inspiration into connection, clarity, and action.
Presenters
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Megan Duncan
Instructional and Media Technologist,
California State University, Northridge
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Madeleine Renken
Instructional Designer,
Kaskaskia College
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Lori Robbins
Head of AI Strategy,
Denison University
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Nicole Savitsky
Business Intelligence Analyst,
Montgomery County Community College