Faces of Michigan

Carol Hollenshead: Opening the Doors of Opportunity

By V. Thandi Sule

Carol Hollenshead, Director of the University of Michigan’s Center for the Education of Women (CEW), used to chuckle when asked about her hobbies, because until recent years she devoted her free time to family or work. However, after 19 years of serving as CEW’s director, Hollenshead can now proudly proclaim that she is a jewelry maker—a pastime she calls addictive. Hollenshead’s new passion gives her the quiet time needed for self-renewal before embarking on one of her many initiatives to promote race and gender equity in academe.

CEW was founded in 1964 to respond to the needs of students and community members through service, advocacy and research. Under Hollenshead’s leadership, it has evolved into the nation’s premier university-based center focusing on the educational and professional success of women. Hollenshead explains that CEW is successful because it puts the individual first. Hence, the program focuses on providing counseling, personal development and financial assistance services. The center also houses the Women of Color in the Academy Project and the Women of Color Taskforce. Both programs address the specific needs of underrepresented women. Hollenshead says that one of the key ways CEW contributes to the University’s commitment to diversity is through serving people with the greatest need. For instance, each year the center awards over 35 scholarships to returning women students. “One of the best nights of the year is when we celebrate our scholars,” she says, “because it is always inspirational. I look at the accomplishments as well as the struggles of those we give scholarships to and think to myself, if they can do all that then I can do what I need to do.”

In addition to direct services, the Center is also known for its cutting-edge research. Hollenshead and her staff have authored several articles and reports on women in leadership, women in academe, and the relationship between poverty and educational access. She also served as one of the principal investigators for the Faculty-Work-Life Policy Study, which comprised responses from 255 universities and colleges. The report identified policies and practices that enhance career flexibility and enable faculty to balance work and family. Hollenshead believes that research and direct service are important because they act as gateways to policy change at U-M. She notes that the research conducted at CEW influences policy decisions at other higher education institutions and informs the general public about issues pertaining to educational equity. “I take great satisfaction in knowing that we helped to shape policy that will affect the lives of many more people than we may ever realize,” she says.

The President’s Advisory Commission on Women’s Issues (PACWI) is one vehicle that Hollenshead uses to advocate for policy changes at the University. In 1989, PACWI was founded by President James Duderstadt to give recommendations to University leadership on issues of equity for women. PACWI is staffed by CEW and chaired by Hollenshead. As chair, Hollenshead has supported policy changes that include: addressing the needs of faculty, staff and students with children; responding to the underrepresentation of senior female faculty; and addressing inequitable compensation. PACWI also sponsors the Statistical Report on the Status of Women Students, Faculty, and Staff, which draws attention to issues of representation among female faculty at Michigan.

Under Hollenshead’s leadership, CEW has received numerous awards in recognition of its services. Most recently, the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW) granted CEW its Member Center Award for linking research and policy. In 2004, the American Council on Education (ACE) awarded CEW the Network Award for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education. Given the ebbs and flows of public support for social justice, Hollenshead does not take these accolades for granted. Nevertheless, she is ever mindful of the progress made over the years: “On some days, I may feel that we are moving backward rather than forward. However, when I step back and take the longer view, I realize that neither the University nor the society looks as it did 30 years ago as a result of the work of untold thousands of people to bring about positive social change to open the doors of opportunity for everyone.”