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Concordia to host women’s business forum May 12
Updated: October 16, 2012 3:04PM
If there is a war on women, Concordia University Chicago Business College and the Illinois Federation of Women’s Business Clubs/Downtown Chicago want to help women win it by co-sponsoring a career development event from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12, in Room 120 of Krentz Hall on the Concordia University Chicago campus at 7400 Augusta, River Forest, titled “How to Climb the Ladder of Success in a Skirt.”
This event came about as a result of Dean George Vukotich, College of Business at Concordia University participating in an IFBWC chapter event in Downtown Chicago that addressed the challenges that women face in today’s work force. “Working together,” Vukotich explains, “the college and the IFBWC will be able to offer our students, their members and the community at large presentations on resume writing, networking, salary negotiations and job search strategies. Everyone benefits.”
Wendy Lalli, a career coach and former columnist for the Chicago Tribune, Daily Southtown, and Star newspapers, will facilitate a presentation on resumes. “This is a great opportunity for working women not only to learn valuable job search skills,” she observes, “but how to network with and support each other.”
The second workshop on salary negotiations will be facilitated by Barbara Yong, a partner in the law firm of Golan & Christie LLP. Yong is a past State President of the Illinois Federation of Business and Professional Women (now known as the IFBWC) and an expert on the gender gap in compensation. In 2011, she organized Chicago’s first annual Equal Pay for Women Rally. “Unfortunately, when it comes to getting equal pay for equal work,” Yong cautions, “women are just as disadvantaged today as they were 40 years ago. That’s why they need to understand how to negotiate their salary before they accept the job — not after.”
The morning will conclude with a panel discussion on how to fully utilize the services of recruiters — whether they are with staffing agencies or work onsite for corporations. Judi Wunderlich, president and co-founder of the Wunderland Group, and Melinda Holm, of Melinda Holm and Associates, will be participating on the panel, sharing their insights on what decision makers look for when making full-time hires.
The event is free to Concordia students and IFWBC members. Nonmembers (male as well as female) may attend for an entry fee of $15. A continental breakfast will be served from 8 to 9 a.m. Space is limited. Call (312) 696-2034 or e-mail blyong@golanchristie.com for a reservation no later than May 5. Also, register online at http://bit.ly/lyOGPV.
University to offer
doctoral program
Concordia University Chicago has entered the ranks of research-intensive, Ph.D.-level graduate schools in Illinois.
In February, the Higher Learning Commission granted accreditation for the university to offer a Ph.D. in leadership. As a result, Concordia–Chicago will add a doctor of philosophy to its doctor of education in leadership with the following specializations: Early childhood education; Educational leadership; Higher education leadership; Organizational leadership; Sports leadership; ans Teacher leadership.
The Ph.D. process will place emphasis on theory, research inquiry and knowledge production.
Approximately 75 percent of the university’s doctoral students are enrolled in the educational leadership program. Its graduate programs in educational leadership enroll the largest number of students in programs of this kind among all Illinois public and private universities. Its candidates achieve 100 percent completion in passing state licensure exams.
Concordia University Chicago has seen strong, rapid expansion in the doctoral arena, especially online. Just four years ago, it received approval to offer its existing Ed.D. in leadership online. In the fall of 2010, it graduated its first student to have completed all doctoral work online. Today, more than 200 candidates are in the dissertation phase of study, and approximately 500 students are enrolled in both face-to-face and online doctoral programs.
