One year ago today, Debora Spar was inaugurated as the 11th president of Barnard College. In her inaugural address, President Spar stated her vision for the expansion and revitalization of leadership studies at Barnard, and this semester’s launch of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies is a strong step toward bringing it to life. The Spectator editorial board commends the establishment of the Athena Center, and we hope that administrators, alumnae, and students will support it.
Currently, only 17 of the 100 U.S. senators and 16 percent of executives and 3 percent of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are women. These sobering statistics provide a good reason for the establishment of a center devoted to the study of women’s leadership, and the Athena Center, officially launched this September, is just that. With hopes to become the premier institute for women’s leadership, in addition to providing students and alumnae with both academic and practical knowledge of leadership, the Athena Center is an exciting, progressive concept that will advance knowledge and awareness in its area of focus. As part of the center’s initiative, Barnard will offer interdisciplinary courses and workshops on women’s leadership, capstoned by a senior seminar taught by professor Kathryn Kolbert, the center’s director. It will also provide mentoring and internship opportunities for students, and will bring a range of speakers to Morningside Heights. While some of these initiatives will target selected Athena Fellows, there will be opportunities for Columbia and Barnard students, faculty, and alumni to take advantage of the center’s programs.
The efforts of the Athena Center are necessary and critical in remedying the grave lack of women in the nation’s leadership positions. Barnard has realized that as an elite women’s college in New York, it is in a unique position to start an important dialogue on women’s leadership. But support from students and alumnae, as well as continued dedication from the administration, is necessary for the center to fulfill its potential. Such support comes in a variety of ways, but alumnae’s money and participation, as well as students taking part, are critical. Should it receive the support that it deserves, the Athena Center will proudly uphold Barnard’s own leadership role in women’s leadership.
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