By Jacey Kepich
Throughout March, we’ve featured women who have impacted campus in their respective fields, from our medical school to our humanities quad. Today we’ll round out Women’s History Month by featuring an organization that has impacted the personal and professional well-being of women across CWRU: the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.
Founded in 2003 through a gift of the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association, the Center for Women was the culmination of decades of advocacy from numerous advisory committees seeking a resource on campus to promote equality for women while empowering them to reach their professional goals. The center, now located on the second floor of the Tinkham Veale University Center, is a space for women to connect, consult and confide with others as they navigate their careers.
Two of the center’s signature programs are the Women Staff Leadership Development Institute and its faculty counterpart, the Women Faculty Leadership Development Institute. The institutes, which were inspired by initiatives on other campuses and developed by CWRU faculty and staff members, provide confidential coaching and programs to help women navigate their careers.
Before disbanding in 2008, the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Association challenged the center to a $1 million match in its “Bridge to the Future” campaign. It was an effort that not only succeeded, but resulted in the renaming of the center in honor of Flora Stone Mather. Over the previous 30 years, the association had also provided $2.5 million in scholarships and grants to academic departments and student groups. Today, the association’s legacy lives on, touching each generation of women on campus.