“I applaud Benedictine University for its work on this innovative program, especially when so many women in underserved communities are reaching out for an opportunity such as this.  At a time when job opportunities are harder than ever to find, this program will provide valuable job training and professional development to women from all economic backgrounds.  By offering this degree, more women will have an opportunity to equip themselves with the skills and tools they need to become successful economic leaders and entrepreneurs.  This will be a tremendous asset to our community, and I am proud to be a part of this effort.”
-U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

------------

“In my own personal experience, my professional accomplishments have not come without challenges, many of which could have been addressed by this program to expedite my career progression by 5 to7 years. I am very impressed by the unique curriculum that not only provides customized and comprehensive curriculum designed to maximize learning opportunities for women but also allows for systematic development of personal and professional networks that women leaders can leverage both during and after the completion of this program.”
-Karen Chung, M.M., CEO – Nomadic Consulting

------------

 “This MSL program of leadership has all the ingredients for developing a credible, persuasive, and assertive female voice. This program supplies knowledge, builds confidence, and strengthens leading voices.”
-Olfat El-Mallakh, M.A., Lecturer – College of DuPage

------------

“The Master of Science in Leadership provides women the platform to better understand their value and to differentiate themselves as future leaders in a way that impacts their personal and professional lives.”
-Cheryl B. Richardson, Ph.D., CEO – CBR Consulting

------------

------------

“Benedictine University's MSL degree is a breakthrough program designed to prepare leaders of the future.  Leadership as we have known it is no longer enough.  The future belongs to those who are prepared to meet the challenge of an ever-changing world.  The MSL program is a ticket to great leadership for the 21st century.”
 -Connie Fuller, Ph.D.

------------

The people who design the programs, the course materials, the institutions themselves, even the instructors, have been shaped by decades of approaches designed and delivered by and for men. Successful organizations today need novel ways to identify and solve problems and create and maintain environments where workers are creative, productive and content. In short, leadership itself must be redefined. Old models of corporate hierarchies modeled on the military simply do not work anymore, in a global economy where women, even in the so-called third world, are at least beginning to drive economies, especially at the micro level. It has been proven in study after study as well as anecdotally, that women do things differently.  An MSL program that incorporates the interests and particular skills of women can be likened to harnessing new sources of energy. Quite simply, it is long past time.”
-Marti Sladek, J.D., Owner – Speaking of Work

------------

“Women are natural leaders!  By transforming our beliefs about our capacity for being great leaders through the Master of Science in Leadership program at Benedictine University, we can impact the world one woman at a time.”
-Jennifer Weggeman, Certified Coach – Compass

------------

Shared from a man’s perspective:
When I first heard about the Master of Science in Leadership program for Benedictine University, I was somewhat skeptical about an academic program that is gender oriented. It seemed to me that the feminine focus in the program reflected more social expediency than academic objectivity. After thoroughly reviewing the program, I can categorically state that my skepticism was unfounded.

I believe that leadership is a nuanced, personalized, and complex responsibility that draws from the dynamics of human interaction. A central, and critical, component of this dynamic is gender. The reality is that there is a feminine perspective in the practice of leadership. This degree program does an excellent job of providing this perspective while maintaining academic objectivity. As a result not only does Master of Science in Leadership program provide a thorough understanding of leadership but enhances and deepens this understanding by studying it from a feminine perspective. I consider the feminine orientation as a value added enhancement.
-Stephen A. Nunes, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty – Benedictine University

web: www.ben.edu/womensinstitute
e-mail: womensinstitute@ben.edu