Center for Women’s InterCultural Leadership (CWIL)
Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame
http://www.saintmarys.edu/~cwil/

#9 Havican Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556-5001
Elaine Meyer-Lee, Director
Phone: 574/284-4059 Fax: 574/284-4141
Email: meyerlee@saintmarys.edu

Center Description:

The Center for Women’s InterCultural Leadership (CWIL) was established at Saint Mary’s College in December 2000 with the support of a major transformation grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. CWIL is an innovative collaboration between Saint Mary's College faculty, staff, students and local community leaders and national and global partners. CWIL is situated within the academic division, reporting to the Vice-President and Dean of Faculty, but collaborates closely with student affairs. The Center has an International Advisory Board, and each component has a campus advisory committee. The Center is organized around three core components.

• International and Intercultural Learning promotes engagement with other cultures through study abroad experiences, living-learning programs, international student services, and the internationalization of the College’s curriculum.
• Research and Scholarship serves as an interdisciplinary think tank where scholars can contribute to an ongoing dialogue about how human cultures interact and the roles women play in today’s global reality.
• Community Connections facilitates partnerships between students, faculty, and staff at Saint Mary’s College and diverse women leaders and organizations in the local community to create leadership and intercultural learning in a community context.

While many of today’s colleges and universities support women’s centers, promote intercultural education (both international and domestic multicultural), and engage in leadership development activities, CWIL is unique as it spans the complex interdisciplinary intersections of all of these different areas. The cross-fertilization facilitated by this distinctive and interconnected focus yields rich benefits for Saint Mary’s College students and faculty and their scholarly activities.

MISSION
The Center for Women's InterCultural Leadership (CWIL) advances Saint Mary's College's mission of “preparing students to make a difference in the world” by empowering women to realize their call to leadership and to develop the intercultural knowledge and competence critical in today’s increasingly interdependent world. In the spirit of the College’s sponsors, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, CWIL promotes human transformation and systemic change, from the local to the global context, by providing challenging, justice-based educational opportunities.

Areas of Expertise:

Activism and Organizing; Education: Equity Issues; Women’s Studies; Cultural, Racial, Religious, and Ethnic Diversity; Global Issues; Institutional Transformation; Leadership and Leadership Development

Recent Projects and Activities:

In addition to developing and teaching new courses, programming for each CWIL component includes:

• Community Connections International and Intercultural Learning Research and Scholarship
• Catalyst Project
• Study Abroad Programs
• Fellows Program
• Wellsprings of Wisdom Leadership Development
• Intercultural Living Community Program
• Publications and Dissemination
• Charles Martin Youth Center Satellite Classroom
• Faculty Development Resources
• International Student Services  Intercultural Outcomes Assessment
• WiLCO: Women in Leadership in Community Organizations (including
  Bridges Out of Poverty)
• Intercultural Travel Grants
• Visiting Scholars

Co-Sponsored Events:

• Leadership Programs for High School Girls
• Bridging College with Community Grants
  

New Integrative Program for Undergraduates: Certificate in Intercultural Leadership

[Return to home]     [Return to Directory by State]    [Return to Index of Expertise]

Last updated 10/24/02
Please send comments or corrections to webmaster@ncrw.org