Women of Color Task Force
The Women of Color Task Force is a staff organization, founded in 1979 at the University of Michigan, that provides professional development opportunities for employees. For more than 30 years, the Task Force has served as a forum for the exchange of information about the status of women of color staff at the University of Michigan and as a focal point for action necessary for the resolution of their concerns.
30th Annual Career Conference, March 2, 2012
Registration for the next WCTF Career Conference is now closed!
You may register onsite for this event on Friday, March 2, 2012!!
Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, director of the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of African Art, will give the keynote address. Dr. Cole is the immediate past president of Bennett College, Greensboro, NC and was the first African American woman to serve as president of Spelman College, Atlanta, GA.
The annual conference is the largest professional development event at the University of Michigan and will take place on Friday, March 2, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This annual event will feature a morning keynote lecture, forty (40) workshops sessions, a networking luncheon, and a vendor marketplace featuring local businesses. On average, more than 600 women and men (90% of whom are UM employees from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses) attend the conference. Read more information about the keynote speaker and workshops that were offered during the 2011 WCTF conference.
Membership
Any University of Michigan employee is eligible for membership in the Task Force if she or he is an active, regular staff, faculty, research fellow, or retiree. The Task Force encourages the participation of individuals from all University of Michigan departments and units who wish to promote the professional and personal development of women of color staff. 2011-2012 Task Force membership.
The 2011-2012 Executive Team is Cheri Dotson, LaSonia Forte, Sandra Johnson, Marlanna Landeros, T. Sha Duncan Smith, and Janice Reuben, Program Coordinator.
General Membership Meetings
Women of Color Task Force meetings are every other Thursday at noon at the Center for the Education of Women, Michigan Square Building, 330 E. Liberty Street (corner of Division & Liberty). Please contact WCTF Coordinator Janice Reuben at 734.764.6331 to confirm dates or email Janice at reubenjs@umich.edu.
Career & Personal Development Workshops
The Task Force offers career development workshops for its members. These sessions cover topics in the following areas: career development, project management, leadership development, health & wellness, and work-life balance.
Staff Mentoring
The Task Force believes that creating opportunities to share experiences and exchange knowledge fosters professional success and personal excellence. In order to produce those opportunities and conduits for sharing, the Task Force provides mentoring to its members.
The goals of the program are to:
Promote leadership development and increase professional skills & specific competencies, provide information and direction to identify and achieve career goals; and establish a network of support services for staff.
Woman of the Year Awards Program
The Task Force implemented a second major program initiative in 1986 - the Woman of the Year Awards Program. This program is designed to honor women of color staff and faculty who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of leadership (outstanding service as a project leader, administrator, or peer leader), human relations (improved group dynamics within the University community, at the unit level or beyond) and community relations.
In 2011, the awards were renamed in honor of the two founders of the Task Force: the Beulah Sanders Stafford Leadership Award and the Jennie Partee Human Relations Award.
A Task Force selection committee reviews the nominations submitted by the deans, department chairs, and directors of academic and research units to determine the winners of the leadership and human relations awards. The Rebecca A. Vaughn Distinguished Service Award is bestowed upon a Task Force member for exemplary service and dedication. Nominations for each award category are accepted from October to February each year, and the winners are announced during the opening session of the annual career conference. Download the award criteria and nomination form. (PDF and MSWord files)
For more information about the Women of Color Task Force, please contact Janice Reuben, WCTF Program Coordinator, at 734.764.6331, or send her an email at wctfadmin@umich.edu.
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