Springboard, Aurora etc.

[AlwaysColdHands]

Who’s undertaken these programmes, and what were your views?

I did Springboard a few years ago, and appreciated the chance for self reflection. I also really loved hearing from the ‘successful’ senior women in my organisation. However, I felt it kind of just scratched the surface, and I know that I didn’t maximise the opportunities from it due to timing (maternity leave, pandemic blah blah)

I think I’m interested in Aurora - I know one or two people who undertook this and speak positively of their experiences.

I’ve been at SL forever, slogged with heavy teaching and admin, had my children, and now I need to decide where to focus my efforts for progression. I’m hoping Aurora might help.

Anyone had any experience and found in retrospect that it was instrumental in career shifting or progression?

I did an internal version once I'd got SL and found it incredibly useful for increasing wider university networks and my profile. Feedback from those who have done Aurora is good but Ive not noticed that it facilitates career progression

Some people find a formal mentoring/coaching relationship works really well for them - we have a register of those willing to coach across the university.

I think Aurora is a good alternative where you don't have personalised support from a senior colleague. Regular mentoring from a senior colleague is probably more likely to help you to get to your goals.

I did Aurora and found it useful - even though my Uni did a half-assed job of supporting us (you were supposed to get a mentor from your Uni, which I got I think one meeting before the final Aurora session). I had never thought of myself as a "leader" before that, but ended up taking charge of something the very next year and then applying to central positions (and it took something like 4 years to get one...but I finally did). Most (all?) of the early Aurora alums at my Uni did rise to various leadership roles, but that might just reflect the really poor support otherwise and very low number of senior women at the Uni overall - those with enough interest to find and apply to Aurora also pushed themselves in other ways. We now have a lot more attending, so it will be interesting to see if it continues to be helpful.

Hi I mentor Aurora participants at my university. In my experience people find the actual sessions of varying use - they appeal to some people more than others. The peer group discussions also vary in usefulness as some get very bogged down (although that does lead to useful mentoring discussions around how to refocus things that have gone off at a tangent).

I think the mentoring discussions and meeting other women are the two most useful aspects.

Just to let you know Aurora is open to anyone who self identifies as a woman and I certainly know Aurora programmes which have had transwomen involved (as speakers and participants ) and it has changed the atmosphere. Which may not be a concern for you but I'm just giving you all the background.

Finally it may just be my area but Aurora here is limited to a certain grade and a senior SL would be above it. Worth checking who will be on a programme in your area

I did Aurora & was not v impressed. But I went into it wanted to learn about research leadership and found that 90% of it was about university leadership, i.e. how to be a Vice-Dean / HoD etc. If you are in or want to move into university leadership, it is probably great.

These responses are so useful, thanks to everyone. I have already identified that areas I need to strengthen are networking and I have been after a mentor for years, so I’m glad these have been noted as positive aspects. I already have a mentor in mind in the organisation, although they are male, and part of me thinks I’d be more comfortable with a female mentor. But perhaps going outside my comfort zone is actually what I need.

@Chrysanthemum5 thanks for the heads up about this, I was pretty sure it would be based on gender identity and I’m prepared for that. It’s something I feel strongly about, and so it would be interesting to see how that May be played out in such a forum.

Apparently it’s all online next year, which I know won’t be as good in many ways but actually, given my childcare responsibilities, may be the only way it’s possible for me to undertake it in the near future.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for reading/ blogs/ organisations to follow that might be in a similar vein and help my thinking about career development? Specifically women in academia?

Feedback much appreciated from all, thank you

I found springboard very very basic but enjoyed the conversations with other women.

The senior people who came to inspire us had done great but not if we consider it took them literally decades to get to those positions. I felt a bit as they gave us a glimpse to a nice future which was still not amazing really.