About WEXDEV
The Australian Technology Network (ATN) is a powerful consortium of five leading Australian universities. They share a heritage of working with industry, an emphasis on the application of the latest technology, an international perspective and a united vision for the future. Located in the five mainland states of the Australian continent, they are:
- Curtin University of Technology
- RMIT University
- Queensland University of Technology
- University of South Australia
- University of Technology, Sydney
ATN Women's Executive Development (ATN WEXDEV) is a dynamic and strategic career development program designed for senior women on the academic and general staffs of these universities. The program is a response to the continued under-representation of women at senior levels in higher education, a situation Australia shares with the international university community.
The program has four aims:
- To enhance personal professional development opportunities for senior women to gain appropriate skills and experience for emerging management opportunities.
- To support the growth of organisational cultures that value diversity and encourage improved representation of women in senior executive positions.
- To build on the tangible benefits of the collaborative network between ATN universities by providing significant cross-institutional activities for senior women.
- To strengthen strategic alliances with other organisations, nationally and internationally.
Main Features
The ATN WEXDEV model of senior executive development for women creates synergies between individual and organisational benefits. Its innovative design is based on networking to establish a critical mass of senior women and on the positive developmental benefits gained by experiencing different and changing environments. It emphasises:
- Cross-institutional collaboration: The program has built on a vital network across the Australian continent, using inter-institutional collaboration that breaks down individual, institutional and geographic isolation.
- Cross-sectoral collaboration: The strong links that the ATN Universities have established with business, industry, government and community organisations have been targeted to provide different examples of contemporary management and to generate opportunities for senior executive development.
The ATN WEXDEV model is not rigid. It accepts that the senior women to whom it is directed already have significant managerial and personal responsibilities. Hence the program offers flexibility and the opportunity to choose between a number of elements that women can tap into at different times, with different levels of commitment.
For information about how ATN WEXDEV works with its five universities on programs for women - see Integrating and Embedding WEXDEV
For other organisations active in the field of women in higher education, see Links
For up-to-date information on the situation for Women in Higher Education in Australia, see Resources.