How Marquette and TEMPO are advancing the next generation of women leaders – Marquette Today

Report on the “Elevate” Leadership Program and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A strategic partnership between TEMPO, a professional women’s organization, and Marquette University has resulted in the “Elevate” leadership development program. This initiative is designed to advance mid-career women, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program’s core focus aligns with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by providing targeted leadership training to women. Furthermore, it supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) through its expert-led curriculum, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by enhancing career progression, SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by fostering professional networks, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through its collaborative institutional model. This report analyzes the program’s structure, implementation, and impact in the context of these global goals.

Program Overview and Strategic Alignment with SDGs

Core Mission: Advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

The Elevate program is fundamentally designed to achieve targets within SDG 5 by ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic life. The initiative specifically targets members of TEMPO’s Emerging Women Leaders (EWL) group, providing them with the necessary skills and confidence to transition into executive roles. By equipping participants with tools for professional advancement and community engagement, the program actively works to dismantle barriers to female leadership.

Framework: Fostering SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work)

The program’s structure embodies the principles of SDG 4 by offering inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities. The collaboration with Marquette University ensures academic rigor and access to expert faculty. The curriculum is tailored to promote skills for decent work and career advancement, directly contributing to SDG 8.

• Lifelong Learning: The program provides continuous professional development for women in demanding leadership roles.
• Skills for Employment: Content is focused on practical, applicable skills such as negotiation, communication, and building credibility, which are essential for securing and succeeding in higher-level leadership positions.

Implementation and Partnership Model

A Multi-Stakeholder Approach: Achieving SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

The success of the Elevate program is a direct result of a robust partnership between the corporate sector (represented by TEMPO) and academia (Marquette University). This collaboration exemplifies SDG 17, which encourages and promotes effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships. The synergy between TEMPO’s network and Marquette’s educational expertise creates a powerful platform for sustainable development in women’s leadership.

Program Structure and Curriculum

The program is delivered over a 10-week period, with a format designed to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. The curriculum is comprehensive, addressing key competencies for executive leadership.

1. Duration: Ten weeks, with two-hour sessions held weekly.
2. Delivery Model: A hybrid format combining virtual and in-person sessions to maximize accessibility and networking opportunities.
3. Instruction: Sessions are led by Marquette faculty, including nationally recognized professors of management and instructors from the Executive MBA program, as well as guest speakers.
4. Curriculum Topics:
   • Leadership Identity Formation
   • Advanced Negotiation and Communication Strategies
   • Building Professional Credibility
   • Career Progression Planning
   • Organizational Behavior

Outcomes and Impact on SDG Targets

Tangible Skill Development and Career Progression

Participants report tangible impacts, applying lessons learned directly to their professional roles. The skills acquired contribute to achieving targets under SDG 8, which aims for full and productive employment and decent work for all. Testimonials from participants, such as Erin Stanek of Baird, confirm that the program provides actionable “tidbits from each of the different sessions” that are utilized on a daily and weekly basis, enhancing their effectiveness as leaders.

Building Networks to Reduce Inequalities (SDG 10)

A significant outcome of the program is the creation of a strong professional network among cohort members from diverse industries. This peer support system is critical for reducing inequalities (SDG 10) by providing women with a collaborative community that fosters shared learning and mutual support. The program’s emphasis on in-person sessions has been reinforced to strengthen this networking component, as participants reported learning “just as much from each other” as from the formal instruction.

Future Outlook and Scalability

The partnership between TEMPO and Marquette University is committed to the long-term continuation and evolution of the Elevate program. The stated goal is to ensure the program continues for “the next 30, 40, 50 years,” indicating a sustainable commitment to advancing women’s leadership. This long-term vision solidifies the program’s role as an enduring mechanism for achieving gender equality and providing quality education, ensuring its continued contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals for decades to come.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article focuses on the “Elevate” program, a leadership development series specifically for women. Its primary goal is to advance women’s leadership and help them “progress career-wise” into executive roles, directly addressing the need for gender equality in economic and public life.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The program is an “executive education program” created by Marquette University. It provides expert-led, practical skill-building and professional development, which aligns with the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for adults.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  By equipping women with advanced leadership, negotiation, and communication skills, the program helps them secure better career opportunities and “prepare them for bigger leadership roles.” This contributes to their economic empowerment and the goal of achieving productive employment and decent work for all.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article highlights that the Elevate program is a “collaboration between TEMPO and Marquette’s executive education program.” This partnership between a professional organization and an academic institution to achieve a common development goal is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

    The article directly supports this target. The Elevate program was created to help mid-career women “level up in their workplaces” and prepare them for “bigger leadership roles.” The entire initiative is a product of Marquette’s Institute for Women’s Leadership, which “works to advance women’s leadership both locally and globally.”

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

    The program focuses on providing “practical skill-building” to its participants. The article mentions specific relevant skills taught, such as “how to negotiate, about how to communicate, about how to build credibility with others,” which participant Erin Stanek says she is “using really daily and weekly.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

    The article is a case study of this target in action. It describes the program as being “created in partnership between TEMPO and Marquette’s executive education program.” The CEO of TEMPO, Jennifer Dirks, emphasizes the value of “having that collaboration and partnering with such an amazing institution as Marquette University.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 5.5 (Equal opportunities for leadership):

  • Implied Indicator: Number of women participating in leadership development programs.

    The article states that the first cohort included “around 20 other women” and that a “second Elevate series… kicked off in September,” implying a continuous measure of participation.

  • Implied Indicator: Progression of participants into senior and executive leadership roles.

    The program is designed for TEMPO’s Emerging Women Leaders group, who are a “few years away from full TEMPO membership, which requires at least five years in an executive leadership role.” Tracking how many participants achieve this milestone would be a direct measure of the program’s success.

• For Target 4.4 (Increase adults with relevant skills):

  • Implied Indicator: Number of adults completing vocational or professional training.

    The existence of cohorts completing the “10-week session” provides a basis for this indicator.

  • Implied Indicator: Self-reported application of acquired skills in the workplace.

    The article provides qualitative evidence for this through Erin Stanek’s testimony: “There were tidbits from each of the different sessions… Those are things that I’m reflecting on and using really daily and weekly.” This suggests that skill acquisition and application could be measured.

• For Target 17.17 (Effective partnerships):

  • Implied Indicator: Number and longevity of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

    The article describes the establishment of one such partnership. Its intended longevity is mentioned by TEMPO’s CEO, who looks forward to the program continuing “for the next 30, 40, 50 years,” indicating that the sustainability of the partnership is a measure of its success.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: today.marquette.edu