Work at Smith Is ‘Close to My Heart,’ Says New Dean of College Donna Lisker

As dean of the college and vice president for campus life, Donna Lisker has a job that touches on every aspect of student experience at Smith. She oversees academic advising, study abroad, health and counseling, multicultural affairs and residence life—among other areas.

How does she keep up with it all?

“I inherited a really great team,” says Lisker, who succeeded Maureen Mahoney, who retired after 18 years in the position. Lisker came to Smith in July from Duke University, where she was associate vice provost for undergraduate education. While at Duke, Lisker helped create the Baldwin Scholars, a four-year leadership program for women. She also helped oversee Duke Kunshan University, a joint venture of Duke and Wuhan universities in China.

Lisker earned an undergraduate degree from Williams College and a doctorate in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At Duke, she taught courses in gender and sports, as well as women’s studies.

“One of the great things about a women’s college is that there is no waiting around while the guys take over.”

In an interview in her College Hall office, which features a stained glass window from the days when the room was a chapel, Lisker talked about women’s leadership and her role at Smith. 

What attracted you to Smith?
Lisker: “The opportunity to work specifically on women’s education was very compelling. That work has been close to my heart for a while. When I worked at Duke, I founded a leadership development program for women called the Baldwin Scholars program. We used to joke that it was like a mini women’s college. It emulated some of the experience of a single-sex college by taking a cohort of women and guiding them through a leadership training experience.”

What lessons did you learn that might be applied at Smith?
Lisker: “Part of what I learned was a sense of sequence. There are certain skills that are essential in training young women for leadership. Some of what I learned, I will bring to Smith, but Duke was also a very different environment. Our training at Duke started with self-reflection, and Smith has already figured that part out. You begin with ‘Who am I? What do I care about?’ Once you have a better sense of yourself, the program helps women understand what they are good at and what skills they need to work on.”

What new initiatives will you be leading at Smith?
Lisker: “What I’m interested in building is what I call scaffolding between experiences. Smith has all kinds of leadership opportunities available for students. One of the great things about a women’s college is that there is no waiting around while the guys take over. What I’m not sure we’re doing enough of is connecting those opportunities. I am also chairing the Global Working Group, which is taking another look at Smith’s 2010 White Paper on global strategy. Faculty, staff and students in the group will be going back to the global vision from 2010 and seeing what’s changed. What can we check off the list? What do we still have to work on?”

What other issues will your office be involved with?
Lisker: “A national trend for colleges is looking at Title IX [the program that bars sex discrimination in federally-funded education programs]. The government is insisting that we take a close and careful look at our services surrounding gender-based violence. We support that and want to lead in this area. Another issue—one we talked about at the board of trustees meeting October 16-17—is mental health. Nationally, the use of mental health services by college students is skyrocketing. Our new Schacht Center for Health and Wellness is seeing record levels of student usage. My office also handles disability issues, which are important to keep on our radar.”

How is technology changing campus life?
Lisker: “There are advantages and disadvantages to our current technology. Social media can provide an immediate glimpse into someone’s thinking. Technology allows us to share information quickly. But it also can bring out the worst in people and can isolate people. I often see students walking along together, and they’re on their separate phones. It’s striking how things have changed. I taught a class once where students were asking what it was like before cell phones. ‘What if someone called while you were out?’ they wanted to know. They just couldn’t get used to the idea of not being reachable at all times.”

What’s the most important thing you want people to know about your office? 
Lisker: “That I am very eager to get to know students. That’s the fun part of the job. I just got my second invitation to a house tea. I hope students will be comfortable about reaching out to me.”

Do you have a favorite spot on campus?
Lisker: “I found it just today. I walked down the path along Paradise Pond and the Mill River, and it was so beautiful. I’m a rower and I brought my single with me. I’m aiming for getting to row on the Connecticut once a week.”