Mission

To serve, support, and celebrate the advancement of careers of women at all ranks in the health sciences and medicine at Columbia University Medical Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). The Virginia Kneeland Frantz Society for Women Faculty (VKFS) aims to:

Serve the needs of women at CUIMC in all departments through education and professional development;
Support women through networking, mentorship, advocating for equity, sponsorship, and providing work-life resources; and to
Celebrate career achievements and advancement of women alumnae and faculty at CUIMC as well as honor those who mentor and support them.

Vision

The Virginia Kneeland Frantz Society for Women Faculty is a CUIMC group that advocates for the equitable career advancement of women faculty at CUIMC.

Strategic Goals

Serve

To offer programs, education, and services to women faculty to help them advance in their careers.
To ensure equitable salary, promotions, and leadership opportunities to women faculty at CUIMC.
To be an informational and educational resource for issues around faculty careers for women faculty.
To create a platform for women at CUIMC to become agents of change.
To identify needs and barriers to advancement of women faculty and to create solutions.

Support

To empower women faculty to advance in their careers and to develop personally.
To encourage women faculty to be full participants in institutional growth and development.
To promote equitable representation of women in leadership roles and on important committees, including search committees and honors nomination committees.
To advocate for women faculty and their contributions to education, research, clinical care, and institutional citizenship.
To create support networks for women.

Celebrate

To recognize the achievements of women faculty, alumnae, and students at CUIMC.
To recognize the advancement of women in leadership and prestigious roles in science and medicine.  
To actively sponsor women faculty for honors and awards.