The Roles and Functions of a President in the Collegiate World

1. The Roles and Functions of a President in the Collegiate World Greg Blundell, Jenny Craig, Walter Pechenuk, Kristina Scott & Janet Wilson

2. Introduction • How has the role changed over time? • What are the major roles and functions of the president? • How are presidents selected? • How are they compensated? • What is the president’s role in governance, leadership and management? • Who is the president accountable to and who does the president hold accountable? • How do presidents handle issues such as academic freedom? • How do presidents work with the communities in which their institutions reside?

3. Case Studies • Case 1. • University A is a Catholic and Jesuit University dedicated to developing women and men with the knowledge and character to lead and to serve. • Case 2. • University B, a public, four year institution, provides open access to high-quality education through a broad range of affordable certificate, associate, baccalaureate, and graduate programs.

4. History • First American colleges were founded in the 1600s: • Harvard College – 1636 • The College of Williamand Mary – 1693 • St. John’s College – 1696

5. History • Harvard was modeled on Emmanuel College Cambridge, educator of John Harvard and many Puritan leaders

6. History • Harvard’s curriculum followed the English model of liberal education before the mid-1800s • In the mid-1800s, many American universities, including Harvard, introduced a curriculum that was subject-oriented and based on the German model of specialization and seminar discussions and research

7. History • Historically, the president was the scholar “primus inter pares” • Leader and chief decision-maker of the college • Head scholar of the institution • Chief academic officer prior to 1950s • Originally answered to a “lay board,” which evolved into the Board of Trustees

8. Role & Function • Figure head of the institution • Work within the mission statement to set the direction of the institution • Assist with fundraising • Maintain or raise levels of educational programs • Maintain or raise community relations • Work with Board of Trustees in a variety of areas, including adhering to state regulations set by the Board of Regents • Maintain or raise the quality of faculty • Maintain or achieve a balanced budget

9. Selection • Only 19% of current presidents were selected from within their university(Blumenstyk, 2005) • From ’86 to ’98 (Ross & Green, 2000)* • the percentage of women presidents doubled, while that of minority presidents rose 38%, • 25% of all newly hired presidents were women, while ⅓ of new presidents at community colleges were women • As much as 50% of presidents are hired as a result of using search consultants • 70% had written contracts when they were hired, • The number of presidents who had never been full time faculty rose by 20%, and • Newly hired presidents were significantly older – average ages was 55.1 years *Ross, Marlene and Green, Madeleine (2000). The American college president.Washington, DC : American Council on Education

10. Selection • “External” president • spends time working with local legislatures, the business community, alumni and financial supporters • leaves the operation of the university in the hands of the executive vice president or the provost, and • rarely gets involved in tenure, promotion, or hiring issues.

11. Selection • “Political” president • usually carries out work with outside stakeholders in concert with administrative duties, which include being a mediator among various university groups who are vying for control and governance • sees himself as the “chief employee” of the BoT and owes his allegiance to it. • seldom gets involved in curriculum development and research, and • like an external president, probably does not hold a faculty position, is not tenured, is not a member of the faculty senate, and spends much of the time fundraising and lobbying for his state-supported university

12. Selection • “Academic” president • devotes much of his work to fundraising and public speaking but tends to concentrate on the internal management of the university and is visible on campus • is always a tenured member of the faculty with the title of full professor and may even teach a course and carry out research. • is responsible for providing the university with a vision and to encourage the institution’s faculty to develop a curriculum around this vision • also reviews hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions that are recommended to him by the faculty In the final analysis, the “academic” president is concerned primarily with the academic excellence of the university (Olscamp, 2003, p. 32).

13. Selection • Kent State Appoints Educational Innovator with 34 Years Experience Dr Lester Lefton as 11th University President

14. President Lestor Lefton

15. Compensation • Typically, at all institutions of higher learning, with the exception of universities that include medical colleges, the president will be one of the five highest paid employees(Ehrenberg, Cheslock, & Epifantseva, 2000, p.3). • Compensation- Determined by the Board of Trustees • Salary • Sign on bonuses • Deferred compensation • “Other” perks

16. Compensation • $ disparities = tension between president and faculty • “Most states have had minimal or no raises for faculty and staff members during the past two years, a period in which most presidents have accepted pay increases…” (Basinger & Henderson, 2004). • Private supplements made up at least a portion of the pay for ½ of all public university presidents in 2004. • Georgia & Missouri - Who hires thepresident? Board of Regents vs.Foundations providing privatedonations.

17. PAY BRACKETS OF PUBLIC-UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS The number of public-university presidents earning $500,000 or more has increased from 17 to 23, according to this year's survey. Additionally, fewer presidents are in the two lowest pay brackets. The median compensation for leaders of public research universities and public-college systems this year is $360,000. $0 to $199,999 5 $200,000 to $299,999 37 $300,000 to $399,999 47 $400,000 to $499,999 30 $500,000 to $599,999 15 $600,000 to $699,999 6 $700,000 to $799,999 2 SOURCE: Chronicle reporting

18. Governance • The power of persuasion to gain influence • Wield little executive power • Must be adept at balancing the interests of university’s constituencies • Must get buy-in from all involved in a given matter • Must share governance with Board of Trustees

19. Governance • Cannot be considered in isolation from leadership and management • Leadership must show great dexterity in order not to offend any constituency • Stepping on the wrong toes can lead to the exit door, regardless of the number of years of service

20. Governance • Decisions must be made in consultation with important stakeholders • President cannot sequester him/ herself from the university community • President must remember that friends come and go but enemies accumulate • Enemies may be waiting for the right moment to remove the president

21. Leadership “In general, a leader is a leader, is a leader.”(Francis and Koch, 1996, p. 19) • Leadership views (relative to mission) • Knowledge from experiences • Interactions with students and faculty • Interactions with off-campus constituents • Influences and social distance

22. Management • President as CEO • Movement to business model of management. • Presidents & board of trustees must work symbiotically to manage the university.

23. Management • Administrative Managing Team: • Provost • Vice presidents • Finance • Administration • Academic affairs • Student affairs

24. Case Study Situation:Alleged racial discrimination. • The women’s white female basketball coach was being accused of racially discriminating against an African American female student by • segregating players based on race during trips, • allowing more playing time for white players and • causing a large turnover in the number of African-American players on the team • Complaints came from students, staff and parents.

25. Accountability • “How a college deals with a president who leaves has a significant impact – not only on the relationship with that particular CEO, but also on the entire institution” What precedes and what follows this event will “set the college's admin and operational tone and influence how both internal and external constituencies view the institution over the long haul”(Martin & Samels 2004, p. B15) Benjamin Ladner Former president of American University

26. Accountability • Three distinct performance expectations are emerging where the president is expected to; • consistently raise significant funds, • to be competent in all areasof management, and • to “maintain theacademiccredibility withat least amajority of thefaculty” (Cotton, 2005, p. C1) Dr. Edward M. HundertFormer president CWRU

27. Accountability • Governing bodies should do everything in their power not to set the president up for failure. • they must take every step possible and should absolutely “practice preventative medicine” to obviate his or her failure or, at worst, to limit the consequences if failure is inevitable. Lawrence (Larry) H. Summers President of Harvard (Cotton 2005, p. C1) “the under-representation of women in the sciences might have a genetic basis”

28. Accountability

29. Academic Freedom • In the 2005-2006 regular session of the 126th General Assembly, Ohio Senate Bill 24 was introduced by Senators Larry A. Mumper, Jim Jordan, Gary Cates, and Lynn R. Wachtmann, • “…to enact sections 3345.80 and 3345.81 of the Revised Code to establish the academic bill of rights for higher education.”

30. Academic Freedom • The Academic Bill of Rights [ABOR] • Designed by David Horowitz • a right wing activist who “advocates government oversight of university curricula, day-to-day coursework and classroom discussions on college campuses” (Smith, 2006, p. 29) GOP Most Wanted Playing Card

31. Academic Freedom • University of Colorado ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill • Interim chancellor of the University of Colorado,PhilipDiStefano

32. Academic Freedom • baffled by the fact that Churchill was able to lie about the differences between the American public and terrorists, while Summers had been forbidden to recognize the truth regarding the differences between the sexes GEORGE NEUMAYR “Professors of Stupidity” Executive Editor American Spectator Magazine

33. Community Development • Inevitable presidential responsibility • Relationships fostered • Individuals who benefit • How Individuals benefit • Importance of sustaining community relations

34. Conclusion • Presidents of institutions can face almost impossible expectations. • An effective president must be able to balance interests and make decisions under incredible pressure. • What decisions would you make if you were president of an institution?

35. Blundell

36. References • Basinger, J. (2004). High pay, hard questions. Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(13), B3. • Bensimon, Estela Mara, Gade, Marian L., Kauffman, Joseph F. (1989). On assuming a college or university presidency. Washington, DC: Whitmore Printing. • Blumenstyk,Goldie (2005). Outside chance for insiders. Chronicle of Higher Education. 52, (11), A28-A29. • Bornstein, Rita (2005). The Nature and Nurture of Presidents. Chronicle of Higher Education. 52, (11), B10. Retrieved August 27, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i11/11b01001.htm • Cotton, Raymond D. (2005). Firing the president. Chronicle of Higher Education. 51, (27), C1. Retrieved August 27, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i27/27c00101.htm • Davis, William E., Davis, Douglas R. (1999). The university presidency: Do evaluations make a difference? Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education. 13 (2), pp. 119-140. • Dennison, G. M. (2001). Small men on campus: Modern university presidents. Innovative Higher Education, 25 (4), 269 • Ehrenberg, Ronald G., Cheslock, John J., Epifantseva, Julia (2000). Paying our presidents: What do trustees value? National Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper Series. • El-Khawas, Elaine (2002). Governance in US universities – Aligning internal dynamics with today’s needs. In Alberto Amaral, Glen A. Jones, and Berit Karseth (Eds.), Governing higher education: National perspectives on institutional governance (pp. 261-278), Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

37. References • Fain, Paul (2005). Public-university presidents apt to feel underpaid. Chronicle of Higher Education. 52, (13), B4. Retrieved September 13, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i13/13b00402.htm • Fain, Paul (2005). American U. Faces a Tussle at the Top. Chronicle of Higher Education. 52, (7), A1. Retrieved September 13, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i07/07a00101.htm • Fischer, James L., Koch, James V. (1996). Presidential leadership, making a difference. Phoenix, Arizona: The Oryx Press. • Fish, Stanley (2005). Chickens: The Ward Churchill and Larry Summers story. Chronicle of Higher Education. 52 (11) A31. Retrieved September 13, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i36/36b00901.htm • Fogg, Piper (2005). Presidents favor scrapping tenure. Chronicle of Higher Education. 51, (29), A1. Retrieved September 13, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i11/11a03101.htm • Fogg, Piper (2005). Board backs Harvard chief after a faculty thumbs down. Chronicle of Higher Education. 51, (29), A1. Retrieved September 13, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i29/29a00101.htm • Gayle, Dennis John, Twarie, Bohendradatt, and White, A. Quinton, Jr. (2003). Governance in the twenty-first century university. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report 30 (1). • Goodchild, L. F., & Wechsler, H. S. (Eds.). (1997). The history of higher education (2nd ed.). Boston MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. • Hayes, Alice Bourke. (1997). Shaping the leadership team: The president, governing board, and chief academic officer. In James Martin, James E. Samels & Associates (Eds.), First among equals: The role of the chief academic officer (pp. 81-103). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

38. References • Hermalin, Benjamin E. (2004). Higher education boards of trustees. In Ronald G. Ehrenberg (Ed.), Governing Academia, (pp. 235-257). Ithaca, NY: Cornel University Press. • Kaplan, Gabriel E. (2004). How Academic Ships Actually Navigate. In Ronald G. Ehrenberg (Ed.), Governing Academia, (pp. 165-208). Ithaca, NY: Cornel University Press. • Keohane, N. O. (1985). Collaboration and Leadership: Are They in Conflict? College Board Review. 135 (2), 5-37. • Kinzie, Susan and Strauss, Valerie. Ladner's $3.75 million deal severs ties to American U. Ex-president allowed to resign rather than be fired. (2005, October 25). Washington Post, p. B01. Retrieved September 17, 2006, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article /2005/10/10/ AR2005101000808.html • Lee, Margaret (2005). On assuming a college or university presidency: lessons and advice from the field essays by Margaret Lee, James F. Jones, Jr., Robert M. Berdahl. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. • Martin, James and Samels, James E. (2004). When showing a president the door, open it carefully. Chronicle of Higher Education. 51 (16) B15. Retrieved September 11, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i16/16b01501.htm • Martin, James and Samels, James E. (1997). First among equals: The current roles of the chief academic officer. In James Martin, James E. Samels & Associates (Eds.), First among equals: The role of the chief academic officer (pp. 3-20). • McLaughlin, Judith B. (2004). Leadership, management, and governance. New Directions for Higher Education, 128, 5-13. • McLaughlin, Judith B., Riesman, D. (1990). Choosing a college president: opportunities and constraints. Lawrenceville, NJ: Princeton University Press.

39. References • Neumann, Y. and Neumann, E. (2000). The president and the college bottom line: The role of strategic leadership styles. Library Consortium Management: An International Journal, 2 (3/4), 97-108. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from OhioLink (www.ohiolink.edu). • Neumayr, George (2005) Professors of stupidity. (2005, February 11). The American Spectator. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7755 • Olscamp, Paul J. (2003). Moral leadership – Ethics and the college presidency. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. • Pusser, Brian & Turner, Sarah E. (2004). For-profit governance in higher dducation. . In Ronald G. Ehrenberg (Ed.), Governing Academia, (pp. 235-257). Ithaca, NY: Cornel University Press. • Rosovsky, Henry. (2001) Some thoughts about university governance. InWerner Z. Hirsch & Luc E. Weber (Eds.) Governance in higher education –The university in a state of flux (pp, 94-104). London: Economica. • Selingo, Jeffery. What presidents think (2005). Chronicle of Higher Education. 52, (2), A25-36. • Smith, Kurt (2006). A philosopher looks at the “Academic Bill of Rights.” Academe. 92 (5), 29-32. • Spector, Robert M. (1971). The changed role of the modern university president. The Education Digest, 37 (2), 46-49. • Strout, Erin. (2006). Financial failures lead to resignation of Case Western's president.Chronicle of Higher Education. 52 (29), A30. • Strout, Erin. (2005). The trustees’ tipping point: When does a governing board say enough is enough and fire the president?Chronicle of Higher Education. 51 (35), 35.

40. References • Trow, Martin A. (1984). The university presidency : comparative reflections on leadership. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois. • Vaughan, George B (2004). Diversify the Presidency. Chronicle of Higher Education. 51 (10) B14. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on Sunday August 27, 2006. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i10/10b01401.htm • Vaughan, George B. & Weisman, Iris M. (1997). Selected characteristics of community college trustees and presidents. New Directions for Community Colleges. No. 98, 5-12. • Vaughan, George B. & Weisman, Iris M. (Eds.). (1997) Presidents and trustees in partnership: new roles and leadership challenges. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass • Wenrich, J. William, Reid, Bethany, L. (2003). It’s not the race I signed up for, but it’s the race I’m in: The role of community college presidents. New Directions for Community Colleges, 124, 27-32.