In higher academia, colleges and universities pride themselves off cultivating a well-rounded innovative, scholarly, and professional setting for college students to learn in and enhance their preparatory skills for the job industry and adulthood. However, due to recent statistics colleges may not be bringing in the most qualified suitors for one of the most important positions to forward the continuity of the whole package a college can provide. There has been a growing concern in higher education with the demand for university and college presidents. This crisis has led to unequipped potential candidates for a college or university presidential position. Most of the faculty and staff at colleges are choosing not to pursue a higher position as the president of the specific university due to the not-so-glamorous duties and responsibilities of the job. In most instances, the potentials for a college president are previous non-academic positions such as: development, finance, and enrollment or admissions. As having one of the most prestigious leadership positions in a college environment, it is essential to have a well-rounded candidate who can only strengthen and improve the ethos of the campus, as it is the goal of the president additionally. If higher education wants to maintain its value, then it is time to start hiring the right candidate to put in a leadership position rather than ruin the traditional core of college at its most questioned time in society.
I encourage college students or academia junkies to pursue The Chronicle of Higher Education’s article, “The Imminent Crisis in College Leadership.”
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Imminent-Crisis-in-College/124513/
October 29th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
The article you posted, I think was spot on. It is definitly beneficial for potential college presidents to have some background in chief academic roles. Having experience in such roles is beneficial in making decisions concerning a university.
October 31st, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Your audience might enjoy reading College Leadership Crisis: The Philip Dolly Affair (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2011), a novel which comically and satirically addresses many of the issues you have described.
October 31st, 2012 at 1:53 pm
I totally agree with you. Most people don’t want to take on the position because of all the work that comes with it. And for the well rounded president of the university, they should have a concentration in an aspect of the school. By aspect I mean like enrollment, alumni, or development.