Dive Brief:
- A new report from the Aspen Institute's Task Force on the Future of the College Presidency says college presidents must increasingly work with leaders in the K-12 sector, community-based groups, industry leaders and others to produce a better educated populace and workforce.
- Not only do presidents have a responsibility to their own campuses, said the report, which developed from the discussions of 35 current and former presidents representing a broad cross-section of the sector, but they have a responsibility to help develop a pipeline to the profession through professional development and mentoring of current and prospective presidents.
- The group identified three particular focus areas: expanding and developing professional development and peer learning opportunities for other leaders; working more with boards to "set institutional goals and to hire, support, and work with presidents"; and working to identify and develop new and diverse talent for the presidency.
Dive Insight:
One of the major strengths of this report is the fact that the task force included current and former leaders from major public research institutions, small, private liberal arts institutions, historically black and minority-serving institutions, community colleges and seemingly everything in between, so its recommendations are not limited to one sector of higher education, and are not ignorant of the demands of various institution types. In addition to all of the things college presidents are expected to do — from government relations, to serving as the chief marketing officer, top fundraiser, number one student affairs professional — succession planning, both for the local campus and the profession overall, may fall as an afterthought.
However, if done right, succession planning could actually help alleviate some of the stress from a president, who may be able to delegate some tasks to highly qualified individuals on campus who could complete them well with a little guidance. This serves to both develop the other individual and get things done for the president.
Dr. Norman Francis, former president of Xavier University in Louisiana and a higher education stalwart, once said the key to his success over the 47 years he was at the helm of the institution was hiring smart people and getting out of their way. And, as Wallace Community College Dean of Instruction recently said about faculty, it is better to train these individuals and lose them to other institutions than to not train them and keep them on board.
