WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Dr. Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, Liz Magill, ... [+]
Colleges and universities – public and private – are facing enormous stressors these days. Enrollments are projected to start shrinking in the next few years as the number of traditional-age college students decline, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. A growing number of prospective students are questioning whether a college education is still worth the investment, per Gallup polling, and a majority of recent graduates are underemployed. Institutions are facing questions about their free speech policies and accusations of being too partisan.
It’s a tough time to be a president.
In extreme cases, some universities are facing congressional investigations into their policies and social media campaigns to oust their presidents. At Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania – two of the most prestigious schools in the world – presidents have resigned under such pressures.
It’s enough that some presidents are deciding to leave voluntarily because they feel they can be more effective without the constraints of the job. L. Song Richardson this month announced she would step down as president of Colorado College and return to the law school faculty at the University of California, Irvine. Her reason? As a faculty member, Richardson said in a statement that she can “fully engage” in debates over equity and fairness.
Less Time On The Job
Even before the uproar at Harvard and Penn, the average tenure of college presidents was shrinking for some time. In 2022, presidents had been in the job an average of 5.9 years, according to the latest American College President Survey from the American Council on Education. That’s down from 6.5 years in 2016 and 8.5 years in 2008. And 55% of the more than 1,000 presidents surveyed said they planned to step down from their current position within the next five years.
“The job is really complex,” says Hironao Okahana, assistant vice president and executive director of ACE’s Education Futures Lab, who led the last survey. “You are leading a complicated enterprise. In some cases, you run a hospital, a major sports enterprise and the largest conference center (in the region) – in addition to the education and research component.”
A lack of understanding what they are in for may impact president’s level of success. One data point in the survey suggests that some presidents, particularly those of color, have different experiences with transparency during the search process. Those presidents indicated they were less likely to have a full understanding of their board’s expectations and the challenges they would face, including the financial health of the higher ed institution.
“If they don’t have a full picture, a job that is already challenging can be even more challenging,” says Okahana.
No doubt, leading an institution of higher education is hard work. In addition to overseeing the mission of education, research and athletics – all big business on campus – presidents must constantly worry about myriad issues that keep them up at night. Those include: student safety; affordability and access; quality of life matters for faculty and staff; local, state and federal policies and politics; fundraising; student and faculty activism on campus; and legal issues, including lawsuits. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Presidents are now under greater scrutiny than ever to demonstrate the value they provide. As someone who has supported five university presidents and provided advice to several others, I can tell you that the job is not for the faint of heart.
Complicating the matter is that success can be open to interpretation. For students, the true test of a degree’s value often comes down to their employment after graduating. A new report from Strada Institute for the Future of Work and the Burning Glass Institute suggests universities – and by default their presidents – have more work to do in this department.
More than half of recent college graduates are underemployed a year after they graduate, the report found, meaning they have a job that doesn’t require a four-year degree. A decade after they graduate, 45% still are still underemployed. The first job is critical. Among those who secure college-level employment upon graduation, 79% remained in such jobs five years later.
Creating Impact
The best presidents set themselves up for success by establishing clear priorities, holding true to their institution’s values and staying focused on their mission. Those leaders do an exceptional job of communicating with their stakeholders, sharing their goals and expectations, and being as transparent as possible when they make tough decisions – especially during times of crisis.
In many cases, presidents are champions for access, offering life-changing opportunities to thousands and serving as agents of social mobility to our most vulnerable. And they have the potential to attract new industry and drive economic growth, based on the strategies they promote and the policies they adopt.
They also remember that the most important component of their mission is to educate students, teach them to think critically and for themselves, and to create open and fearless environments for learning. When that happens, graduates tend to view their experience more favorably.
Being a university president is a tough job. However, most will tell you that when they see those graduates walk across the stage, it is worth it.
