Latinx students enroll in higher education in more significant numbers than most minorities. However, Latinx administrators in the United States comprised 14% of total administrators in 2021 (Zippia, 2023b). The Association of American Colleges & Universities (Dedman, 2019) explains the college presidency is 58.1% White and male. White women…

The university president's role can be complicated and ambiguous. The pathway to the presidency remains a mystery as traditional and non-traditional presidents approach the position with various experiences, and 75% of those hired arrive as first-time presidents (Gagliardi et al., 2017). New and aspiring university presidents would benefit from…

Although obtaining advanced degrees in higher education has become increasingly important in society, women and racial and/or ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in the college president position (Gargliardi, Espinoza, Taylor, & Turk, 2017). The 2017 American College President Study indicates that women only made up 30.1% of people in…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore how public community college presidents draw upon data, their core values, and lived experiences to make decisions about how they can best respond to the holistic needs of their students. Method: Utilizing secondary elite focus group data with 15 community college presidents in Texas, we employed…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women in institutions of higher education in the state of Texas regarding career progression and potential barriers to leadership. Of specific interest is a more in-depth understanding of perceived barriers along the career pathway and strategies…

Higher education institutions of all types are experiencing increased challenges related to acquiring financial resources to support educational initiatives. Executive leaders, particularly during periods of instability and crisis, are required to make decisions related to highly complex challenges that have the potential to influence the…

The Board of Regents appointed President Thomas to the helm of Nuestra University, a large and urban Hispanic-Serving University. In the first years of his presidency, Nuestra achieved important milestone in its quest to better serve and graduate students from underrepresented populations. However, Thomas's hiring and presidency has faced critical…

Performance-based funding (PBF) resurfaced in American higher education state funding planning after the 2008 recession. PBF is designed to address greater accountability of taxpayers' dollars and centered on the premise to be a vehicle for eliminating the workforce skills gap. This study reviews the scholarly research addressing the implications…

With the growing diversification of the community college student body, as well as the nation, the level of cultural intelligence of the community college president of today is even more important than in times past. Based on research findings, cross-cultural leadership is cited as the number one management challenge of the twenty-first century…

This study chronicles important contributions made by Miguel A. Nevárez, an Hispanic model for social justice in higher education. An analysis of archival records and interviews shows how Nevárez brought about greater opportunities for South Texas students by institutionalizing campus initiatives and by playing a role in the birth of the South…

With the realistic notion of universities struggling to survive, the leadership position of a university president provides critical influence for institutional survival. A university president is presented many opportunities to make decisions or address critical situations which ultimately influence the campus culture. In this study, the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent of success and the challenges faced by community college presidents in creating an entrepreneurial culture. Fourteen American community colleges, identified by Roueche and Jones (2005), were surveyed for this study. These fourteen community colleges are located in Texas, Florida,…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was two-fold--(a) to determine the barriers women encounter as they pursue becoming a community college president; and (b) to identify the supports and career paths that are described as assisting women in obtaining the position of community college president. More specifically, emergent themes…

After recounting the historical circumstances of the establishment of independent boards at Catholic colleges and universities, this paper considers the present conditions of boards at six Holy Cross institutions. Interviews and correspondence with the presidents of these institutions provided answers to a number of questions, including: How are…

For those who do not come up through the typical faculty-dean-vice president route, making the leap to college president can be difficult--but more leaders are doing it. As colleges find themselves increasingly shifting to a student success model and grappling with performance funding, some leaders are finding that their unconventional experience…