Over half of college campuses in the United States can expect their president to step down in the next five years (American Council on Education, 2023). The new leaders who assume these vacant roles will be expected to lead institutions through difficult and unexpected crisis situations. Campus crises can arise from political or financial…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore how African American female college presidents were socialized to work as senior-level administrators at higher education institutions in the United States and to understand how race and gender impact their professional identity development. My goal is that this research study will…

Many community colleges have an opening for the position of president and need to choose the best candidates to lead their organizations successfully in a dynamic and diverse higher education landscape. A review of existing literature revealed studies that have looked at programs preparing community college presidents, perspectives from community…

There is significant research on the president's role, but there is a lack of research on presidential transitions and direct experiences during those transitions. With the growing number of presidential transitions happening as the tenure of presidential tenure decreases, the importance of well-run presidential transitions becomes even more…

Followers grant legitimacy to leaders whom they perceive to be a good fit for the role, yet the conceptual framework for this study illustrated how dominant discourses related to gender and leadership continue to negatively affect a woman's potential in achieving legitimacy as an academic president. This study examined the predominant discourses…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine humility as a component of servant leadership by describing the perceptions and experiences of presidents and senior administrators at member institutions across the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). To accomplish this purpose, the researcher conducted interviews with a sample of…

This study examined how recently appointed, first-time public university presidents made sense of their new institution and position during their transition into their presidency. The information gained from these interviews is expected to illustrate how first-time public university presidents prepare, collect information, and learn about their…

Over the years there has been an increase in the turnover of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents. As the turnover rates at HBCUs continues to increase, many higher education researchers have noted that HBCUs are currently being plagued by a leadership crisis (Evans et al., 2002; Freeman & Palmer, 2020; Kimbrough, 2017).…

With its unique perspective, this phenomenological study focused on the challenges college presidents face in fundraising at Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) institutions of higher education. As financial pressures grew, fundraising became a central responsibility for presidents, particularly in faith-based institutions where…

The purpose of the research was to understand how alumni executives make decisions and formulate communication strategies during university leadership change. The research was based on the trends found by the American Council on Education that the tenure of the college president has been on the decline since 2006 and is currently 5.9 years.…

This study focused on the allocation decisions that college and university leaders make with potentially transformational donations and their associated decision-making processes. A gift was defined as potentially transformational if it was: 1) unrestricted and 2) exceeded 25% of an organization's annual revenues or existing endowment. These types…

Black women remain underrepresented in higher education leadership roles, especially in the college presidency. Since the middle of the 20th century, women have emerged as leaders throughout every field of human endeavor; however, their rise to the college presidency remains slow and steady. The number of women college presidents has increased…

This dissertation explores the intricate interplay of presidential priorities in the evolving landscape of higher education, particularly within the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Over the past 15 years, college presidents have confronted various challenges, from budget constraints and racial tensions to employee engagement…

Modern chief administrators in higher education are facing a moment of significant crisis. Confidence in higher education decreases yearly, a growing anti-intellectual movement erodes trust, and educators feel ill-prepared for contemporary challenges. The pressures of the role lead to shorter tenures in the chief academic position. So, academic…

Higher education is facing a wave of presidential transitions. While the transition of a president can be a monumental and celebrated occasion for a college or university, it is often accompanied by work disruptions, job uncertainty, and turnover of senior administrators. University presidents can face numerous challenges as they try to adapt to a…