In this article, the author asserts that a one-size-fits-all approach to hiring and retaining faculty members is no longer acceptable. She argues that the key to successful economic recovery is adapting to the needs of a new generation of faculty while still addressing those of current professors. Universities have the means and creativity to find…

The American system of higher education is a diverse mosaic of institutions offering broad access and a great deal of choice. In the two decades from 1984 to 2004, the minority student population in the United States grew by 146 percent to about 5 million, or one-third of all college students. To accommodate this population growth, an increasing…

At a roundtable meeting of 18 college and university presidents convened by American Council on Education (ACE) in the spring of 2007, there was a worried discussion about the perception that younger faculty currently entering the professoriate are increasingly less engaged in the affairs of their institutions, in fulfilling their responsibilities…

Last year, IBM Corporation conducted a study to determine what the successful enterprise of the future would look like. Its research was based on surveys of 1,130 CEOs, general managers, and senior public sector and business leaders from around the world. A few college and university presidents also were asked to participate. After 30 years as a…

Successful transitions involving a formal role for the former president, such as chancellor, are rare enough that the authors think theirs is an exceptional experience and is worth sharing, especially given the bulge of presidential retirements anticipated over the next decade. The authors believe that this model of transition can be successful,…

The transformative effect of higher education--to change individual lives and remedy global problems of all kinds--is without question and it is shared equally among individuals. Public or private, two-year, four-year, research, and liberal arts--each of the institutions has a sacred responsibility to educate the next generation of citizens and to…

What makes a college or university president? Coming from a historically underrepresented group, the author discusses his own path to the presidency, and how various people and personal experiences have shaped him along the way. He offers a piece of advice on how most presidencies are approached--through the academic ranks. Critical to achieving a…

The need to open access to college, to be more transparent and accountable, and to navigate difficult economic currents is undeniably urgent. This may be a moment not only of unprecedented challenge, but also of uncommon promise, and the question remains as to whether higher education leaders can look for abundance at a time of scarcity. In this…

Hiring and evaluating a president is crucial to a college's--and a board's--success. Effective leadership is a much prized commodity, and the leadership challenges for presidents of colleges and universities have many dimensions. Finding and supporting effective leadership is one of the foremost responsibilities of governing boards. In this…

One might think that a global financial crisis would be no time for college and university presidents to think expansively. Hunkering down is the more natural reaction to a threat of the magnitude that the economy continues to present. But expansive thought is exactly what higher education leaders need right now--not necessarily the kind that…

Gandhi's inspiration, true for the individual, is also true for the lives of the higher education institutions, especially if they intend their students to be builders of sustainable local and world community, characterized by social equity and justice, economic sufficiency, and a healthy environment. If how presidents conduct their institutions…

Colleges focus on their respective missions, the core principles and enduring values that are most important to their communities, their sense of history, and their future. Business, on the other hand, sometimes focuses on profits to the exclusion of everything else, including its mission, and that can be a mistake. What can Wall Street teach…

The role of the university president is continuously evolving as the challenges facing America's institutions and the world at large become more complex and farther reaching. With increased globalization, decreased public financial support, and more external interventions, higher education leaders must balance often competing demands representing…

This article features Wayne State University, a large urban research university in Detroit. The author believes that Wayne state has the potential as a regional center of expertise to do great things for Detroit and the surrounding counties--from strengthening K-12 education to promoting the economic development that Michigan so badly needed. As…

The appointment of Drew Gilpin to the Harvard presidency earlier this year occasioned a plethora of news and opinion articles around the country. Although the number of women presidents has been increasing over the last several decades, the percentage of women in these positions is still small. Harvard's historic appointment of a woman president…