In this article, I examine the relationship between unionism and academic freedom as revealed by 50 years of reports by the American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Written following investigations of significant and/or intractable situations, the reports demonstrate the complex interactions…

Many critics consider public institution presidents' compensation to be excessive, while others argue the money yields a return on investment in private fundraising and state appropriations. Our study asks whether presidential compensation at public, four-year institutions is associated with increased institutional revenue from state…

This study examines the sensemaking processes of new college presidents to understand how they develop plausible, working descriptions of the campus and come to understand their role. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 18 presidents who were organizational outsiders and first-time presidents. As newcomers, presidents were found to act…

This study examines college presidents who have successfully institutionalized diversity measures on their campuses, focusing on their strategies. The study focus was: Do campuses at different stages of institutionalization in their diversity agendas use different strategies? If so, why? And how do different strategies help move the campus toward…

The search process for a college president has become a complicated affairs. The vicissitudes of the search process not only exhaust search committee members but also deplete the pool of good candidates. Selection criteria, confidentiality and disclosure, and Sunshine searches are discussed. (Author/MLW)

The aims and methods of the National Center for Postsecondary Governance and Finance research team that has been studying institutional leadership are described. (Author/MLW)

Explored how a select group of retired community college presidents constructed their concepts of themselves as leaders. Through in-depth interviews these former presidents mapped the course of their leadership through seven approaches: empowering, energizing, healing, inspiring, revealing, cultivating, and humanizing the organization and its…

A university president, an academic scholar, and a graduate student in higher education look back at "The Academic Revolution," written in 1968, from differing perspectives. Companion essays examine the predictions made in the book and its use as a platform for discussion about the direction taken by higher education. (MSE)

Four studies of leadership reach different conclusions, all apparently consistent with the experiences of practitioners. The themes of functionalism and culturalism in the study of organizations are illuminated and the usefulness of research using multiple points of view to examine a limited number of cases is suggested. (Author/MLW)

Administrators use different organizational perspectives, or "frames," to help them understand situations, problems, and day-to-day activities. In higher education, four frames are identified as bureaucratic, collegial, political, and symbolic. Frames used by 32 college presidents are analyzed according to content, complexity,…

The thinking, or "strategy," that underlies presidential behavior was examined. Presidential strategy has become more complex and it focuses more on shaping organizational members' perceptions and attitudes. Changes in presidential strategy may result from changes in the environment or in the presidents themselves as they learn on the…

Based on data from American Council on Education surveys, developed four career trajectories to a college presidency and how they are related to the demographic and professional backgrounds of presidential incumbents in different types of institutions; findings suggested how presidential aspirants and institutions may increase gender and ethnic…

Four books about college presidential spouses and the evolving dilemmas of their roles are reviewed, and the growing discussion about this role is examined. (MSE)

A study of college presidents' goals for educational quality and educational access suggests a greater commitment to quality and supports a view of college leadership that is essentially reactive rather than proactive. External forces promoting attention to access issues appear stronger than internal forces. (Author/MSE)

The concepts of institutional saga and culture were used to describe the dynamics at work when a new president was selected at three Catholic colleges sponsored by women's religious orders. Institutional data analyzed were transcripts of interviews, field notes, and documents. (Author/MLW)