Students and faculty in higher education increasingly reflect more diverse backgrounds, but this diversity remains rare in many leadership roles. In Leading from the Margins, Mary Dana Hinton celebrates the unique strengths of marginalized individuals, inviting them to embrace their leadership potential and make a difference. Drawing from Hinton's…

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…

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…

Equity in action starts with a leader's critical consciousness in relation to their identities, ideologies, and positionalities. In this essay, the following factors: ideologies, identities, and positionalities are explained and emphasized as they are essential factors that impact equity work. Leaders who center equity must explore their own…

On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, igniting the 2023 War in Israel and Palestine. As human rights atrocities unfold, the war has sparked contentious political debate and civil discourse. Given their positions of authority, university presidents and chancellors have weighed in on the conflict through their public statements, while seeking…

Latinx students constitute the fastest and largest growing segment of the population in California community colleges (CCCs), with roughly 45% of students identified as Latinx. Yet Latinx representation among faculty and administrators lags behind, with very modest gains in representation in the faculty and academic administrator ranks (Bates et…

This case study explored the consideration, inclusion, and significance of market forces in the development of strategic planning at higher education institutions. The design examined methods, procedures, behaviors, and attitudes that Presidents in higher education applied to designing strategic planning processes. Guiding this examination was the…

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…

Although there is an increase in literature on Black women's leadership in academia, the majority of studies have concentrated on their experiences at institutions that are predominately White (Jean-Marie & Tickles, 2017, p. 102). Furthermore, despite advanced degrees and a strong presence in most professional areas, women remained excluded…

The homogeneous nature of senior leadership in U.S. colleges and universities and the absence of diverse perspectives in decision making is cause for concern. The nation's college student population has become increasingly diverse, with Black, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander (API), and Indigenous groups making up 45% of 4-year college…

This study examines the lack of Latina representation in senior positions within 4-year higher education institutions in the United States. It utilizes Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and testimonio methodology to delve into the experiences of seven Latina leaders who have reached the roles of president and provost. The research…

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was designed to gain insight into the lived experiences of female executive leaders in career pathways that lead to the college presidency regarding their menopause transition while working in the community college workplace. Men outnumber women in the role of the college president even though…

Efforts to address the myriad challenges facing the world today have been dominated by White men at the exclusion of women, particularly Black, indigenous, and women of color. To address the gender inequity in leadership, women must gain the skills necessary to be authoritative leaders. An important place for young women to develop as leaders is…