LEAS 833
Higher Education in America
Weeks 8 & 9
Governing Boards & Presidency
•Governing Boards
•Presidency
•Leadership Traits & Behavioral Theories
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• The organizational structures of American colleges and universities vary distinctly,
depending on institutional type, culture, and history.
• Shared-tasks such as strategic planning, fiscal oversight, curriculum planning, and
student affairs are common to American postsecondary institutions.
• Public and private colleges and universities of all types incorporate key authority
structures, including a governing board, a president or chancellor, a cohort of
administrative leaders, and an academic senate.
• In public institutions these core organizational entities collaborate with such
external authorities as state and federal political leaders, community
organizations, and members of the public, as well as business interests and
philanthropic foundations.
• These external organizations routinely interact with and shape the policies and
procedures of the university's internal organization.
Governing Boards & Presidents
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• College/university's governing board, also known as the trustees,
regents, or board of visitors, possesses fundamental legal authority
over the university.
• The authority of the governing board is vested in it by the state
wherein the school resides for public institutions.
• Private institutions governing boards are appointed by the chartering
agency.
• Both public and private governing boards are generally constituted of
citizen trustees.
• The board is the most powerful governing agent of the modern
university.
Governing Boards
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• The formal responsibilities of university governing boards are significant even
as they are few in number.
▪ Preservation of the university charter
▪ Institutional performance evaluations
▪ Fundraising
▪ Liaison with external agencies and political bodies
▪ Budget approval
▪ Oversight of campus policies and investment strategies
▪ Hiring and evaluating the ongoing performance of the university
president.
▪ The federal government has influenced the decentralized organization of
higher education primarily through legislation–the Morrill Acts, the Higher
Education Acts, and the G.I. Bill at both public and private institutions.
Governing Boards
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• The role of governors in trustee appointments and the key role of legislative
funding in institutional development has meant that the states play a central
role in the governance of the public institutions.
• In the public case those trustees are often political appointees who serve as a
fundamental link between the institution and state and national political
structures.
• Governing board members at public institutions typically arrive at the trustee
table by one of four paths:
▪ direct appointment by the governor
▪ ex-officio appointment
▪ gubernatorial appointment subject to approval of the state legislature
▪ or less frequently, election by popular vote.
Governing Boards
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• Public university board members represent the citizens of the state and the
terms and conditions of their service are often defined by institutional charter
or state constitution.
• Private boards are generally self-perpetuating, with new trustees chosen by the
membership of the standing board or chartering agency.
• While private colleges and universities benefit considerably from public
subsidies and support, private boards are not subject to the same degree of
external scrutiny or intervention as are public boards.
• State governments rather than the federal government that carry the primary
authority for higher education in the United States.
Governing Boards
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• The chief executive officer of an institution of higher education in the
United States is commonly known as president.
▪ There are some campuses, however, which use the titles of
chancellor, dean, or chief executive officer in lieu of president.
▪ The diversity of higher education has resulted in chief executive
officers at U.S. colleges and universities with a wide variety of
background characteristics and job responsibilities.
President
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• College presidents tend to be over-whelming white, protestant, and male.
▪ By the late 1990s more than 19 percent of college presidents were
women and 11 percent were members of other minority groups.
▪ The average age for presidents was 57.6 years, with 30 percent never
having served as a full-time faculty member.
▪ More than 80 percent hold an earned doctorate, with the single
largest field of study being education.
▪ Most college and university presidents are members of their
institution's governing board, although not all have voting rights.
▪ The average length of service for a president is seven years.
President
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• Responsible to a governing board for the successful operation of the
institution.
• The president's relationship with the institution's board of trustees is
critical.
▪ Requires care and feeding of the board and to be attentive to
the needs and desires of the board.
• Establish and carry out a vision for the institution - Tells the story of
where an institution has been and provides direction for where the
institution is headed.
▪ Vision, if believed in by the faculty, administrators, staff and
students, has the potential to transform an institution.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• The degree to which the president is respected and
admired by the faculty will be the extent to which he or
she is able to inspire trust and confidence.
• Identify, and be attentive to, the strengths and
weaknesses of the institution.
• Understanding the capacity of those who work for the
college or university allows the president to determine
what the institution can achieve.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• A significant aspect of the college president's role is symbolic in nature.
▪ Leading the opening convocation, dedicating a new facility, or presiding over
commencement ceremonies, the president represents the institution.
▪ Influence from the symbolic nature can move the institution in a given
direction.
• In the greater community the president's role is often more prominent.
▪ External individuals believe the president has authority and control over
more than he or she really does.
▪ Presidents may find themselves under greater pressure from external
constituents than internal constituents.
▪ The resulting roles are one of mediator, facilitator, and consensus maker for
issues both internal and external to the institution.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• President's broad areas of responsibility include:
▪ Academic affairs, which encompasses development of the curriculum and new
educational programs
▪ Oversight and maintenance of facilities
▪ Fund-raising and communicating the image of the institution through institutional
advancement
▪ Enrollment management, which tracks graduation, admission rates, and financial aid
to ensure stable student enrollment
▪ Finances of the institution
▪ Management of out-of-classroom issues in student affairs, such as judicial hearings,
residence life, and health services.
• Must look beyond next year's class size, the goal for the upcoming annual fund, and
other short-term concerns.
• See beyond the horizon and craft a path for the college or university on its way to
fulfilling the vision.
• Crafting a long-range plan constitutes one of the major areas of time spent by a
president.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: Stateuniversity.com
• Internally responsible for the effective operation of the institution.
▪ Have an advisory cabinet composed of vice presidents and potentially one or two
other key individuals who help the president ensure that the goals and vision are
being implemented in a positive fashion.
▪ Organizational structure and scope of responsibilities are overseen by vice
presidents.
▪ The organizational structure of the president's cabinet reflects institutional as well
as presidential values and goals.
▪ Relies on the expertise and experience of his or her staff to accomplish the details
of the institutional vision.
• Spend considerable time on and off campus raising money for the institution.
• Visiting with alumni in areas with significant numbers.
• Meeting with key individuals who may have the ability to support the institution.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
• Be a Public Advocate for the Beneficial Impact of Higher Education.
▪ Articulate the need for flexibility within state regulatory structures to pursue
alternative approaches to fulfilling mission in a changing financial, demographic,
and learning environment.
▪ Make a personal commitment to reach communities of young people who are
underrepresented in higher education.
▪ Make a concerted effort to tell your institution’s story and cite examples to
legislators, and to the public in general of how your institution has transformed
the lives of graduates.
• Develop Partnerships with Other Education Stakeholders.
▪ Lead the efforts to strengthen partnerships with K–12 schools.
▪ Establish strong partnerships among two- and four-year institutions in the local
region to minimize the hurdles students often encounter in the transfer process.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
• Lead your Institution in Understanding Challenges and Making
Needed Change.
▪ Draw the attention of faculty to the changing environment and the
implications of those changes for your institution in the future.
▪ Lead your faculty in understanding the changing composition of our
student body in terms of ethnicity, financial circumstance, modes of
learning, and goals after.
▪ Provide strong leadership to eliminate some of the obstacles that prevent
your institution from doing the right thing in fulfillment of core
educational, diversity and social values.
▪ Commit your institution to goals that lend themselves to measurement
and accountability for achieving a public purpose.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
➢ Provide Strong Leadership for the Improvement of Learning.
▪ Provide professional development opportunities and support for faculty
members who seek to improve your institution’s graduation rate.
▪ Support faculty efforts to develop evaluation procedures and intervention
strategies that can increase the rate of student persistence and success.
▪ Support the measures of persistence and sustained learning as criteria for
institutional effectiveness.
▪ Commit your institution to adopt better means of assessing the teaching
and learning process—what happens “inside the box.”
▪ Commit your institution to voluntary accountability reporting that
demonstrates how it is meeting its educational goals.
President – Roles & Responsibilities
Survey of Presidents/Chancellors
8 Major Leadership Theories
1. "Great Man“ Theory: assumes that the capacity for leadership is inherent
that great leaders are born, not made.
2. Trait Theories: assumes that people inherit certain qualities and traits that
make them better suited to leadership. Trait theories often identify particular
personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders.
3. Contingency Theories: Contingency theories of leadership focus on
particular variables related to the environment that might determine which
particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this
theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a
number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers and
of the situation.
4. Situational Theories: Situational theories propose that leaders choose the
best course of action based upon situational variables. Different styles of
leadership may be more appropriate for certain types of decision-making.
8 Major Leadership Theories
5. Behavioral Theories: Are based upon the belief that great leaders are made,
not born. According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through
teaching and observation.
6. Participative Theories: Suggest that the ideal leadership style is one that
takes the input of others into account. These leaders encourage participation and
contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant
and committed to the decision-making process.
7. Management Theories: Focus on the role of supervision, organization, and
group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of rewards and
punishments.
8. Relationship Theories: Focus upon the connections formed between leaders
and followers. These leaders motivate and inspire people by helping group
members see the importance and higher good of the task. Leaders with this style
often have high ethical and moral standards.
Source: shareslide.net
1. The Law of the Lid - Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness
2. The Law of Influence - The True Measure of Leadership Is Influence – Nothing More
Nothing Less
3. The Law of Process - Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day
4. The Law of Navigation - Anyone can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Chart the
Course
5. The Law of Addition - Leaders Add Value by Serving Others
6. The Law of Solid Ground - Trust Is the Foundation of Leadership
7. The Law of Respect - People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves
8. The Law of Intuition - Leaders Evaluate Everything with a Leadership Bias
9. The Law of Magnetism - Who You Are Is Who You Attract
10. The Law of Connection - Leaders Touch a Heart Before Ask for a Hand
11. The Law of Inner Circle - A Leader’s Potential Is Determined by Those Closest to Him
John Maxwell’s book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
12. The Law of Empowerment - Only Secure Leaders Give Powers to Others
13. The Law of the Picture - People Do What People See
14. The Law of Buy-In - People Buy into the Leader, Then the Vision
15. The Law of Victory - Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win
16. The Law of the Big Mo - Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend
17. The Law of Priorities - Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily
Accomplishment
18. The Law of Sacrifice - A Leader Must Give Up to Go Up
19. The Law of Timing - When to Lead Is As Important As What to Do and Where to Go
20. The Law of Explosive Growth - To Add Growth, Lead Followers – To Multiply Lead
Leaders
21. The Law of Legacy - A Leader’s Lasting Value Is Measured by Succession
John Maxwell’s book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Looking Ahead
Due This Week (Week 8)
• Read Assigned Web Site Articles
• Participate in Discussion Forum 4 (Initial post due Sunday night)
Due Next Week (Week 9)
• Read Assigned Web Site Articles
• Participate in Discussion Forum 4 (Peer responses due Sunday night)