Presidential Transition in Higher Education : Managing Leadership Change

by Martin, James; Samels, James E.

• ISBN13: 9780801879340
• ISBN10: 0801879345
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-09-01
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

Once rare, presidential transitions at institutions of higher education now command the attention of about one-quarter of the nation's colleges and universities at any given time. Though they occur frequently, transitions at this level are hardly routine, and American higher education has not developed a tradition of managing this process proactively. Here, James Martin and James E. Samels bring together a distinguished group of higher education professionals to provide the first comprehensive guidebook to managing change at the top. Presidents, administrators, trustees, faculty, and others involved in a change in leadership will benefit from this wide-ranging discussion of the issues combined with specific action plans for the busy professional. The volume's contributors address proactive management, best practices for sudden transitions, and how campuses can turn challenges into opportunities. Also addressed are executive search firms, the interim president, boards of trustees, presidential spouses, and public relations. Contributors: Lee J. Betts, Frederick (MD) Community College; Charles Brown, Stanford University; Jean A. Dowdall, Whitt-Kieffer; E. K. Fretwell Jr., University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Vartan Gregorian, Carnegie Corporation; Allen E. Koenig and Thomas H. Langevin, The Registry for College and University Presidents; Steven Muller, The Johns Hopkins University; Arthur Padilla, North Carolina State University; John Ross, George Dehne & Associates Integrated Services; Patricia Stanley, Frederick (MD) Community College; Thomas J. and Scottie Trebon, Carroll College; William A. Weary, Fieldstone Consulting, Inc.; Nancy L. Zimpher, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Author Biography

James Martin is a professor of English at Mount Ida College and academic vice president of The Education Alliance. James E. Samels is president of The Education Alliance and founder of Samels Associates, a law firm concentrating in higher education law. They are the authors of Merging Colleges for Mutual Growth: A New Strategy for Academic Managers (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993) and First Among Equals: The Role of the Chief Academic Officer (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997).

Table of Contents

Foreword, by George Keller	vii
Preface	ix
I CONTEXT
1 A New Model of Transition Management
James Martin and James E. Samels	3	(18)
2 Presidents Who Leave, Presidents Who Stay: A Conversation with Vartan Gregorian
Vartan Gregorian and James Martin	21	(9)
3 Pressures on Presidents and Why They Should Leave
Steven Muller	30	(7)
4 Passing the Baton: Leadership Transitions and the Tenure of Presidents
Arthur Padilla	37	(24)
II ACTION
5 The Role of the Board in Presidential Transition
William A. Weary	61	(22)
6 A Proactive Model for Presidential Transition
Patricia Stanley and Lee J. Betts	83	(14)
7 When Presidents Leave Suddenly: From Crisis to Continuity
E.K. Fretwell Jr.	97	(14)
8 Presidential Turnover and the Institutional Community: Restarting and Moving Forward
Nancy L. Zimpher	111	(24)
III KEY ISSUES
9 When Colleges Should, and Should Not, Use Executive Search Firms
Jean A. Dowdall	135	(25)
10 The Interim President: An Effective Transitional Leader
Thomas H. Langevin and Allen E. Koenig	160	(11)
11 Leaks Kill: Communication and Presidential Transition
John Ross	171	(18)
12 Weathering the Storm: Institutional Advancement during a Presidential Transition
Charles Brown	189	(9)
13 Shaky Ground in Troubled Times: The Legal Framework of Presidential Transitions
James E. Samels and James Martin	198	(21)
14 Partners in Transition: The President's Spouse as Overlooked Power
Base Thomas J. Trebon and Scottie Trebon	219	(6)
15 Knowing the End of the Beginning: A Conceptual Approach to Presidential Transition
James Martin and James E. Samels	225	(10)
Notes	235	(12)
Bibliography	247	(12)
List of Contributors	259	(6)
Index	265