Some presidents get the boot because of impropriety some because of poor judgement others because they become arrogant and self-aggrandising, or because they seem unconscious of the fact that every utterance, indeed every nod or wink, will be scrutinised and broadcast and some because they appear to have forgotten that every decision creates one winner who may be an ingrate and a hoard of losers who can feel personally affronted. From talks with leaders of higher education in other countries, it seems their experience is similar. The literature on derailment in commerce, industry, government and the military is depressingly similar – that is, the causes are well known – and we have found that the reasons are remarkably close to those that end in termination in higher education. Through conversations with reliable (although sometimes anonymous) sources, we have been able to provide accurate descriptions and analysis of the derailments without betraying confidences. So we set out to research this subject in the hope that our conclusions might help improve the probability of appointing and keeping presidents of academic institutions who serve with competence and integrity. Whatever lessons might be learned are buried: there’s a lot of gossip and guesswork on campus and in the press, but the official silence deafens the opportunity to learn from the experience of others. Most non-voluntary departures are shrouded in confidentiality agreements. As tuition prices upwardly spiral, leaders’ salaries climb and public attention grows ever more intense, unplanned presidential departures also raise questions about the judgement of those who selected them in the first place. The visibility of the dismissals taints the entire educational enterprise. Colleges now come under routine media scrutiny and the presidents, as the most visible public figure on campus, are under a public relations microscope.Įvery year, about 50 heads of US higher education institutions lose their jobs as a result of poor performance or scandal. In the past 20 years, the American press has sought to cover university people and events with a beady-eyed intensity previously reserved for those in elected political office. Of course, the job of college president is not for the faint of heart or those lacking physical and mental stamina: its pace is relentless and the pressures are considerable. Almost all do a fine job day to day, working collaboratively with academic faculty, boards of overseers, fellow staff members and community leaders to make sure their institutions perform two major functions: educate young adults and undertake serious research in all academic disciplines. They are headed by well-educated, well-trained and well-respected individuals, and these leaders serve their schools, on average, for eight years. There are more than 4,000 higher education institutions in the US. Judging by the rash of forced departures among university and college presidents in the US, however, even those who know history seem doomed to repeat it. ![]() Edmund Burke and George Santayana both remarked that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.
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