September 16, 2024
Competencies for the College Presidency
A National Study of Effective Leadership in Higher Education
From financial constraints to the aftermath of the pandemic to increasing campus unrest and political polarization, today’s college presidents face a number of unique challenges today.
As a result, it’s imperative for them to develop strong presidential leadership competencies to navigate these issues.
This report, which was created by Academic Search in conjunction with AASCU and the Council of Independent Colleges, outlines what those leadership competencies are. Based on a survey of 700 college and university presidents and four focus groups, Competencies for the College Presidency includes insights on effective leadership based on four main question blocks:
- Leadership qualities or abilities, including personal qualities, interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.
- Institutional management skills, focusing on vision-setting and planning, relationship-building and communicating, and promoting institutional outcomes.
- Knowledge areas to be effective, such as knowledge of the institution, knowledge of the policy landscape, knowledge spanning higher education, and knowledge of emerging trends.
- Knowledge areas leadership programs should prioritize, which are knowledge of the institution, knowledge of the policy landscape, knowledge spanning higher education, and knowledge of emerging trends.
