Within higher education, the importance of remaining educated and informed about equity-related trends in hiring cannot be overstated. In our work as search consultants, it is our responsibility to actively address and mitigate disparities that arise during the search process and guide search committees toward more equitable practices.
The leadership team at an institution is critical to success. It takes visionary leaders to shape the future and navigate the complex structures of higher education organizations. In this article, President of the American Academic Leadership Institute, Dr. Javier Cevallos, explores how leadership development programs can strengthen cabinets by fostering a shared purpose, transforming institutional culture, and developing adaptive skills to meet the evolving needs of stakeholders.
While the number of women in leadership positions in higher education continues to be on the rise, it’s clear that women are still behind when it comes to breaking the glass ceiling of the academy. Despite outnumbering men in college enrollment, women’s representation at the executive leadership level doesn’t match their student presence. Challenges include women prioritizing caregiving, limiting their access to inflexible leadership roles. Additionally, women encounter stereotypes and pay disparities compared to men. Institutions must recognize these issues and adapt policies to promote workforce diversity.
In celebration of Black History Month 2023, we reflect on the sacrifices, struggles, and extraordinary achievements made by African Americans throughout our history. While we celebrate the past and all the accomplishments made, we must recognize that the struggle is not over and there is still much to be done. In our role as an executive search firm, we are called upon to develop a search process for our partner institutions with honesty and integrity that is grounded in best practices.
As executive coaches and academics by training, one of whom has served as a university president and one who has spent his career coaching and consulting across higher education and variety of industries, we begin by asking: Is the way we’re developing academic leaders working? And, are our leadership development methods keeping pace with the changing demands of academic leadership?
If you talk to a university president, you’ll hear that there is never enough time in a day, money, or openness to change. The presidency is an endless job of fundraising, financial management, recruitment, crisis management, and juggling multiple constituents. At the same time, presidents describe the presidency as an honor, a privilege, a form of service, and even an expression of their highest “calling.” We review the external and internal forces that are exerting change on college and university presidency and reflect on how executive coaching is helping presidents navigate the changing nature of the presidency.
In higher education executive coaching, we often see a set of myths associated with engaging with an executive coach that simply are not true.
Companies across all industries pivoted to more technological approaches to executive search and recruitment when the pandemic began in early 2020. Higher education search might have been less prepared than most. The unique nature of the shared governance model–decision-making that incorporates input from many stakeholders–creates a culture that values and expects personal connections, relationship building, and human capital. Thus, shared governance impacts the way that executive search is carried out for colleges and universities versus other sectors and industries. This is not to say that technology has not had an impact on the search process, and in some ways for the better.
We’ve seen an increase in requests for proposals for chief diversity officers as well as a greater emphasis on consideration of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the search process. Candidates advancing into the chief diversity officer role, in our experience, come with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and titles. We work with our search committees and hiring authorities to keep this in mind and help them to broaden their lens when developing the key criteria for the position and when evaluating candidate materials.
Newly appointed college and university presidents face myriad hurdles including shorter tenures and financial challenges stemming from the pandemic. The changing presidency underscores the significance of a thorough and well-executed transition and onboarding strategy to assist new presidents in establishing relationships and effectively navigating their roles. This strategy includes the formation of a presidential transition team and workshops aimed at strengthening relationships with the cabinet and the board of trustees. It centers on three essential aspects: introducing the president to the institutional community, fostering collaboration within the cabinet, and cultivating a robust rapport with the board of trustees to secure long-term success.
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