Competencies for the College Presidency

2024 Competencies for the College Presidency

A National Study of Effective Leadership in Higher Education

This survey of more than 700 college and university presidents is the first in the nation to identify the leadership traits necessary to succeed in today’s challenging and political higher education landscape.

The study’s qualitative and quantitative methodology was developed and led by Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Howard University, and Kevin McClure, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Download the Full Study

Seven competencies for effective presidential leadership were identified in the study:

  • Trust Building

    The survey item that was most frequently rated as very relevant was behaving in a way that is trustworthy, consistent, and accountable.

  • Demonstrating Resilience

    Coping with adversity and demonstrating resilience was frequently rated as very important by survey respondents.

  • Communication Savvy

    A strong majority of respondents viewed communicating effectively and authentically in formal and informal settings as very relevant.

  • Crafting a Cabinet and Building a Team

    One of the top institutional management skills rated as very important was building a collaborative cabinet and empowering it to make progress on institutional goals.

  • Emotional Intelligence

    Focus groups and open-ended comments emphasized the importance of emotional intelligence.

  • Leading with Courage

    Focus groups and open-ended comments described resilience as a corollary to the need for decisive leadership and a willingness to make difficult decisions for the long-term benefit of the institution.

  • Data Acumen and Resource Management

    A constellation of data points in the study indicate the need for presidents to be comfortable with multiple forms of data and effectively use data to drive decisions, as well as demonstrate skills stewarding and increasing institutional resources.

Key findings include:

The top three leadership qualities most frequently rated as very relevant for presidents are:

96% Behaving in a way that is trustworthy, consistent, and accountable
92% Demonstrating resilience and an ability to cope with adversity
90% Communicating effectively and authentically in formal and informal settings

The institutional management skills most frequently rated as very significant included:

85% Building a collaborative cabinet and empowering it to make progress on institutional goals
85% Developing and maintaining healthy relationships with the board based on trust and respect
80% Developing, articulating, and executing a clear vision for the institution’s future

Notable differences by race and gender:

  • Women presidents were much more likely than men to indicate that demonstrating a commitment to equity-mindedness and weighing the consequences of decisions on different groups are very relevant.

  • Presidents of Color were more likely than White presidents to indicate help-seeking and recognizing how emotions impact other people as very relevant.

  • Presidents of Color versus White presidents and women versus male presidents were more likely to respond that they needed mastery of specific knowledge areas to be effective at their institution.

Explore all the findings of the 2024 Competencies for the College Presidency study.

Download the Full Study

This study was conducted in partnership with:

American Academic Leadership Institute
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The Council of Independent Colleges

Suggested citation: Burmicky, J., McClure, K. R., & Ryu, W. (2024). Competencies for the college presidency: A national study of effective leadership in higher education. Academic Search.

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