Anyone Want to Be a College President? There Are (Many) Openings

The recent New York Times article, Anyone Want to Be a College President? There Are (Many) Openings, by Alan Blinder and Stephanie Saul featured commentary from Isaacson, Miller Chair John Isaacson who emphasized the complexity and significance of selecting a university president today. Find excerpts from the article below. 

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Presidential posts have always been challenging. The jobs can require the aplomb of a diplomat and sterling scholarship, as well as the talents to raise money from demanding alumni, manage exacting faculty members and connect with maturing students — all while conjuring a spirited enthusiasm for football.

But today, even top-tier presidencies — buffeted by protests and politicians, personal attacks and endless scrutiny — do not always appeal as they once did.

Facing political and financial pressures, university boards appear to have grown even more allergic to risk, and searches have lately grown more rigorous, with sweeping background investigations and new screenings for plagiarism that can lead to dozens of hours of eye-glazing reviews.

A 2022 survey by the American Council on Education found that incumbent presidents were generally newer to their roles than in the past but that more than half expected to step down within five years.

“Finding a president is a big complicated process because everyone in the university constituency cares about that selection, and getting it right is important to everyone,” said John Isaacson, the chair of Isaacson, Miller, a firm that has helped with searches for many top schools. “It’s a process that takes time.”

Read the full article here.