The Evolution of the Community College President in the 21st Century

The college presidency is in a state of disarray in the 21st century. In the past, community college presidents could focus their efforts on academic programs, community relations, and donor engagement. College presidents could be the visionary leaders of their communities by providing educational programs to help students transfer to a university or allow them to enter the workforce. The job has become more of a reactionary role in which they are required to make quick decisions in a crisis. They are now forced to focus on cybersecurity, pandemic outbreaks, faculty unions, local and state governance issues, and little-to-no state funding.

Leadership across the Curriculum

The problem, says one community college president, is not that we need to develop better leaders, but we need to develop more leaders. Here's how to start.