Message from the College President – Dr Neale Fong

Leadership and management spawn numerous catchphrases to assert what is important “right now”. Resilience. Leaning in, or out. Authenticity. Balance. Agility. As a College for health managers and leaders, our clear challenge is to look past the “right now” and create the best platform to support our members through what we hope will be their lengthy career and positive contribution to the health of their communities. In the past year the College has introduced a credentialling approach for health leaders which is inclusive of any and all of the latest leadership theories whilst acknowledging that real and substantial contributions to the health of the community is an iterative process requiring the commitment of individual leaders over long careers spanning decades. Our vision is “Better Leadership. Healthier Communities.” Our body of services is directed at supporting our members to achieve this vision. Why Certification? At the very foundation of the notion of what constitutes a profession is a body of knowledge and skills that requires attainment and continuous improvement. The individual leader is supported by an external body (the College) that describes that body of knowledge and skills and creates a framework for the individual to point to how they personally are committing to lifelong learning and development. In the health sector certification in a profession is an employment currency that has traditionally excluded the leaders and managers. Through the introduction of these credentials, the College supports members and future members to have their body of knowledge and skills recognised and provides the platform for continuing development. The role of consumer expectation plays a role in the need for the College credentialling system. Consumers expect a professional and independent recognition of the capability of the senior people who develop, lead, manage and have responsibility for their health facilities and services. Our Challenge to our CHM’s and CHE’s Implicit in this Certification system is that it is very important that the College’s Certified Health Manager and Certified Health Executives use their postnominals in communications within the health sector, talk about the College’s work in supporting the profession and “live” the vision of committing to lifelong learning as part of a community of leaders. Over the past difficult 18 months the College itself has leaned into this attribute of community which goes beyond the triteness of “we are all in this together”. I have been proud and delighted to see how many of our members stepped up to support each other during this time and have been glad to harness that collegiate good will in developing both free and more importantly more opportunities for members to come together in small and large groups to listen and learn. This journal continues to be an excellent and informative part of health leaders’ journeys. We are thankful for the partnership with SHAPE and commend members’ contributions to this publication; another way to continue the life-long learning that is so necessary in meeting the challenges of the health and community care sectors.

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.

Second Founding Presidents

A comparison of contemporary changing college presidents in a specific microcosm of 163 Christian colleges and universities is made, framed by 10 newer or newly emphasized roles and engagements recently observed among college presidents. Contemporary changes and challenges specific to contemporary presidents in the microcosm are clarified. Historical presidents, primarily founding presidents and ones presiding at critical points in institution sagas, are described relative to the framework of roles and engagements. Discussion of the comparison between the historical and contemporary presidents leads to a conclusion: the changing college president in this microcosm is a “second founding president.”

From the Playing Field to the Executive Office

Small, private colleges are run by a president, who sets strategy, while working with senior-level staff and faculty to fulfill mission. The president of a small, private college must set the tone for leadership and communication, devise strategic plans, and appoint staff to accomplish those initiatives, raise funds, and attend campus events and cheer on students. Athletics in the small, private college setting is an important component for enrollment, campus life, and budget. NCAA Division III institutions, largely small, private colleges, incorporate athletics into campus life and position the student before the athlete. The presidents of these institutions are keenly aware of how athletics influences the small, private college landscape. This chapter explores the convergence of the unique role of the small, private college presidency and the influence of athletics. The authors explore the extant literature and present key findings from a case study of one small, private college president and their view of the influence of athletics on the institution and the role of presidency.

Leading During a Crisis

Being a college president is hard enough, but when you add to it a crisis, it makes the task of leading even more of a challenge. Whether that crisis is isolated like Virginia Tech, regional with situations like hurricanes and natural disasters (Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Harvey, wildfires, tornadoes), or now a national issue with the coronavirus (COVID-19), leadership has definitely been a hard thing to do. For the first time in history, we are all dealing with the same situation at the same time. While there is research about leading during a crisis, this new pandemic is unprecedented. The purpose of this research is to gather a perspective from college and university presidents in working through this. This will add to the literature on crisis leadership, and how some current college presidents are addressing this issue. Public and private 2-year and 4-year college/university presidents/chancellors were interviewed about their thoughts on this topic. What is gleaned from this information will add to the leadership information in dealing with the “new normal.”

The College President as Change Agent

The college president as a change agent is explored. Higher education is undergoing disruptive change, and guiding an institution of higher learning requires senior leadership that understands change and how to guide it. This chapter provides a description of what a change agent is and how the college president can best serve in this role. In addition to the relevant literature, data was gathered from 11 senior leaders as to their perceptions around the concept of change and being a change agent. The chapter makes the case for college presidents to understand and appreciate the important role they can and should play as change agents.