It is often the dream of professional educators in higher education to be tapped for the leadership position of the institution that nurtured them. But even when that occurs, no one
is ever prepared f6r the realities, the real demands, and sometimes
unrealistic expectations placed upon the head and shoulders of the
college president.
This is especially true when you are female in a domain that has
previously been all male; when you come — as I have — from a campus
(Georgia Institute of Technology) that was filled with the rapid
changes of 21st century technology, but now find yourself immersed in
an environment steeped in tradition; and when there are those who stand
by expecting you to fail. There is no way to explain to the novice
about the jobs within the job; or about the many constituencies to
which you are accountable — the trustees, the donors and benefactors,
the faculty and staff, the students and their parents, and the alumni.
At times, the job can be tantamount to embarking on a journey
without a definite destination and without a return ticket. For me, it
has been an odyssey filled with challenges and some surprises. Coming
from an environment of plenty and being plunged into one where the
pinching of pennies is a necessity, it has been a cultural shock as
well.
Although ;crises upon crises may arise, stability must be
maintained. You’re expected to have a little magic wand that, when
waved while reciting the correct incantation, produces the desired
funding for whatever project — fanciful or fundamental — presented.
Little did I know that a zero-based budget would be an
all-too-constant reality. Coming from a generation when one was taught
to respect the wisdom of elders, I believed it when I was told that a
successful college president finds the resources and creates the
environment where successful ventures — ventures that establish
opportunities for professors to teach effectively and do research, and
for students to experience a quality education — could happen.
The stewardship of my alma mater, while forward looking, had been
anchored in the past. While I have not cast aside, the: legacy of the
previous eleven presidents, I know that I must consider the needs of
the current clientele. It is important that one studies and analyzes
the past for the degree to which it can inform the future in a
meaningful way
