American college and university presidents have less time than ever for the traditional rode of acting as the academic leader of their institutions. Instead they are fundraising, lobbying and acting as peacemaker among their different constituencies, several presidents and scholars told a nationwide audience at a recent Black Issues In Higher Education videoconference.
University of Virginia
President Dr. John Casteen, III said he spends three-quarters of his time on fundraising, followed closely by dealing with political issues. Traditional college presidential duties “come in last,” he said.
“Shrinking budgets mean we spend more time fundraising and the dollars are more readily available for institutions that already have an established record of excellence,” he said. The videoconference, “Prosperity or Turmoil: The Future of the American College President,” focused on some of the problems faced by presidents as they deal with smaller budgets, fractious faculty and the tensions surrounding affirmative action and diversity.
