Selecting a university president

Title

Language

English

Source

Life without principle

Year

1968

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

■ Now that the University of the Philippines needs a new President to succeed Mr. Carlos P. Romulo, this article could show some pointers in the way candidates for that position should be properly assessed and judged. SELECTING A UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT The history of the office of president in American colleges and universities be gan with the election of Henry Dunster as chief of ficer of Harvard College in 1640. He received the title of president, which has be come the usual title for the chief executive of American institutions of higher learn ing. Three other terms have been used to identify the executive’head: rector, chan cellor and provost. AS one1 reviews the history of the office of the college president, it is quite appa rent that the selection of the person for this office is one of the crucial tasks of the board of trustees. It is important because the pres ident automatically becomes the chief liaison between the board and the institution. The manner in which he executes his responsibility will set the tone of the aca demic enterprise. The board must be re minded that the role of the president is complex and multifaceted and needs clear definition before final selec tion of a candidate. The board of trustees should de fine the task of the presi dent in light of the needs, objectives and philosophy of the institution. The board should also realize that a successful president of one institution is not automati cally a successful president in another. The selection of a president must be care fully thought out and his appointment should only be made after every avenue and resource has been exhausted. The relationship of the president to the board of trustees is an extremely cru cial relationship. The pres ident can establish a smooth line of communication or 2 Panorama build imaginary barriers that will create havoc in the aca demic confines. He is the chief representative of all avenues of the institution to the board of trustees, and this is a responsibility that cannot be ultimately delega ted. The president must take full responsibility for the operation of the institution and see to it that he has the finest team to help him man age the affairs of a grow ing complex of higher learn ing. One of the first tasks of the president should be to review the structure of the board of trustees and sug gest ways of structuring the board so that trustees be come involved to the maxi mum degree. Trustees need to hie involved and the pres ident can direct their in volvement in a variety of ways. The president must also realize that the acade mic community has entrusted to him its professional hopes and aspirations for the insti tution. The president, by virtue of his office, is the major decision-maker apart from the board of trustees. Though the president’s role is multitudinous and his work is multilateral, his op portunities for influence in decision-making are very broad., He is the power center for decisions, and he must be careful how he exerts that power. Harold Stoke, in “The American College President,” remarked regarding this po wer: “... Those who enjoy it are not very successful and those who are successful are not very happy. The explana tion is hidden somewhere in the philosophy of power. Those who eniov exercising the power shouldn’t have it, and those who should exer cise it are not likely to en joy it.” In arriving at decisions, the president has the respon sibility to choose the course of action and direction deemed best from the al ternatives of all the commu nities represented. The abi lity to make those decisions and implement them implies a trust .vested in him by not only the trustees, but the faculty, staff, students and public as well. This trust given to him by his associates will either grow June 1968 3 or decline, based upon his method of operation in dai ly decision-making. His abi lity to accomplish things may depend to a great ex tent on that trust. He must remember that people will be led only to the degree that they want to be led. The President must inspire his associates to follow him or the institution will be . steered on a shaky course. One of the major roles of the president will be to submit information to the board concerning the total college program. Any pre sentation made by the presi dent to the board of trustees must be based on sound, reasonable and rational foun dations. The facts presented must merit consideration at the .boar4 level and contro versial items must not be hidden because of fear of board reprisal. In my re search regarding boards, I discovered that presidents have a tendency to shield board members from infor mation that would cause dis satisfaction to the board. Trustee members need to know the truth if they are to make the most adequate decisions necessary for the ongoing of an institution. If they cannot accept the responsibility of knowing these verities, then they are not fulfilling their function. The nature of the role of the president and the role of trustees demands that they operate in an environ ment that brings cohesive union of major vectors of the institution. This does not imply that the two must agree in all areas touching their responsibility. It sim ply means that the president and the board, for the well being of the institution, must be able to negotiate, facili tate, develop and lead on a priority level of good com munication with one another. The problems of growth, by necessity, demand tension difficulty and stress, yet they do not require division, dis unity and disrespect to pre vail. I submit that the begin ning of a great institution is the selection of a strong, flexible board of trustees which will appoint a toplevel chief executive. If that chief executive is willing to do the job that needs to be done within the entire academic enterprise, which 4 Panorama includes maintaining the proper role with all com munities of the institution, including his relationship with the board of trustees, the future of education is greatly enhanced. — By Orley Herron, College and University Business, August, 1967. LISTEN AND LEARN Dialogue is only possible when one is listen ing carefully to another without interrupting him, without thinking ahead about what one will reply when he pauses but concentrating on what he is saying when he is saying it. Dialogue occurs when the listener is truly attentive and not pretending to be God or an archangel. Then, when a pause does occur, he is ready to answer with a full understanding of the other’s point of view. — By .Dorothy Goldberg in The Creative Woman June 1968

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2-5

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