Daniel Henninger’s weekly column, “Wonder Land,” appears in The Wall Street Journal each Thursday.
Mr. Henninger was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing in 1987 and 1996, and shared in the Journal’s Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for the paper’s coverage of the attacks on September 11. In 2004, he won the Eric Breindel Journalism Award for his weekly column. He has won the Gerald Loeb Award for commentary, the Scripps Howard Foundation’s Walker Stone Award for editorial writing and the American Society of Newspaper Editors’ Distinguished Writing Award for editorial writing. He is a weekly panelist on the “Journal Editorial Report” on Fox News.
A native of Cleveland, Mr. Henninger is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Follow him @danhenninger.
University Presidents Flunk Out
America’s colleges and universities are facing significant challenges in retaining their top administrators, including presidents. According to a recent Wall Street Journal analysis of the tenures of recently appointed university presidents, the average length of these tenures on job is now only about five years, a sharp decline from the eight-year average just twenty years ago.
The reasons for this trend are many, with some experts citing the increasing complexity of academia, along with the public’s growing dissatisfaction with higher education institutions in the wake of numerous scandals and missteps.
However, the most significant factor appears to be the increasing pressure on university presidents, who are now expected to engage in greater fundraising efforts to compensate for budget shortfalls, as well as to promote and position the university in an increasingly competitive environment. Moreover, some universities are now demanding more from their presidents than previous generations. For example, many presidents are now required to, in addition to their academic duties, perform field-work and partake in other related initiatives, like lobbying state legislatures for additional help.
Furthermore, experts suggest that the changes in presidential tenures have precipitated shifts in how universities choose their top administrators, particularly when it comes to “outside hires,” those with non-academic backgrounds tapped to lead a university. While universities were once willing to take a chance on candidates from the corporate world, they are now more likely to choose those who already have presidential experience.
The implications of this trend are the subject of much debate among scholars. While some view the trend as a way for universities to remain competitive, others worry that it hinders universities from taking the bold initiatives necessary for them to remain competitive and impactful.
No matter the implications, it is clear that university administrations are increasingly aware of the shifting landscape, and that they are actively seeking a new breed of president, one capable of managing the university’s complexity and volatility amidst a changing social and economic landscape.
