There are many programs across the nation designed to give community college staff and faculty the leadership skills that could help them reach the presidency. But what happens when those people actually land the job of leading an institution? Learning how to be president can be very different from actually being president. “I had a […]

All community college leaders want to make a difference; it is in their DNA. It is key to their value base; it is the driving motivation that keeps them in the game in spite of the very hard challenges. Some choose to make a difference by gathering resources, some by forging partnerships, some by building […]

Gregory Williams, president of Odessa College in Texas, exercises for at least 45 minutes every single day – even on Christmas and Thanksgiving and when he’s on the road – and has been doing it for more than 10 years. “It’s something I look forward to,” Williams says, noting there are mental as well as […]

It’s one thing to come to college leadership from the administrative side. It’s quite another to do so after starting one’s career outside of colleges all together. It can be done, but it takes a different approach. And sometimes, it takes being willing to move. Just ask DeQuan Smith. Today, Smith is dean of workforce […]

The leadership crisis. We knew it was coming. We knew that once the economy recovered, there would be a significant number of retirements in the field. Even with the number of great doctoral and grow-your-own leadership programs, we knew that the pipeline would not be robust enough to keep up with the exodus of seasoned […]

Wayne County Community College District Chancellor Curtis L. Ivery suggested the district’s executive group read Michael Watkins’ article, “Leading the Team You Inherit” (June 2016 Harvard Business Review), and consider the implications for their team leadership practices. Watkins points out that most team leadership literature assumes the creation of new teams. But in many community […]

Preparing new leaders is critical because Baby Boomer presidents are rapidly retiring, and there’s a dearth in the leadership pipeline to filling those vacancies, says Don Hunter, president of National Search & Education Consulting and former executive director of the North Carolina Association of Community College Trustees. Many community college vice presidents are also reaching […]

The accreditation process isn’t something college presidents exactly look forward to. It’s lengthy and involved and can be disruptive. Seeing the process from the other side, though, can provide a new perspective. Michael Chipps, president of Nebraska’s Northeast Community College, has served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for about 25 […]

For community college leaders, connecting with students can be difficult when so much time is spent handling the day-to-day operations of the college. Pamela Anglin knows firsthand that teaching is a way to better understand today’s students. Anglin, president of Paris Junior College in Texas, teaches a three-hour Learning Frameworks class online, and an online […]

Gerald Napoles, president of Lone Star College-North Harris (Texas), was just 38 when he started the job last July. Being younger than many college presidents “helps me to connect to students closer to my age,” Napoles says in this Community College Daily article. “They see me as someone who is approachable,” he adds. “They respect the […]