The community college president

Abstract

The college president has been the object of more discussion than any other position in higher education. The literature is replete with articles and books which vary from personal reminiscences through descriptions to serious analyses. Officeholders have been pictured as tyrants, authoritarian figures, timid and indecisive followers, as well as organizational leaders of great stature and strength. Each of these views has some validity, depending upon the personality of the individual officeholder and the particular time and place. It is my purpose to (1) define the concept of role, (2) describe some parameters of the president's role, and (3) place the office in its organizational context.