Article: The Presidency in Higher Education Journal: Journal of Business and Management (JBM) 2016 Vol.22 No.2 pp.11 - 21 Abstract: Building a great university has always been difficult, and it is all the more so today. It requires many things, including, perhaps, powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. First, there must be an interest in and demand for your academic programs. Then, you must have respected and dedicated faculty; preferably those who are prolific writers, love to teach and engage in cutting-edge research, while actively encouraging students to join them on the journey. Finally, you must have a campus that is handsomely appointed with the latest teaching tools and technology, not to mention residence halls and fitness centers that rival the hottest five-star resorts. Of course, none of this comes to life without great students; ideally, those who have high grade-point averages and off-the-chart SAT scores, who are at the top of their class and demonstrate leadership in their field of study. If they are Olympic gold medalwinning athletes or if they can play the piano like Lang Lang, so much the better. Not too difficult so far, you say, but we're not finished yet. The final piece is also the most challenging. To bring these sometimes combustible elements together and manage them to the desired effect, the institution must have that rare superhuman leader who has a brilliant, compelling vision and who can: attract seven-figure gifts on a regular basis; enlist passionate, generous board members; recruit, motivate, and retain faculty and staff; enroll gifted students; provide insightful editorials on current local, national and international events; and, in his or her spare time, ameliorate neighborhood issues. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: The Presidency in Higher Education

Authors: Sheryl Bourgeois

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: Building a great university has always been difficult, and it is all the more so today. It requires many things, including, perhaps, powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. First, there must be an interest in and demand for your academic programs. Then, you must have respected and dedicated faculty; preferably those who are prolific writers, love to teach and engage in cutting-edge research, while actively encouraging students to join them on the journey. Finally, you must have a campus that is handsomely appointed with the latest teaching tools and technology, not to mention residence halls and fitness centers that rival the hottest five-star resorts. Of course, none of this comes to life without great students; ideally, those who have high grade-point averages and off-the-chart SAT scores, who are at the top of their class and demonstrate leadership in their field of study. If they are Olympic gold medalwinning athletes or if they can play the piano like Lang Lang, so much the better. Not too difficult so far, you say, but we're not finished yet. The final piece is also the most challenging. To bring these sometimes combustible elements together and manage them to the desired effect, the institution must have that rare superhuman leader who has a brilliant, compelling vision and who can: attract seven-figure gifts on a regular basis; enlist passionate, generous board members; recruit, motivate, and retain faculty and staff; enroll gifted students; provide insightful editorials on current local, national and international events; and, in his or her spare time, ameliorate neighborhood issues.

Keywords: Academic programs; dedicated faculty; cutting-edge research; leadership; gifted students.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2016.141241

Journal of Business and Management, 2016 Vol.22 No.2, pp.11 - 21

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *

Title: The Presidency in Higher Education

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