Dive Brief:
- The office of the president across all sectors in higher ed is still typically occupied by white men over the age of 60, who have been in the position already for several years and have doctoral degrees, according to a recent report from ACE on the demographics of leadership in higher education and survey of over 1,500 university and college presidents.
- While the profile of the presidency is changing — with the percentage of women and racial minorities holding the job increasing 4 points each to 30% and 17% respectively in 2016 — the data indicate that diversifying the leadership position is still happening very slowly.
- More than a quarter of the presidents surveyed reported being at another higher education institution before going to their current position, a reality which skews the candidate pool toward white males because of their experience in the field, according to the report's authors. They write that diversity in leadership must grow in order for more institutions to be able to address the unique needs of an increasingly diverse student pool.
Dive Insight:
Though the presidency is still largely occupied by an older white male, leaders in higher education are still recognizing the importance of being able to address diversity issues on campus. In the survey of presidents, more than half of presidents reported that racial climate on campus is more of a priority to address than it had been in over the past three years. The string of race-related campus protests that have occurred across universities and colleges, such as the Evergreen State College protest that escalated into violent threats, reflects a need for a different administrative approach to sensitive topics on campuses. With a large part of the increased sensitivity and political climate on campus coming from the myriad of student racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds, diversifying the presidency position is becoming more of a necessity, according to the report's authors.
Moreover, statistics show that in higher education overall and not just at the presidency position, the percentage of university and college faculty over 65 had more than doubled since 2000, with a third being 55 and older. But, this trend persists against the backdrop of an evolved student pool. With more minorities going to college, there is is more demand for greater diversity in university and college leadership, as students value an inclusive campus environment. Thus, institutions that do not reflect inclusion and diversity may run the risk of looking less appealing to students; for example, the University of Missouri, which dealt with a series of high-profile student protests related to race, has seen a 35% drop in its enrollment since 2015. However, the report's finding reflect that the presidency position is still slow to adapt to the modern-day student body, a reality which could manifest in more campus unrest in the future.