On Being Presidential

Praise for On Being Presidential

"This is the best book I've ever read on being a college president."—Arthur Levine, president, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and president emeritus, Teachers College, Columbia University

"A must-read for anyone involved in higher education. Susan Resneck Pierce's cautionary tales and commonsense approach to college management present, in a very entertaining way, the 'dos' and 'don'ts' of effective postsecondary academic leadership. Highly recommended... I am so enthusiastic that I plan to share On Being Presidential with two new university presidents!"—Barbara Young, vice-chair, Sweet Briar College Board of Directors, and two-time appointee to the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees

"Susan Pierce provides an insightful guide to the successful presidency, lessons based not on theory but gleaned from meaningful experiences. Nearly every page contains pearls of wisdom both for college and university presidents and for those who aspire to lead campuses."—Constantine W. Curris, president emeritus, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Foreword vii

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xvii

About the Author xxi

Part I Being an Effective President

1. Some Cautionary Tales 3

2. The President and the Board 23

3. The President and the Campus 53

4. Nothing Happens Until Money Happens 83

5. Crafting a Private Life in a Public Context 103

6. Letting Go and Leaving Gracefully 117

7. The Pleasures of the Presidency 129

Part II Becoming an Effective President

8. The Future of the College Presidency 143

9. Back to the Beginning: The Search Process 167

References 191

Resources 195

Index 197

Susan Resneck Pierce is president emerita of the University of Puget Sound. As president of SRP Consulting, she advises colleges and universities on planning, effective board and presidential performance, board development, governance, and fundraising. In this insightful book, former university president Susan Resneck Pierce offers a guide for academic presidents, aspiring presidents, trustees, senior administrators, faculty leaders, and others who need a clear understanding of what presidents do and the larger issues facing institutions, in turn helping them understand their various roles and responsibilities in order to best serve their institutions.

Although academic leadership has always been demanding, in recent decades it has become more so. As the cost of higher education escalates, so do demands from parents and students. On Being Presidential is filled with specific recommendations that show how presidents and boards can effectively work together and how presidents can enhance their relationships with both internal and external constituencies. The book addresses the reality that asuccessful president must raise money, manage the institution's financial and human resources, advance its mission, and ensure its future. Pierce also describes the challenges of becoming a public figure and offers suggestions for how presidents and their spouses or partners can craft private lives for themselves while living in a "fishbowl."

On Being Presidential contains recommendations for how both traditional and nontraditional candidates can prepare for a successful presidency, demystifies the search process, and suggests ways for presidential candidates to craft compelling applications.

Pierce also interviewed current and former presidents who describe the pleasures of the presidency, sharing inside stories about their careers and why their presidential experience were so satisfying. Following the presidential career full circle, the book includes advice to departing presidents and their boards and offers real-life examples of how presidents can let go gracefully.

With candor and wisdom, Susan Resneck Pierce brings to light the myriad of opportunities and challenges of being presidential.

Praise for On Being Presidential

"This is the best book I've ever read on being a college president."—Arthur Levine, president, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and president emeritus, Teachers College, Columbia University

"A must-read for anyone involved in higher education. Susan Resneck Pierce's cautionary tales and commonsense approach to college management present, in a very entertaining way, the 'dos' and 'don'ts' of effective postsecondary academic leadership. Highly recommended... I am so enthusiastic that I plan to share On Being Presidential with two new university presidents!"—Barbara Young, vice-chair, Sweet Briar College Board of Directors, and two-time appointee to the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees

"Susan Pierce provides an insightful guide to the successful presidency, lessons based not on theory but gleaned from meaningful experiences. Nearly every page contains pearls of wisdom both for college and university presidents and for those who aspire to lead campuses."—Constantine W. Curris, president emeritus, American Association of State Colleges and Universities