Minorities In College Presidencies

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The new boss at most colleges is like the old boss according to Jack Stripling in The Chronicle of Higher Education --- a married white male, 61 years old with a doctorate in education.

Findings from more than 1600 respondents who participated in a survey conducted by the American Council on Education released at its annual meeting revealed a reduction in percentages of minority presidents for the first time since the first survey in 1986.

Hispanics, who represented 3.8 percent of all presidents, saw the largest decline. Women, who have been underrepresented, have made gains; more than a quarter of presidents are now female, with more than a third leading two-year colleges.

The article corroborates data from other studies that women have made leadership choices with family considerations in mind - being less willing to move even to more prestigious schools.

Want to be a college president? Start by being a provost or a chief academic officer. Thirty four percent held those positions before becoming president.