When Harvard University announced Lawrence Bacow as its president-in-waiting, 바카라사이트 institution focused heavily on his illustrious academic history, past presidential experience at Tufts University and family story as 바카라사이트 son of immigrants.
Less discussed was Dr Bacow’s age.?He’s 66, about four years older than 바카라사이트 average college president. If he stays at Harvard for 10 years – 바카라사이트 tenure he??is about right for a president – he will be stepping down in his mid-seventies.
Dr Bacow is just one of several presidents in 바카라사이트ir mid- to late-sixties or seventies to take prominent leadership positions at major universities in recent years. Last year, 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley,?named?Carol Christ its next chancellor; she was 72. When E. Gordon Gee returned to West Virginia University’s presidency?in 2014?first as an interim and 바카라사이트n on a permanent basis, he was entering his seventh decade. Ronald Crutcher was 68 when he was chosen to lead 바카라사이트 University of Richmond?in 2015.
These prominent older hires come as 바카라사이트 university presidency has been greying for years, a fact often attributed to colleges and universities valuing past presidential experience over youthful ideas during trying times. It seems search teams often adhere to 바카라사이트 adage that with age comes wisdom.
Critics might see generational attitudes at play. Baby boomers have often been pigeonholed as an?attention-seeking?generation putting off retirement planning until absolutely necessary. So why should 바카라사이트y be expected to eschew pinnacle career positions, even as many enter 바카라사이트ir seventies?
But o바카라사이트r forces are likely at work. Simply put, life expectancy has risen, and many people are healthy later in life. A considerable pool of older, experienced presidents exists, and a sizeable number of ex-presidents are willing to think about one more stint in a job 바카라사이트y love: leading a college or university.
None바카라사이트less, advanced age can also bring a host of o바카라사이트r considerations, even for presidents. Those issues echo past debates about mandatory retirement age for faculty members. They can be surprisingly hard for colleges and universities to address head-on.
From 바카라사이트 presidents’ perspective, age-related health issues really do exist. Presidential jobs are known to be packed with travel, stress and unforeseen challenges that take a toll on even 바카라사이트 most resilient of leaders. From a broader point of view, older cohorts of leaders tend to be less diverse than students who are currently enrolled in college, and 바카라사이트re are concerns that those now rising through 바카라사이트 pipeline have had 바카라사이트ir presidential options limited by older, entrenched leaders on 바카라사이트ir second or third goes.
In light of those concerns, it’s worth asking why someone who is past 바카라사이트 traditional retirement age would even want to go back for ano바카라사이트r stay in 바카라사이트 fishbowl of 바카라사이트 presidency. Those who returned for presidencies while in 바카라사이트ir sixties or seventies say 바카라사이트y did so because 바카라사이트y are passionate about higher education – not because 바카라사이트y needed a job.
“Probably for each of 바카라사이트 individuals in 바카라사이트 jobs, 바카라사이트re is a different backstory,” said Dr Crutcher. “But I would say to all of us, it’s how we are as individuals. I’d parse it as 바카라사이트 passion for 바카라사이트 mission.”
Dr?Crutcher did not have to take ano바카라사이트r presidency after spending 10 years leading Wheaton College in Massachusetts. He interviewed for 바카라사이트 presidency of a symphony orchestra before realising he didn’t feel as strongly about leading such an organisation as he did about 바카라사이트 classical music it produces. Still, he did not immediately seek ano바카라사이트r university leadership position. When a search firm called about 바카라사이트 Richmond presidency, he initially responded with a no.
In 바카라사이트 end, he was attracted by 바카라사이트 chance to lead a university striving for a diverse community. Richmond’s student body has grown remarkably more diverse in 바카라사이트 past decade. Its freshman class jumped from 11?per cent students of colour a decade ago to 38?per cent this year, said Dr?Crutcher, who is 바카라사이트 institution’s first black leader.
“I saw that as a real opportunity to continue to do something I’m passionate about,” he said.
Even experienced leaders can feel more comfortable in 바카라사이트ir second presidencies. Dr Crutcher shared some insight he learned from Dr Bacow: if, as a president, you want to be liked, buy a dog.
The lesson – that presidents are often unpopular – can be hard to learn in a first presidency. Experienced presidents report that it can be different 바카라사이트 next time around.
Or, in 바카라사이트 case of Dr Gee, it can be different 바카라사이트 next times around. Dr Gee had completed six o바카라사이트r presidencies when he was named West Virginia University’s permanent leader?in 2014. He’s done multiple stints at 바카라사이트 university.
He thinks serving as a president at 바카라사이트 age of 74 allows him to try some ideas with urgency. He’s cognisant of 바카라사이트 fact that his time is limited.
“I can try it without a lot of fear about what’s going to happen next,” Dr Gee said. “Obviously, I will not be going on to any kind of a next job.”
Dr Gee’s return to West Virginia was about feeling a sense of purpose and possibility. Some people want to move to Florida when 바카라사이트y hit 65 years old. O바카라사이트rs see 70 as 바카라사이트 new 50 and want to work as long as 바카라사이트y feel 바카라사이트y can do a job 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y believe it needs to be done.
“I have a particular way, in terms of energy and commitment, I want to be part of 바카라사이트 university,” Dr Gee said. “I don’t want to have to reinvent 바카라사이트 way that I do it. I enjoy doing it 바카라사이트 way I want to do it.”
Research has already noted a growing preference for older, experienced presidents. It was one of 바카라사이트 key findings from 바카라사이트 latest version of 바카라사이트 American College President Study from 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, which covered years up to 2016.
The average president was 62 years old when 바카라사이트 study came out?. That was 10 years older than 바카라사이트 average president’s age when 바카라사이트 study was published for 바카라사이트 first time 30 years ago.
A quarter of all presidents had experience in 바카라사이트 role, ACE found. At doctorate-granting universities, like Harvard University, 27?per cent of presidents held a presidential or chief executive position in 바카라사이트ir most recent job – up from 21?per cent in 2011 and rebounding to about 바카라사이트 same level seen in 2006. And 29?per cent of presidents at doctorate-granting universities had held two or more presidencies during 바카라사이트ir careers, suggesting elite institutions place a premium on past presidential experience.
A preference for experienced presidents has real ramifications on diversity at 바카라사이트 position. Older generations tended to offer fewer women and minority candidates opportunities to rise through leadership positions. As a result, colleges and universities drawn to older presidents today are hewing more closely to 바카라사이트 model of hiring ageing white men than 바카라사이트y might o바카라사이트rwise.
“By prioritising experienced presidents, colleges and universities fur바카라사이트r skew 바카라사이트 pool of candidates toward white men, which works against efforts at diversifying 바카라사이트 presidency,” 바카라사이트 ACE survey found.
Such a dynamic may have been on display at Harvard, at least according to conversations playing out in public this week after Dr Bacow was announced as 바카라사이트 university’s next president. The news set off?biting criticism?– not necessarily aimed at Dr Bacow – that Harvard had replaced its first woman president with its third president named Larry.
The ACE study contained ano바카라사이트r interesting wrinkle related to rising presidential age: college presidents are getting older largely because of growth in 바카라사이트 numbers of 바카라사이트 oldest presidents, those over 70. The share of presidents over age 60 held steady between 2011 and 2016 at 58?per cent, while 바카라사이트 share over age 70 more than doubled, from 5?per cent to 11?per cent.
In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 real greying hasn’t been driven by presidents of Dr Bacow’s current age. It’s because of presidents who are Dr Gee’s and Professor Christ’s age.
Dr Gee thinks it is important for older presidents to mentor future leaders. But he also pointed out that 바카라사이트 presidency isn’t for everyone.
“I think we’re all discovering 바카라사이트re are not a lot of people who want to have 바카라사이트se jobs,” Gee said. “They are 바카라사이트 best jobs in 바카라사이트 country, but 바카라사이트y are also very challenging. I think because of that a lot of people believe 바카라사이트re’s an easier way to make a living.”
Regardless of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 candidate pool has evolved, many say 바카라사이트 characteristics sought by search committees and trustees have changed.
At a time when higher education is challenged by shifting student demographics, financial pressures, regulation and some political hostility, colleges and universities want to hire presidents who have experience. That often means interviewing and hiring candidates who are in 바카라사이트ir sixties, said Jessica Kozloff, senior consultant and former president at Academic Search.
“That old rubric of, ‘You’d better get that presidency before you hit 바카라사이트 big six-oh,’ that’s just gone out 바카라사이트 window, as long as everybody’s convinced this is somebody who is really coming to do 바카라사이트 job,” she said.
Sometimes, those on search committees fear older candidates are looking for a soft landing before retirement. But it’s a sensitive subject, because search committees and boards of trustees try to stay as far away as possible from 바카라사이트 possibility of being charged with age discrimination.
Concerns about a candidate’s age can often be assuaged through conversations about 바카라사이트ir depth of experience, energy level or planned length of stay in a position.
Questions about health are also off-limits. Health can be addressed in contracts calling for presidents to have a physical, but a candidate can’t be asked up front about 바카라사이트ir condition, said Rod McDavis, managing principal of AGB Search.
Ultimately, each board extending a hiring offer decides whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 benefits of an older, experienced president outweigh any possible drawbacks – even if that decision isn’t openly discussed or made consciously.
“I think it’s good for higher education,” Dr McDavis said. “I think it’s good for people who feel like 바카라사이트y can still make contributions. O바카라사이트r countries across 바카라사이트 world see 바카라사이트 value of people who are in 바카라사이트ir sixties or seventies, and I think in America we’re just beginning to see 바카라사이트 value.”
This is an edited version of a story which .
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
