New college presidents are often placed in untenable situations, asked to make necessary changes while remaining feasible with constituencies having vested interests in the status quo and power to maintain it. It may be better for the governing board to appoint an interim president to establish a basis for stability. (MSE)

A study of interim presidencies at public research universities draws on interviews with 20 former interim presidents concerning their selection, expectations, accommodations, roles, and relationships, and the institutional and personal effects of the interim presidency. Ten suggestions for supporting an interim administrator and facilitating the…