Community colleges reflect the unique needs of their communities, and as societal expectations of education and training change, so does the functioning of the college. A little studied yet critically important element of college leadership is the senior business officer, the individual responsible for the variety of services that allow…

Using a qualitative multiple case study research design, the authors investigated the leadership and collaboration strategies of HBCU administrators seeking to drive queer and trans* student inclusion initiatives on their campuses. Further, organizational challenges were examined to make sense of infrastructure elements that needed to be added to…

University students actively participated in the 2019 Hong Kong protests. In this context, the students expected that their universities would support their political stance. Drawing on data from interviews with student leaders, this article documents and examines students' expectations for their university heads, how they interacted and…

This study uses the concept of 'organisational power' -- control over the environments in which others interact -- to investigate the structures and lived experience of power among academic associate deans at public, research-intensive universities in the US. Previous research claims that the associate dean role lacks 'legitimate power.' Through…

The university academic manager (AM) or head of school/department is typically positioned in a hierarchical world: as a middle manager 'sandwiched' between senior management and subordinates. I propose a different framing: the AM cohabits two worlds, the worlds of hierarchy and collegiality respectively. Using an ideal type framework and data…

Mid-level administrators occupy a complex position within higher education institutions, a role defined by "middleness" (Gleeson & Shain, 1999, p. 488), which characterizes their place in institutional hierarchies between superiors and subordinates. Mid-level administrators often feel isolated since they cannot be seen as having…

The June 2022 60-Second Survey invited all AACRAO members to provide their perspectives on what the role of the registrar "should" be at their institution. Particular attention was paid to what the role of the registrar "should" be for student engagement and enrollment management. These data will be used to shape a roundtable…

Guided by Hurtado et al.'s (2012) Multi-Contextual Model for Diverse Learning Environments, this qualitative case study examined Black graduate students' perceptions of a university president's responses to racialized incidents. Data were analyzed on an institutional level through institutional documents and presidential statements and…

Despite the increasing number of women in STEM professions and higher education, they are underrepresented in middle management leadership roles. In these roles, they face challenges balancing multiple demands, especially in male-dominated cultures. This research used a life history approach to investigate the role identities of three female…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the role of line management in promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Transformational leadership (TL) promotes DEI, and autocratic leadership curbs it. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is deductive from existing literature followed…

Chief fundraising officers at technical colleges within the Technical College System of Georgia face complex challenges, including scarce resources, small staff sizes, and a lack of formal training. The purpose of the study was to understand how chief fundraising officers use self-directed learning experiences and learning projects to build…

This qualitative study aimed to conceptualize how Oregon Community College Career and Technical Education program administrators perceive Professional Skills attainment in their students. The overarching themes that emerged from analyzing interviews with administrators at several community colleges were administrators' belief that Professional…

This article reports findings from semi-structured, individual interviews with 14 Black women faculty and administrators to decipher the ways Black feminist thought (BFT) informed and was evident in their work with students.

This phenomenological qualitative study examined how collective healing manifests through the work of leaders in higher education at a U.S. university located on the West Coast through semi-structured interviews. Using the construct of collective healing as a conceptual lens, this study explored how the work of leaders in higher education creates…

Working at the university level prepares campus employees to deal with a diversity of negative issues and even with crises. COVID-19 did away with the rule book for how to handle university crises as universities fell into the middle of a worldwide pandemic beyond what almost every university employee could have imagined. When administrators first…