Colleges and universities appoint interim leaders to fill key leadership vacancies during periods of organizational transition and change. Although a widely accepted practice within higher education, there is limited literature related to the topic of interim leadership or on the experiences of those who navigate the role. Therefore, the purpose…

Research on senior leadership in higher education systems is urgently needed, particularly in the context of system-wide transformations. This study focuses on a critical juncture in Ireland, during which Institutes of Technology (IoTs) collaborated to undergo 'redesignation' as Technological Universities (TUs). Based on interviews with the…

In 2022, just over half of higher education institutions surveyed by the American Council on Education (ACE) reported having a Senior International Officer (SIO), described as an administrator who manages overall internationalization activities. The SIO, along with the president of an institution, has been identified as the most important catalyst…

College mental health is at a crossroads. Prevailing approaches that focus efforts on healing individual students are unsustainable given unprecedented demand for mental health services. However, these challenges also present an opportunity for the field of higher education to diverge from that path and begin cultivating university communities…

This study examined next generation business officers' (NGBOs) perceptions of their readiness for assuming the chief business officer role (CBO). Originally created in 1920, the CBO role has changed over the decades in response to changes in the higher education landscape. Once thought of as the person in the back office keeping the books, the CBO…

Universities rely on Department Chairs as faculty, middle managers, and leaders. Chairs' professional development, which includes leadership training, can help them build the efficacy to tackle the demanding tasks required by the role. However, Chairs typically receive little to no preparation. This convergent parallel mixed methods study found…

The purpose of this comparative case study research project was to identify the characteristics and practices utilized by the senior leadership teams (SLTs) at two CCCU institutions that had been highly rated in terms of confidence levels from the faculty/staff based on data gathered in ModernThink's "Great Colleges to Work For" annual…

Although notably underrepresented in role and research, Black women bring a strong presence to higher education institutions--leading academic, research, and business operations from senior and executive roles. Black women senior leaders serve as change agents strategically leading their organizations to become better, stronger, and more effective…

In higher education, students' trust in the university management may affect both mental health and academic self-efficacy. This longitudinal study, conducted during the most challenging course of the COVID-19 pandemic, uses multinomial regression and causal inference to estimate the effects of students' trust in their universities' strategies for…

At a time of the British government's heightened interest in Further Education (FE) college governance, this paper explores Academic Staff Governor (ASG)'s professional and power status at three colleges in England. The study draws upon relevant literature to identify concepts related to ASGs' power and professional status in governance. An…

This study addresses the problem that senior academic administrators cannot perform the essential functions of their leadership positions in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the perceptions of senior academic administrators at a private university in northern Illinois regarding the necessary…

Academic middle leaders play a critical role in facilitating the leadership of learning and teaching in universities. Previous research has reported the undervaluing and under-resourcing of these academic middle leadership roles. To promote a greater understanding of academic middle leaders, middle leading and middle leadership of learning and…

The role of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) in higher education is a recent phenomenon, having gained prominence only within the last decade. The growth in the role seems to mirror that of corporate America's, which began appointing a senior level executive to focus on diversity and inclusion to achieve economic benefits for the firm…

In this qualitative grounded theory study, I interviewed participants from and analyzed documents associated with three community/state colleges in Florida. Additionally, I have included the perspective of key informants from the state and/or the Florida College System. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to develop a…

Advancing diversity efforts in higher education has long been a complicated, nearly impossible political terrain for senior leaders to navigate (Kezar, 2007). Though still politically fraught, institutional and organizational investments reflect the growing institutional responsibility and accountability around DEI work (Havey et al., 2022;…