As the task of running universities becomes increasingly multifaceted, more governing boards are hiring presidents whose career achievements occurred outside of classrooms, labs and think tanks, experts say. Today's presidents must manage multimillion dollar operations while juggling duties as varied as fundraising, legislative relations and community outreach. In 2006, for instance, 17 percent of presidents polled said they came to their positions from outside higher education, according to a study by the American Council on Education and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. Another 23 percent previously worked as nonacademic officers in higher education. Dr. Judith McLaughlin, a senior lecturer at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, and other experts agree the overwhelming majority of searches for new presidents in recent years includes at least one nonacademic candidate. Governing boards are seeking nontraditional candidates for their skills, which are often honed while leading other organizations or improving an aspect of academia other than research and teaching. A key reason nonscholars aren't getting hired at an even higher rate, McLaughlin and others say, is because of faculty pressure on the governing boards. Faculty typically fear a nontraditional president will quash their academic freedoms, tenure and shared governance of the institution. With many baby boomer presidents poised to retire in the next few years, nontraditional candidates are likely to get strong consideration to replace them. "What's most important is talent and confidence," Wheelock College President Jackie Jenkins-Scott says. "Everything else is background music."