Presidential Transition in Higher Education: Managing Leadership Change (review)

The editors of this book are James Martin, professor of English at Mount Ida College and academic vice president of The Education Alliance, and James E. Samels, president of The Education Alliance. The volume's 15 chapters are divided among three sections: context (chapters 1–4), action (5–8), and key issues (9–15).

In chapter 1, Martin and Samels contend that the presidential transition process has achieved a critical mass and has become a focused subject of higher education research. Although the title of this introductory chapter is "A New Model of Transition Management," a more accurate title would have been " The Need fora New Model of Transition Management," for that is primarily Martin and Samels's concern in this chapter. Their model for presidential transitions is presented in the book's final chapter. The authors discuss and analyze the increasing complexity of the transitional process as well as the pressures that must be dealt with and skills needed to navigate the often unknown and treacherous waters of the modern-day college presidency, not the least being the transition into, as well out of, the office. Chapter one serves as a good introduction to the chapters that follow. Indeed, the final sentence in the chapter challenges the reader to continue: "Because while presidents, ultimately, come and go, howthey come and go has a profound effect on the institution and largely determines the difference between extended periods of failure and success" (p. 20).

In chapter 2, Martin interviews Vartan Gregorian, former president of Brown University and current president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. The interview is an insightful look into the mind of Gregorian, someone who knows American higher education inside out and has the wisdom and experience to interpret the president's role in that scheme of things. Speaking to the theme of the book, Gregorian offers good advice to presidents-in-transition: know and understand the institution's history, values, and culture, and know and respect the faculty who in turn will give the president-in-transition time, support, and the freedom to act. The chapter is not only informative but also a pleasure to read.

Chapter 3 suggests an often-neglected topic related to the presidency: when presidents should leave their position. Steven Muller, former president of Johns Hopkins University, offers his views on how long is too long for a president to stay in a given presidency. He suggests that there are a number of indicators that suggest when a president should leave a position. Age and exhaustion are two such indicators. Muller offers plausible explanations of why presidents do not leave their positions, even when the signs suggest they should. For example, if a president does not own a home, it is hard to leave the one furnished by the institution. Muller is clear and, I believe, correct in stating that there is no magic formula that tells a president when it is time to move on.

Chapter 4 is the last chapter in the context section. In it, Arthur Padilla, professor in the College of Management at North Carolina State University, "examines the environmental conditions and factors affecting leadership transitions in higher education and presents evidence on increased turnover at its institutions" (p. 37). Drawing on the literature of turnover at the top in business as well as in higher education, the author answers the perennial question: Does leadership matter? His answer is yes, and he concludes that too much turnover at the top, whether in the corporate world or the world of higher education, can have a negative impact on the organization or institution. Padilla uses empirical evidence to support his arguments and conclusions. This chapter places presidential transitions in a historical perspective and is especially useful for those interested in transitions at the nation's large research universities.

Chapter 5 introduces the section on action. William Weary, president of Fieldstone...