Abstract

HUMMER, DOUGLAS ANDREW. Community College Presidential Change from the Department Leader’s Perspective: A Case Study. (Under the direction of Dr. Diane Chapman). Academic department leaders are the least studied level of management in higher education, yet they play a fundamental role in transforming the vision and goals of executive leadership into reality (Gonaim, 2016). Academic department leaders play such a role because as a group, they influence the largest part of the employee population at a college; the faculty (Stringer, 2002; Tierney, 1999). Since the ability to create lasting change is one of the core qualities of a highly effective community college president (The Aspen Institute & Achieving the Dream, 2013), it is important to understand how the strategies, tactics, and actions employed by the executive leadership of an institution of higher learning shape the perceptions academic department leaders have of their workplace. This study took a qualitative approach to understanding these perceptions during the first few months of new president’s administration at a large community college in the southeast US. A transcendental phenomenological (Husserl, 2004) lens and case study methodologies were used to collect and analyze structural and textural data to describe the perceptions and interpretations academic department leaders had of this presidential change phenomenon. The case study itself provided the structural description, or context of the phenomenon, and semi-structured interviews were used to give voice to the academic department leaders that participated in the study. An analysis of the data revealed a number of themes that addressed the research questions asked in this study. These themes led to the following findings in this study. Listening sessions initiated by the new president and the hiring process that brought him to the college were identified as major influencing events in creating a positive impression of this new executive and his vision for the future of the institution. This positive impression is a contributor to creating an organizational climate ready to accept change. Other themes that emerged revolved around executive leadership’s support, communication issues, the hierarchical levels of management, changes that were initiated, and the fear to speak up. The findings from this study can be used by many community colleges as they hire new presidents and prepare for the changes new executives bring. The findings can also be used by any college approaching a major change initiative. The presidential change phenomenon will affect as many as four out of every five community colleges over the next 10 years (Phillippe, 2016). Presidential changes and other major change initiatives that community colleges experience will provide many opportunities to repeat this study and share the findings with others experiencing the same phenomenon.