Leadership Preparation and Institutional Priorities: A Global Perspective on Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education, globally, is at a critical juncture. Public demands for measurable outcomes from the college going experience coupled with student demands for on-demand education place these institutions at the forefront of change that they have never experienced before. The leadership of these institutions, therefore, is critical to protect both the integrity of the institutions and experience, but also to be appropriately responses to all of the different stakeholders who have expectations for these institutions and what happens within their walls. The purpose for conducting the study was to identify the soft skills necessary for effective college leadership along with the activities of and priorities for leaders. Drawing on a global sample of 400 college presidents, differences were noted between the responses of leaders in the United States, Europe, India, and Asia. The study concludes that there is a real necessity for higher education to come together to explore their future and to find a way to assure that these institutions can meet the multiple demands placed on them, and, in a way that assures that future generations can rely on higher education as a mechanism for cultural preservation and progression.