Alejandro, E: Who Gets to be the Next University President?

Individuals aspiring to become presidents at public universities could benefit from information on current presidents and the personal, educational, and career experiences that may have impacted their career development. This book is about a study that examined the career, educational, and demographic aspects of over 50 public university presidents in the southern United States. Through the use of content analysis and constant comparative method, the author was able to develop career, educational, and demographic profiles of the public university presidents, and determine the personal, educational, and career experiences that may have impacted their career development. The key findings of this study indicate that the typical public university president in southern United State is a Caucasian male, in his 50s, married, and holds a doctoral degree. Also, the majority of the public university presidents had some geographical connection to the southern United States prior to being appointed president. Finally, while many of the presidents had work experience external to higher education, most public university presidencies followed an academic career path.