Ph.D., Antioch University, 2014, Leadership and Change

This comparative case study defined and examined the presidential arc at three small, private colleges in the Northeast. The study of an institution's presidential arc is proposed as a more effective means of assessing the success or failure of higher education presidencies than examination of a single presidency in isolation. The presidential arc, a concept introduced in this study, is defined as a comprehensive and integrative examination of: each individual presidency, or, at institutions with a history of short-term presidents who left little impact on, groups of presidencies; the level of success of each presidency, as determined by a definition shared with all correspondents or interviewees; the institutional culture, history, and self-defined "saga" and environmental factors that significantly impact presidencies or institutional history (i.e., enrollment trends, the national or regional economy, trends in curriculum, shifts in the national higher education culture, etc.). Comparative examination of touchpoints (common or parallel themes or events) in each of three arcs yielded four broad themes with wider implications for success and failure in the higher education presidency: founding president syndrome/evolving role of the academic presidency; institutional saga/insularity of small schools with distinctive cultures; competing cultures in modern higher education; and legitimacy of the presidency and individual presidents. The study concludes with a set of recommendations for institutions to take collective responsibility for the success or failure of their presidencies: redefine our expectations of the presidency; jointly plan for success; understand and use the concept of the presidential arc in searching for new presidents; and change the way we search for presidents. This ETD is available in open access in Ohiolink ETD, http://etd.ohiolink.edu/, Center and AURA http://aura.antioch.edu/

Committee: Alan Guskin Ph.D (Committee Chair); Theodore Marchese Ph.D (Committee Member); Jon Wergin Ph.D (Committee Member); Mary Marcy Ph.D (Other) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2017, Communication

This study examines the media discourse surrounding the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, specifically to determine if a gender bias existed in the way first time female nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was described. Research shows that gender-specific language is used to predict leader ability and define leader success in business and in politics. As the first female nominee of a major political party for president, Hillary Clinton enacted a role that has typically been filled by a man and, therefore, defined in masculine terms. Through the use of emergent coding, the study identifies themes in the way two key media outlets - New York Times and Washington Post - set the political agenda related to the 2016 presidential election particularly in terms of language used to define the leadership style of Secretary Clinton. Four main themes emerged: Women in Leadership, Faithfulness and Weakness, Privacy and Caution, and Credibility. These themes are defined and implications described. Directions for future research are presented.

Committee: Kelly Vibber Ph.D. (Advisor); Jason Combs Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joseph Valenzano III Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Gender; Mass Media

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Arts and Sciences : Sociology

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the sentiment that “Nothing will ever be the same” was widely spread, as were displays of national pride. Using data from the 1996 and 2004 General Social Surveys and the 2001 and 2002 waves of the National Tragedy Study, I test whether 9/11 did indeed change Americans in regard to national pride. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly literature on the effects of 9/11, I compare the effects of party identification, race, gender, and religious orientation on national pride in these four years and argue that even in the initial, often characterized as “unified” reaction to 9/11, fissures along social-structural lines that preceded 9/11 were not overcome, but rather prepared the ground for an increasingly divergent structure and polarization of national pride in the so-called “New Normal” of post-9/11 America.

Committee: Dr. Annulla Linders (Advisor) Subjects: Sociology, General

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Policy and Leadership

University presidents are the institutional leaders responsible for guiding the direction of an institution. The president serves both as the symbolic leader of a university and as one responsible for directing change. When a new president arrives, the institution assumes and prepares for change and a new direction. One measure of presidential effectiveness is the ability for a president to develop and communicate a vision. A new president can assist in making a vision understandable for a campus community by using images and symbols that not only represent the culture of the institution but also create a picture of the direction for the institution. An effective vision is one that creates meaning for the members of the institution and that illustrates direction in a way to which the campus community can relate (Nanus, 1998). This inquiry examined the ways in which a new university president uses the existing cultural symbolic forms to communicate a vision. A model of presidential cultural competency was developed to illuminate the dynamics of how a president understands and uses the culture to present an institutional vision. The results illustrate the importance of a new president learning the culture through listening in order to develop a level of trust with the campus community. Through understanding the culture, through performing the culture, and through feedback from the campus community, the new president develops a level of cultural competency that supports the president's ability to communicate and implement a new institutional vision. The president uses tools to understand the culture, such as listening, conversation, observation, hearing stories, and the feedback received from campus community members. The campus members consider the presidential actions and decisions. Trust develops when actions are viewed as culturally congruent. As trust develops, the president can make decisions that may change the institution. When the president's actions dem (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ada Demb PhD (Advisor); Leonard Baird PhD (Committee Member); Tatiana Suspitsyna PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Policy and Leadership

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the leadership experiences of four African American women college presidents serving at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. Three main inquiries guide the research. First, how do African American women college presidents “make sense” of presidential leadership? In the same manner, how does being a “woman” and “of color” influence and/or inform their crafting of a presidential identity? Further, what are the strategies or mechanisms they employ or display, which enable them to “perform” the presidency?A triangulated, interdisciplinary framework, consisting of Black Feminist Thought, an invention of ethos and “performance” as theory, provides the study with its theoretical backbone. Methodologically, it borrows elements from traditional and critical ethnography, while relying on the techniques of interviewing and participant-observation. Both methods are used to solicit the personal and professional narratives and testaments of each woman. Initial findings from this study suggest that the four African American women “make sense” of presidential leadership by recalling familial expectations; being aware of their raced and gendered realities; entering into personal and professional role model- and mentorships; relying on faith; and, developing value systems. Despite the (mis)conceptions and perceptions documented generally in the research on Black women professionals, these women invent presidential identities and ethoi by identifying as change agents and committing to their vocational purpose. In the same manner, while they “perform” the presidency in the most “traditional” sense (i.e., writing and giving speeches), they also become their “performances” by employing numerous rhetorical strategies and mechanisms that have been historically linked to the African American female experience.

Committee: Ada Demb EdD (Advisor); Adrienne Dixson PhD (Committee Member); Jacqueline Jones Royster PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Gender; Higher Education; Minority and Ethnic Groups

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Higher Education Administration

This study examined the experiences, challenges, and transitions of eight college and university presidents who were the first women senior executives at their respective institutions. A qualitative research method, following the principles of the constructivist paradigm, was used as the underlying framework. Two in-depth sequential interviews were conducted with each president. Case studies were created for each participant and were aggregated to form the basis for these results. Most of the participants in this study did not plan to become presidents. Usually the role emerged as a possibility later in their careers, while priorities—such as being with their families, remaining professionally challenged, and serving others—shaped their career directions. Although cognizant of gender, most did not believe that it significantly impacted their presidencies; yet because in each case, a woman, instead of a man, was appointed for the first time, several changes and adjustments occurred. In their view, the influence of gender was essentially peripheral, meaning that it affected major operations and concerns less than smaller matters located on the edge of their agendas. The professional demands of the presidency inevitably affected their personal lives, and finding a balance between professional and personal responsibilities often proved challenging. Several factors, such as individual management strategies or the kinds of external services employed, impacted the personal demands placed on them. The greatest challenges frequently related to the state of the institution when they assumed the office, addressing various leadership issues, and resolving intrapersonal issues. The participants recommended that presidential candidates be articulate and adept regarding financial and philanthropic issues, acquire a broad understanding of higher education, prepare for the magnitude of the position, and gain various leadership skills. More attention needs to be paid to the mentoring (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: C. Carney Strange (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Higher