The Community College Presidency: Roles, Responsibilities, and Challenges

Abstract

The breadth of issues faced by community college presidents today cannot be overstated. While the importance of the position has remained since the creation of community colleges, the roles they play, types of challenges they face, and how they influence and lead their institutions have changed throughout the decades. The roles of presidents today can be examined under four categories: financial officer, community representative, political representative, and academic officer. Through each of these lenses, this chapter explores how presidents lead their institutions under these roles, the responsibility of each role, and the challenges facing contemporary and future community college presidents.