Leadership Under Fire: The Challenging Role of the Canadian University President

by Ross H. Paul

Overview

Paul illuminates some of the ways in which Canadian universities are unique and uses these differences to make clear the importance of organizational cultural and institutional fit for leaders confronting critical academic issues such as academic leadership and accountability, student success and support, university funding and fund-raising, strategic planning, government and community relations, and internationalism. His analysis reaffirms some long-standing practices, while arguing that changes are badly needed in others. While much has been written about university leadership elsewhere, Leadership Under Fire focuses on Canada and some of the men and women who have made a real difference to the quality of its post-secondary institutions. Paul builds on their stories to offer useful perspectives and advice at a time when the quality of universities was never more critical to the country's economic, social, and political success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780773586376
Publisher:	McGill-Queens University Press
Publication date:	08/30/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Ross H. Paul has held senior leadership positions in four post-secondary institutions in three Canadian provinces over the past thirty-five years, including tenures as president of Laurentian and Windsor Universities.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments xi

Abbreviations xiii

Part 1 Canadian Universities and their Leadership

1 Distinguishing Characteristics of Canadian Universities with Implications for Their Leadership 3

2 Canadian University Presidents: Who They Are and How They Are Selected 23

Part 2 Academic Leadership and Organizational Culture

3 Organizational Culture and the University 49

4 Setting the Direction: Institutional Vision and Strategic Planning 72

5 Academic Leadership: Getting the Balance Right 82

Part 3 Key Issues for Today's Presidents

6 Student Access and Success: Confronting a Declining Undergraduate Experience 101

7 International Outreach 119

8 Financial Issues: Underfunded or Fat Cats? 129

9 Presidential Leadership and Day-to-Day Administration 149

10 The External Roles of the President 171

11 Institutional Governance and Presidential Accountability 184

12 Institutional Autonomy and System Diversity 201

Part 4 The Way Forward

13 How Much Difference Does a President Make? The Case for Open Management 225

14 Leadership under Fire: Seven Major Issues for Today's Presidents 238

Appendix A Presidential Profiles: Eleven Who Have Really Made a Difference 259

Appendix B Universities Included in the Presidential Recruitment Survey 295

Notes 297

Bibliography 315

Index 323

Editorial Reviews

"[Leadership Under Fire] is highly relevant to university boards of governors, provincial education ministries and other agencies that interact with universities and thus their leaders. Overall, the book provides an excellent inside account of a Canadian university presidency." Elizabeth Cannon, Policy Options

From the Publisher