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The experiences of a first-year college president: An ethnography
Abstract
The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore and understand the everyday experiences of the first-year college president. The challenges, complexities, events, and issues that occurred were viewed from the perspective of the new president (the first year on a new campus) in order to understand how a new president perceives and interprets his or her experiences in an organization. The focus of this study included how the president initiated change, interacted and built relationships with various constituents, assimilated information or surprising events as they occurred, handled critical events and difficulties, the style of leadership employed to move the institution forward, and what insight the new president provided into the everyday experiences of such a diverse and demanding role. The setting for the study was a small, state college in a rural midwestern community. The primary informant for this study assumed his position on May 1, 1991. This project emerged from a pilot project conducted in May 1991. The informant was interviewed during his first month in office regarding his perceptions of presidential roles, responsibilities, and career paths. Data were collected primarily from January through June 1992. Data collection strategies included a series of interviews with the informant, repeated observations of his daily activities and administrative cabinet meetings, analysis of a four-month period of the president's calendar and related documents (memos, publications), and analysis of the informant's taped diary. The researcher's field notes and field diary were also analyzed. A naturalistic qualitative research methodology was employed to provide a holistic perspective of the new president's experiences. Data were analyzed using a pattern and themes analysis. The themes that emerged in the inquiry were framed as chapters and sub-chapters. They include: (a) preparation and path to the presidency; (b) early presidential challenges; (c) building relationships; (d) presidential roles; (e) presidential leadership and vision; (f) initiating changes; (g) working with external constituents; (h) struggles and difficulties; and (i) the role of the president's spouse. Conclusions and recommendations for future research were also included in the final chapter.
Subject Area
Higher education|School administration
Recommended Citation
Miller, Dana Loree, "The experiences of a first-year college president: An ethnography" (1992). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9237670.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9237670