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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ucjc20 Community College Journal of Research and Practice ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ucjc20 Filling the Leadership Pipeline: A Qualitative Study Examining Leadership Development Practices and Challenges Facing Community College Presidents in Illinois Lori Artis & Susan Bartel To cite this article: Lori Artis & Susan Bartel (2021) Filling the Leadership Pipeline: A Qualitative Study Examining Leadership Development Practices and Challenges Facing Community College Presidents in Illinois, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 45:9, 674-686, DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 Published online: 01 Jun 2020. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 612 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 1 View citing articles https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ucjc20 https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ucjc20 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ucjc20&show=instructions https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ucjc20&show=instructions https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/mlt/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/mlt/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476&domain=pdf&date_stamp=2020-06-01 http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476&domain=pdf&date_stamp=2020-06-01 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476#tabModule https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476#tabModule Filling the Leadership Pipeline: A Qualitative Study Examining Leadership Development Practices and Challenges Facing Community College Presidents in Illinois Lori Artis and Susan Bartel Higher Education Leadership, Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA ABSTRACT This qualitative phenomenological study examines the leadership develop- ment activities of Illinois community college presidents and sought to understand not only how presidents prepare for their leadership roles, but what challenges presidents are currently facing, what advice they have for emerging leaders about effective leadership practices, and what competencies they identify as important to lead a community college in Illinois today. Utilizing the core competencies defined by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) as a framework for the study, the researcher sought to understand the lived experiences of these leaders to help inform a leadership development model for emerging leaders, community college boards, and current community college administrators. Results of the study revealed that a combination of mentorship, progressive job responsibilities, and earning a doctorate were important in the prepara- tion of the participant. Challenges they identified included institutional finances, enrollment management, working with elected boards and unions, and dealing with unfunded legal mandates and legislation. Presidents identified the importance of ongoing professional development, reading and understanding current trends facing community colleges, and building a team as essential leadership practices for community college presidents. The findings from the study align with the AACC’s core leader- ship competencies. Implications and recommendations for practice and future research are included. After only three years, the Chancellor of the University of Texas System William H. McRaven, stated “The toughest job in the nation is the one of an academic- or health-institution president” (Thomason, 2018, para. 2). Before coming to higher education, McRaven served as a military leader and led the raid on Osama bin Laden, which makes his sentiments related to the role of a college president seem that much more compelling. Chancellor McRaven’s remarks illustrate just how challenging the role of the college president has become, and understanding what those challenges are and how leaders can prepare to face them seems ever more pressing today as the average tenure of a higher education president continues to drop to an all-time low of 6.5 years in 2016 (Gagliardi, Espinosa, Turk, & Taylor, 2017). In his landmark report on the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) President’s Survey, Christopher Schults (2001) discovered that a leadership crisis was looming in community colleges due to the increasing number of presidents expected to retire and the aging population that comprised the chief administrators poised to take their place. Nearly two decades later, community colleges are still scrambling to find leaders poised and ready to take on the dynamic and challenging environment of community college leadership. CONTACT Lori Artis [email protected] Higher Education Leadership, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, Missouri 63141, USA. © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021, VOL. 45, NO. 9, 674–686 https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476 https://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476&domain=pdf&date_stamp=2021-07-30 Background of the study The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine leadership development of public community college presidents in the state of Illinois to understand what experiences prepared them to lead these institutions. Understanding the effectiveness of leadership through the lens of college presidents provides a window into their perception of the needed competencies to prepare emerging leaders to sustain and ensure the vitality of Illinois community colleges. The literature studying higher education and community college leadership development is volumi- nous. At the same time, the literature regarding leadership development and the best ways to prepare presidents to guide community colleges is unclear. The research question guiding this study is: What leadership development experiences do public community college presidents perceive were essential in preparing them for the challenges they face as leaders of Illinois community colleges today? Since Shults’ study revealed the leadership crisis, a great deal of research and writing has been done to attempt to understand and explain the best approaches for community colleges to address succession planning that ensures effective leadership development and creates a pipeline of talent to avoid a leadership crisis (AACC, 2013; Boerner, 2015; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009, 2010; Forthun & Freeman, 2017; Hassan, Dellow, & Jackson, 2009; McNair, Duree, & Ebbers, 2011; Reille & Kezar, 2010). Although the AACC (2013) developed core leadership competencies to help guide institutions in defining what community college leaders should strive to master, the current body of research clearly states there is no single leadership development solution that will ensure leaders achieve these core competencies (Eddy, 2009; Forthun & Freeman, 2017; Hassan et al., 2009; Hull & Keim, 2007; McNair et al., 2011), or which of these core competencies are essential for emerging leaders to master. However, a number of researchers have concluded that among possible effective leadership development activities, action learning, or learning on the job is one of the more effective ways to train emerging leaders (AACC, 2013; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009; Hassan et al., 2009; Hull & Keim, 2007; McNair et al., 2011). In addition to action learning, it is possible community college presidents develop their leadership skills through doctorate-level training, as the majority of all community college presidents have achieved a doctoral degree; however, there are fewer degrees being awarded to individuals focused specifically on the issues facing community college leaders, which is concern- ing for a number of researchers (Forthun & Freeman, 2017; Friedel, 2010; Fulton-Calkins & Milling, 2005; Strom, Sanchez, & Downey-Schilling, 2011). Problems facing Illinois community colleges Community colleges in Illinois are currently experiencing turbulent times, having gone nearly two full years without state funding, many depleting cash reserves, cutting programs and services, and downsizing staff (Manzo & Bruno, 2017). While financial uncertainty has created its own set of challenges for community colleges throughout Illinois, leaders of these colleges are also experiencing increased scrutiny from lawmakers and taxpayers following a senate report aimed at providing the public with more transparency (Botelho, 2015; Illinois State Senate, 2015). One of the most significant issues facing Illinois community colleges today is who will lead them in the future, given the shrinking pipeline of prepared applicants (O’Keefe, 2013) coupled with the unique financial and legislative challenges Illinois community colleges are facing (Brown, 2016, 2017; Manzo & Bruno, 2017). To create a sustainable pipeline of talent to lead Illinois’ community colleges, it is important to understand the challenges Illinois community college presidents identify today and the ways in which they can best prepare to lead these dynamic institutions. Finding those willing and prepared to lead Illinois’ public community colleges today and in the future presents a challenge to the Illinois community college system. There are numerous leadership development strategies colleges can employ, such as grow-your-own (GYO) leadership development, mentoring, job shadowing, and internships. There are also various professional development oppor- tunities that could be utilized to provide the necessary training for emerging leaders, including COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 675 professional development institutes, national and regional leadership conferences, as well as uni- versity-based doctoral programs. What is not clear in the current body of research is which of these approaches, or which combination of these leadership development experiences, is the most effective in preparing emerging leaders to take on the challenges facing Illinois community colleges today. Without a clear understanding of the best ways to produce leaders who are qualified and prepared to take on the challenges of Illinois community colleges today, the future of the state’s system is simply unknown. Like many states, Illinois community colleges are a major economic engine. With a better understanding of the most effective ways current Illinois community college leaders have prepared to lead these dynamic institutions and a clearer picture of the challenges leaders identify as critical can help inform a model for other community colleges. Conceptual framework Following Schults’ (2001) study, the AACC (2018), the advocacy group representing nearly 1,200 two-year colleges today, went to work to develop a profile of what a future leader would need to look like in terms of leadership skills, experiences, and core competencies. The results of Schults’ 2001 study provided the AACC with the foundation to develop the leadership competencies, which were adopted and published by the organization in 2005 and revised in 2013. The revised competencies include organizational strategy; institutional finances, research, fundraising, and resource management; communication; collaboration; and community college advocacy. The AACC guidelines imply the idea that leadership characteristics can be learned and developed progressively through practice and experience (Eddy & Mitchell, 2017). Furthermore, the competencies are reflective of the ever-evolving nature of the community college environment, one where the leadership of community colleges must become more responsive to external forces and demands. Organizational strategy The organizational strategy competency identified by the AACC supports and encourages the notion that effective community college leaders must utilize strategic initiatives with the end goal of creating a culture of student success that is supported by all constituents within the institution. The AACC (2013) noted “An effective community college leader promotes the success of all students, strategi- cally improves the quality of the institution and sustains the community college mission based on knowledge of the organization, its environment, and future trends,” (p. 6). Included in this competency is a leader’s ability to not only understand the institution’s mission, vision, and values, but develop ways through mastery of the competency to embrace these core institutional elements and inspire others to support them. The competency also stresses the significance of a leader to understand the institution’s culture and demonstrate a willingness to make changes to the culture to transition to a culture that solely supports student access and success. Leaders mastering this competency should also embrace change, as is the nature of community college environments, and learn to take risks while also communicating the rationale behind the risks the leader is taking. Organizational strategy defines the need for a leader to create an urgency with all constituent groups around improving student success, creating an inclusive environment, demonstrating technological competence, under- standing the organizational structure and how each employee supports student success, and building a team that is dedicated to improving student success (AACC, 2013). Institutional finance, research, fundraising, and resource management This competency asserts, “an effective community college leader equitably and ethically sustains people, processes, and information as well as physical and financial assets to fulfill the mission, vision, and goals of the community college,” (AACC, 2013, p. 8). The competency includes the mastery of the institution’s finances, while encouraging leaders to be entrepreneurial in developing 676 L. ARTIS AND S. BARTEL alternative revenue streams to support the people, programs, and places of the institution. The competency encourages leaders to embrace accountability in reporting, develop time management strategies for the leader and for the leader’s team (with the notion that a president cannot do all things), and manage conflict and change (AACC, 2013). Communication The competency of communication encourages leaders to engage in “honest” (AACC, 2013, p. 9) dialogue, not just communicating the college’s mission and its culture of student success, but also being willing to listen to constituents whether they are staff, faculty, or members of the community. According to the AACC (2013), a leader should have strong presentation skills that allow him/her to clearly communicate the mission, vision, values, culture, and needs of the college to its many stakeholders. Leaders should be flexible and versatile in their delivery of messages related to the college, and should have an elevator speech, or “pocket speech” (AACC, 2013, p. 9), always at the ready to communicate the priorities of the college. A leader achieving the communication competency will “project confidence and respond responsibly and tactfully” (AACC, 2013, p. 9) in even the most challenging times whether it is a crisis or a regular address. Leaders are also encouraged to create an environment that invites shared decision-making through open dialogue among units of the college. A leader should know his or her audience and develop effective communication skills to clearly communicate the core idea of an issue to all constituents without using jargon. Leaders mastering the communication competency must also be aware of the global, interconnected society in which we live and interact in order to effectively “understand and discuss complex relationships of common social, ecological, political, and economic issues to derive new ways of thinking and acting,” (AACC, 2013, p. 9). And finally, a leader should be media savvy, and understand how to leverage all media and other stakeholder groups in an effort to further advocate for the mission of his/her college. Collaboration Although it can be lonely at the top, leaders need to recognize they are not the sole decision maker and should develop mechanisms for engaging all constituent groups, breaking down silos, and building internal and external partnerships in order to advance the mission of the college. The AACC (2013) further stated, “An effective community college leader develops and maintains, responsive, cooperative, mutually beneficial, and ethical internal and external relationships that nurture diversity, promotes the success of all students, and sustains the community college mission,” (p. 10). Community college advocacy The AACC (2013) stressed the straightforward notion that if someone wants to lead a community college they should be dedicated to the mission and the role community colleges play in society, and they need to be an active advocate for the institution with external stakeholders. The AACC further stated, “An effective community college leader understands, commits to, and advocates for the mission, vision, and goals of the community college on the local, state, and national level,” (p. 11). Once committed to the mission of community colleges, leaders should then seek to engage public partners to help advance the college’s initiatives and boost its operations and offerings. Methods All 48 Illinois community college presidents were asked to participate in the study, excluding two with whom the researcher had a preexisting relationship. Using convenience sampling, 11 Illinois community college presidents were interviewed as a part of this study. The recorded phone inter- views were open-ended to uncover lived experiences or “common occurrences” (Ortiz, 2015, p. 64) COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 677 and guided by the main research question and sub-questions. Each participant was offered a transcript review to check for any factual errors. Trustworthiness included a bracketing technique in an effort to purposefully put aside personal beliefs about the topic being researched, while also encouraging participants of the study to speak freely about their lived experiences, without fear or inhibition. The goal in bracketing and reduction “is to achieve direct contact with the world by suspending prejudgments, bracketing assumptions, deconstructing claims, and restoring openness,” (Klenke, Wallace, & Martin, 2015, p. 213). Other efforts to enhance trustworthiness included peer review, audit trail, and reflexivity. After multiple readings of the transcripts, pre-coding was used to identify rich and significant phrases or quotes, coding was used to identify specific statements from the transcriptions of the interviews that clearly described the participants’ lived experience. These codes were clustered, or categorized, together as overarching patterns or themes “to exemplify a whole unit of understanding” (Ortiz, 2015, p. 58). Data analysis by coding creates categories attempting to organize data, con- necting similar ideas into groups, and uncovering possible interrelationships (Saldaña, 2011). Findings Although much of the current body of research points to the importance of future leaders achieving the competencies set forth by the AACC, there is clearly no one-size-fits-all leadership development solution to prepare community college leaders to eliminate or begin to combat the leadership crisis (AACC, 2013; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009; McNair et al., 2011; Rice & O’Keefe, 2014; Strom et al., 2011). The presidents who took part in this study represented diversity in terms of gender, race, geography, and in their pathway to the presidency. Even with this diversity, three consistent themes emerged related to their shared experiences. One major theme that emerged from this study was the distinct presence of three major development activities among the participants: mentorship, pro- gressive job responsibilities, and a doctorate degree. Another theme that emerged in the findings included the common challenges presidents identified: financial stability/security, declining enroll- ments, working with elected boards, working with unions, and dealing with an increasing number of regulatory/legislative mandates. In a third theme, presidents in this study suggested emerging leaders should take part in ongoing professional development opportunities, keep relevant and current on trends in their community and in higher education by reading as much as possible, and learn to be collaborators and build their own leadership teams. Theme 1: Mentorship, progressive job responsibilities, and doctorate education Although preparation for the presidency was an individualized experience for each of the partici- pants of this study, with no two presidents describing the same pathway, one major shared experience among the participants were three elements they described as important in their preparation for the presidency: mentorship, progressive job responsibilities, and earning a doctorate degree. The consistent presence of these three elements suggest mentorship, action learning (learning on the job with progressive job responsibilities), and earning a doctorate play a significant role in leadership development for Illinois community college presidents. Mentorship Participants of this study pointed to the role that a mentor played in their professional development. For many, the relationship with the mentor was described similarly – the mentor would identify the emerging leader in their institutions and assign them more progressive job responsibilities along their pathway to the presidency, many encouraging them to earn a doctorate as a part of their preparation. Participants of the study described their pathway to the presidency in terms such as, “first I was given this position, then I was assigned this responsibility, and soon after I was promoted to this title.” One participant stated it best: 678 L. ARTIS AND S. BARTEL I’m going to tell you that there is no doubt the best training to be a president is to be mentored by a good president …. You need somebody to toughen you up, teach you the ropes, teach you how to navigate the challenging situations. I am truly convinced that is what prepares people for presidencies, and I feel like it is my duty as a president to mentor people to be presidents. Progressive job responsibilities and action learning That notion of learning to lead through experience was shared by presidents in this study. Presidents described situations where mentors would assign more progressive job responsibilities to them throughout their career, providing them with more opportunities to learn and advance in their institutions. The activity the presidents were describing is also known as action learning, or learning on the job, which has been cited by numerous other researchers as a critical way adults learn, as well as a significant way emerging leaders can prepare for the role of the presidency (AACC, 2013; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009; Hassan et al., 2009; McNair et al., 2011). The participants of this study agreed with the body of research that practicing action learning with progressive job responsibilities was a critical function of their preparation for the presidency. Presidents would describe holding multiple titles at their institution or other institutions in their pathway to the presidency. One participant remarked that in his 29 years at his institution, he has held as many as 10 titles. Earning a doctorate Also of note is that out of the 11 participants interviewed, 10 of the presidents had earned either a PhD, an EdD, or in some cases both. Participants expressed the significance of earning this degree to not only their current job attainment, but also in providing them with important knowledge and leadership development they need for their current role as president. One participant described the process of earning an EdD as “fun,” explaining the positive experience he had learning about community college leadership while simultaneously working in a position where he was able to apply his learning in action. Others noted earning a doctorate was a non-negotiable in their career development, using phrases like my mentor said “you will go back and get a doctorate of some sort. I don’t care where or what it’s in, but it’s critical to your future.” Although there was a similar pattern in that most were encouraged by a mentor to achieve their terminal degree, others noted that they knew it was important to their future career path to earn a doctorate. Some participants noted the challenge of earning a doctorate is in itself a part of what prepares you for the challenging role of the presidency: I think getting your doctorate is really important. I think that the coursework when you get a doctorate in higher education leadership, or something related to that topic, really does give you a good foundation … I also got tougher through that because you’re trying to balance, life, work, schoolwork, and getting your dissertation done. Theme 2: Challenges identified Perhaps more interesting, the challenges identified by current presidents provide future leaders with a sort of “task list” of issues they should be prepared to tackle if they plan to lead an institution in the future. Following a nearly two-year period of no state funding, and a state-wide trend of declining enrollments, it was no surprise that the major challenges identified by all participants in the research included financial stability/security and declining enrollments, which only further exacerbate the financial challenges Illinois community colleges are facing due to lost tuition dollars. However, the surprising challenges that participants identified during this research included: working with elected boards, working with unions, and dealing with an increasing number of regulatory/legislative mandates. Working with elected boards Participants shared challenges in working with elected boards of trustees. Many questioned indivi- dual agendas and motives for running for these non-paid positions. Additionally, the lack of training that exists to educate and support board members once they are elected was a challenge. COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 679 The personal agenda of board members was questioned by a number of presidents who expressed frustration in spending a lot of time working with board members to educate them beyond the presumptions they brought to the boardroom about the institution. One president shared that in the most recent election there were 16 candidates running for two open spots on the board, and mentioned some candidates were spending as much as $20,000 on their campaigns. He questioned why anyone who did not have a personal agenda would spend that much money to earn an unpaid seat on a public community college board. Another president noted board members often run for the wrong reasons, whether it’s political motivation or for ego-driven reasons, and then find themselves in an elected role for six years with no higher education foundation or training. “Okay, let’s take ownership of that. They don’t know what they’re doing, but are we giving them the right resources?” This president shared that in addition to not having any formal training available to deliver to elected board members, it is equally frustrating dealing with elected board members who simply refuse to want to learn more about higher education or the institution itself. A second president shared that a lack of training for boards is potentially damaging for institu- tions, because board members lack the ability to know what successful leadership and effective institutions should look like. He expressed concern with a specific lack of training for boards in selecting leaders for their institutions. There’s always going to be people apply for jobs, and whether or not they’re qualified or not, there isn’t really a heck of a lot of deep understanding in terms of what boards do or don’t do in terms of figuring out who they’re going to select. This president suggested the Association of Governing Boards does a lot of board development in higher education but indicated they do not play a role in community college board development. Other presidents shared stories about elected board members who ran for their seats because they did not like decisions being made by leadership. Stories about ousted administrators, reductions in force, significant budget cuts, and other major institutional transformations were shared as being the result of changes made in boards following contentious election cycles. Juggling the politics of dealing with elected board members was a repeated concern expressed by presidents. Working with unions Presidents identified major differences in working in union vs. nonunion environments, and the challenges that come with … OL 502: Scholarly Writing, Thinking, and Practice Student Worksheet: Analyzing an Academic Journal Article Read the assigned journal article and answer the following questions. Answer the questions in your own words, avoiding plagiarism, except where otherwise indicated. If you do directly quote the article, make sure to cite the direct quote correctly (Direct quotes require author names, year, and page number.) Remember, the objective is for you to convey you can analyze and critically evaluate a journal article, and not that you can copy/paste what the author wrote. Enter the following information before beginning: Student (Your) Name: Jamie Mason Article Title:       Author(s):       Journal Title:       Volume:       Issue:       Doi:       Part I: Purpose/hypothesis/aim/objective of the study. 1. Write down the exact statement in which the authors describe what they are testing. This information may be provided in the article in the “Purpose Statement” or as a hypothesis. Make sure you cite this direct quote appropriately according to APA format.       2. Using your own words, describe the purpose of the study (hint: what was the author trying to prove? Why is he/she doing the study in the first place?)       3. What was the “gap” in the research that the authors were trying to fill by completing this study?       Part II: Major Findings 1. Make some notes about the authors’ major conclusions or findings as written in the article. Include quotation marks and appropriate citations whenever you use their exact wording, which includes page numbers).       2. Explain the conclusions in your own words.       Part III: Methodology One of the characteristics of a qualitative or quantitative study is its ability to be duplicated with the same results. For example, if I find five kids, and I ask them, “Do you like chocolate ice cream?” and all of them said, “Yes”, could I generalize this to the entire population? In other words, is it accurate to say that 100% of all U.S. children like ice cream just because the five in my study did? You’ll likely tell me “no”, and I would agree. However, if I were to conduct my study in a school where I chose students, at random, which represented all the demographics in a particular location, and my sample size was large enough (let’s say 500) and 375 tell me they like chocolate ice cream and 125 say they do not. Can I generalize this and say that 75% of all U.S. children like chocolate ice cream? If you’re following my line of logic, you would probably say “maybe”, but I think you would definitely say it would be a better sample than just the five children I surveyed earlier. More importantly, if my result was 75%, how likely is it that someone else could contact the same study, with a similar sample, and reach the same conclusion (within a certain margin of error)? If the study is done correctly, the samples are representative of the population, and the sample size is large enough, we can generalize the results of a study to the population with surprising accuracy. This is what I mean by a study being replicable. After all, if a study is not able to be replicated, how do we know the information being provided is accurate? The answer is, simply, “we don’t”. It’s important in your study that you describe the methodology you use to answer your research question. You have to carefully describe what you did, your sample size, the demographic, the location of the study, etc. so that if someone wanted to replicate your study, they would reach similar results. Let’s use this to answer the questions in step 3: 1. Briefly summarize the main steps or measurements that the authors used in their methods. Try to explain in your own words as much as possible, and describe the methods in detail.       2. Do the authors suggest any problems or limitations with their methodology? (hint: Limitations is a section). Do you see any problems or limitations with their methodology?       3. How did the authors analyze their data? What test/s did they use?       Reliability 1. Do the authors suggest any problems with the study that could lead to unreliable results?       2. Do the conclusions made (about the results) by the author make sense to you? Are the conclusions too broad or too narrow based on what was actually done in the study?       3. Based on the methodology and reliability, do you think the conclusions can be believed?       4. Write, in your own words, the significant contributions of the experimental work in this journal article as reported by the authors.