The academic president

the long version

Today the office of college president is in need of better definition; it has lost its uniform and consistent character. Today it finds itself suspended between two worlds. While it has moved away from the old world of relative simplicity, it has not yet come to terms with its new world of complexity. It is hoped that this study will aid in rationalizing it in a manner that will preserve its historic, essential nature. Our field work involved visits to approximately sixty colleges and universities. Because the problems are most apparent, and most acute, in the universities, we selected for the most intensive team study a number of representative universities, some tax-supported, others privately supported, and spread from coast to coast and from North to South. Our practice was to interview presidents, trustees, academic vice-presidents, deans, nonacademic officers of administration, members of the faculty of all ranks, and students. -- Preface.