University Business - September 2010 - (Page 16)

BEHIND the NEWS BETWEEN THE LINES U The CAO’s Job: Satisfying Despite Challenges THE GOOD NEWS: A STUDY BY the Council of Independent Colleges of chief academic officers revealed relatively high levels of job satisfaction. Still, their periods of service are relatively short, with CIC CAOs averaging just 4.3 years on the job. “We’re really puzzled by the short tenure,” says Hal Hartley, senior vice president at CIC and the study’s coauthor. At the same time, presidential terms among CIC colleges are getting longer. “Trustees may be inclined to stick with the president if things are going well, but the president may feel the need to reinvent his presidency for the next phase,” Hartley speculates. CIC, which examined 2008 data from the American Council on Education’s survey of 1,140 CAOs (358 of whom are at CIC institutions), is planning some focus groups to explore the issue. Supervising and managing personnel is the most time-consuming task for all CAOs. Despite the administrative demands of their roles—which include overseeing curriculum and academic programs, faculty hiring, strategic planning, and budgeting—these campus leaders also frequently perform functions related to teaching and scholarship, from conducting research and writing about higher ed issues to teaching courses. As far as moving up to the top spot, many CAOs are not interested, with 30 percent overall (and just 24 percent from CIC colleges) planning to seek a presidency. Yet CAOs do tend to get along well with their presidents. When asked to assess five types of relationships and indicate which are best and most challenging, the top response for best relationship was “president.” “They have the closest working relationship,” Hartley notes. The strength of that relationship varies by institution type, with CIC CAOs, who are typically the number two leader behind the president, being far more likely to name that as their best relationship compared to campuses where the CAO is one of many vice presidents or where someone else serves as number two. And what is the most challenging relationship? Of the choices given, CAOs most commonly name relations with the faculty. CIC President Richard Ekman explains that when faculty see one of their colleagues go “over to the dark side” to become CAO, “they forget that they have 20 years of friendship with that person. … It’s a difficult job to [become] the person who not only represents the views of the faculty, but also has to enforce the decisions that often these days don’t reflect an ideal world.” For example, the CAO may have to communicate that there’s less money for faculty conference travel. Still, in a question about the most frustrating aspects of the CAO’s work, notes Hartley, “curmudgeonly faculty” did not rank high. (The lack of sufficient funding, not surprisingly, did.) When responses from those choosing the CFO or other vice presidents as most challenging relationships are combined, the total for each institution type is higher than the faculty response. The study recommends creating opportunities to foster better relations among CAOs, CFOs, and other vice presidents. One such opportunity is the council’s CAO/CFO Institute. “We encourage every CAO to bring his CFO with him,” Ekman says. “We talk about them as teams.” The institute provides the time these campus leaders don’t always have back home to figure out more effective ways of working together or consider how the situation on one campus compares to another. The full report can be found at www.cic.edu/CAOReport.—Melissa Ezarik universitybusiness.com From Campus to Capitol The Role of Government Relations in Higher Education By William McMillen, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 168 p.p., $40, www .press.jhu.edu During a time when state appropriations are declining, enrollments are surging, and economic uncertainty is a fact of life, government relations has become a necessary function for just about every U.S. college or university. William McMillen, vice president for government relations and chief of staff at The University of Toledo (Ohio), offers his reflections and research on the multifaceted aspects that the position of government relations officer carries. He describes how the position has developed over time and how those with the title can best approach their working relationship between government and higher education. Included are anecdotes and interviews with fellow officers on the on- and off-campus challenges they often face. McMillen also provides recommendations on negotiating effectively with community associations, mayors, and lobbyists while ensuring that the institution’s best interests are met. “These relationships are complex and often difficult,” he writes, “but in the end the payoff to the university can be great.” —M.H. 16 | September 2010 http://www.press.jhu.edu http://www.press.jhu.edu http://www.cic.edu/CAOReport http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - September 2010

University Business - September 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Sense of Place
Internet Technology
Approaching Admissions Today
Three to Degree
Have College Brands Delivered on Their Promise?
Honoring Efficiency
EduComm 2010 Roundup
View from the Summit
Independent Outlook
What's New
End Note

University Business - September 2010