Leadership, Board Governance, and Diversity

For close to two decades, it has been an honor to serve as an AGB consultant. This connection began shortly after my first retirement, which I have flunked twice, and it continues to this day. In addition to leading two universities and one two-year college, I have had the good fortune to serve on the governing boards of one public university and two private universities, both in different states. I also received a gubernatorial appointment to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which sets policies and procedures for 16 institutions.

My involvement with AGB has been highly rewarding both personally and professionally. In fact, in some ways I have enjoyed it as much as if not more than my years as chief executive. Thanks to AGB I have developed endearing friendships while taking on some of the most daunting challenges in the pursuit of fostering effective board governance.

I am also an African American male who started his career as an assistant professor of political science in 1973 and advanced to full professor while serving several academic administrative roles in large research universities. Accordingly, I believe I have something to share from the perspectives of a former chief executive, governing board member, and board governance consultant, especially when it comes to issues regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

My college years and the onset of my career paralleled the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. I participated in both and, without question, each helped to shape my outlook on life and how I tried to lead at a time when higher education was less accepting of what I had to offer.

Much has changed from the standpoint of public policy since I began my career. For example, we have witnessed the evolution of change from affirmative action/equal employment opportunity to DEI. Yet while we have seen improvements, much work remains. Indeed, DEI efforts are being dismantled so fast that one wonders if the commitment was real to begin with.

Higher education leaders should understand that Black faculty and staff members are watching—and they are dismayed. Trust and confidence in leadership is evaporating and will be hard to restore. I would like to believe that my cynicism is misplaced, but based on 50 years of observation and experience, I doubt it. In order to confront head-on the challenges facing higher education in the DEI area, I offer the following suggestions for consideration by presidents, chancellors, system heads, and governing board members.

Leadership

It all starts with leadership. But today, we have a dearth of leadership talent in many sectors and higher education is no exception. Given the current political environment, what is needed more than ever, particularly regarding efforts to rollback progress on diversity, is principled, courageous leadership.

It is increasingly difficult to find strong, dedicated leaders. Many want the title but few want the duties and responsibilities of the job. Governing boards should understand that sometimes the strongest prospects for leadership must be sought after and they might or might not be in an academic institution. In matters pertaining to race, this has always been the case. Although the country is deeply divided on it, we urgently need leaders who will not shrink from leading on matters related to diversity.

Organizations require a certain type of leader at different stages in their development. Maybe a strong academic is needed at a juncture in the institution’s history. At another stage, someone with strong financial or fundraising skills fits the job description. Similarly, the ideal leader will be committed to diversity, whatever the particular skills needed for the moment. Understanding and valuing diversity and its implications for the institution should be part of the decision calculus because, whether we like it or not, we are on a path to becoming a nation of minorities. Demographers have been showing us the trends for decades, yet the country is split because denial is easier than accepting reality.

Executive Coaching

Even when the fit appears to be a good one for the executive and the institution, hiring an executive coach to work with a new president is a smart investment. Although not talked about much, this practice is common in the private sector, and for good reason: Much is at stake, and boards want the new chief executive to succeed. Along with hiring an executive coach, wise boards recognize the importance of creating an onboarding process to help the new leader learn as much as possible about the institution and its various constituencies.

Culture

Every college or university has its own culture, practices, and norms that are sometimes centuries old and do not easily yield to change. Governing boards have their own cultures, as well, and they may also be resistant to any change that alters the status quo. Presidential candidates should think about the importance of culture at institutions that might interest them, as should governing boards.

Fit

Every student should find the college that is the best fit for them, and so should presidents. Some students will fare better in a small or medium-sized institution with the opportunity for greater faculty-student interaction, while others will not. The same is true for presidents. Some will prefer a small liberal arts college to a large public institution that entails working with a broad array of constituencies, which can include elected officials, business leaders, and athletics boosters.

Conclusion

Navigating the omnipresence of race has been a constant throughout my career. Sometimes it has been overt, but mainly it has manifested itself in more subtle ways. Higher education leaders including governing boards, system heads, and presidents or chancellors must recognize that although progress has been made, much work remains. The reactionary, regressive policies that we are experiencing will have devastating effects for decades to come. The demographic changes that were forecast decades ago are upon us, and they are a major cause of fear in the electorate. We can ill-afford to ignore the perils of retrenchment. We need dedicated leaders equal to the task.

For many students, higher education offers the last best chance to not only earn a college degree but to expand one’s knowledge of other peoples, cultures, and global issues. As someone who grew up in the segregated South and witnessed racial progress over the years, it is disheartening to see efforts to turn back the clock. Higher education has an important role to play, and I am counting on the next generation of leaders to meet this moment.

Efforts to suppress or eliminate diversity might satisfy its most ardent critics, at least for a while. Yet the demographic shifts underway are inexorable and will lead to change whether we like it or not. It behooves us to manage it rather than have it manage us.

Alvin J. Schexnider is a senior consultant and a senior fellow at AGB. His most recent book is Confessions of a Black Academic: A Memoir.