A study of the roles of college or university presidents as perceived by presidents, deans, chairpersons and faculty members in selected private colleges and universities in Georgia

• Main Author: Muforo, Laeticia A
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1986
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/3693; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5216&context=dissertations

Purposes The purposes ot this study were: (a) to determine the degree of importance of selected roles of college or university presidents as perceived by presidents, deans, chairpersons, and faculty members; (b) to investigate if discrepancies exist in the perceptions of presidents, deans, chairpersons, and faculty members regarding the degree of importance of presidential role areas; and (c) to determine the relationship between selected demographic (personal) variables and those perceptions. Methods anc Procedures The population for this study consisted of presiaents, deans, chairpersons, anc faculty members in six private colleges and universities in Georgia. The data were collected through use of questionnaire developed from the literature review. After the validation of the instrument, a pilot study was conducted. Questionnaires were administered personally to 126 participants. There were 6 presidents, 12 deans, 25 chairpersons, and 80 faculty members. Of the 12 b questionnaires distributed, 107 were returned. A return rate of 84.92%. The data were analyzed using a ONE-WAY Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Sheffe's Procedures, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients, frequencies percentages, and crosstabulations. Results The results were as follows: 1. The presidential roles perceived by the administrators and faculty members to be very important included: (a) raising money for the institution, (b) creating and maintaining sense of integrity within the institution, (c) formulating and clarifying the mission(s) of the institution, (d) establishing institution's goals, (e) ensuring maintenance of high academic standards for the institution, (f) representing the institution in outside activities, (g) selling and promoting the services of the institution to supporters and clients, (h) serving as a community leader, (i) building cooci working environment in the institution, (j) influencing national, regional, state ana local electee officials on behalf of the institution. The least rated roles included: (a) managing day-to-day operations of the institution, (b) preparing financial audits, supervising institutional research, (c) mediating conflicts between students ana faculty members, (d) monitoring student affairs, (e) presiding over faculty members and staff meetings, (f) managing physical facilities, (g) controlling students1 affairs office, (h) managing faculty library, and (i) administering nonacademic staff training program. 2. Deans, chairpersons, ana faculty members differed significantly in their perception of the degree of importance of presidential role areas. 3. Demographic variables such as educational level, sex, age, position, work experience were significantly and strongly related to the perception of the respondents. Conclusions Based on the findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Fund raising will continue to dominate the time of presidents of private colleges and universities. 2. Generally, college administrators ana faculty members of private institutions have different views on the major areas of presidential responsibility.