Daniel Filer

Leading at the Top: Leadership and Change in the University Presidency Daniel Filer

As both internal and external threats continue to arise and challenge the traditional mold of higher education, the role of the university president is becoming increasingly precarious in the arena of higher education. In addition to primarily influencing the direction of the institution, the university president is being required to serve in an ever-growing number of political, financial, and philanthropic capacities. This book considers, through an in-depth case study analysis, how presidents at a small, public four-year institution of higher education respond to organizational change. More specifically, the study attempts to discover if transformational leadership is present within the university presidency during this era of great change that is affecting colleges and universities. Case study methodology is used to define the parameters of the study, while qualitative description and the analysis of storytelling are used to gather and analyze data. Although primarily designed for university presidents and higher education administrators, this text can be meaningful for leaders at any level both inside and outside the world of higher education.