College grants for woman

The average tenure for a college or university president is a little more than six years. Researchers presume that the short stay is "normal, expected and a value-neutral event," said Melinda Rhodes, assistant dean of the faculty at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri.

But what can top academic leaders accomplish if they come and go like professional football coaches?

Rhodes spoke about Dr. Helen Washburn, the recently retired president of Cottey College MO, who represents an anomaly in presidential longevity. She addressed the Women in Educational Leadership conference sponsored by the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in September. Dr. Washburn stepped down after the 2003-2004 academic year after 18 years as president of the two-year, private liberal arts college for women, which enrolls about 300 traditional 18- and 19-year-old women.

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Perhaps Washburn's long tenure was reasonable for Cottey College, which is funded by the PEO Sisterhood, a philanthropic educational organization. The school is one of the organization's five major projects and a part of its dues go to the college's general fund. The Sisterhood's other projects include grants for returning students and scholarships for graduate students. It serves some 250,000 members in the United States and Canada with chapters in each state.

Rhodes' study of Washburn's longevity is part of her initial work for a doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Advantages to longevity

What are the advantages to a long-term president? Rhodes cites:

* She has the time to build an effective leadership team.

* She is best equipped to change the campus culture.

* She knows that being effective means changing with the job.

Leading for the long term requires remaining effective as a leader. Long-term presidents have a vision that followers embrace. They have a supportive board and the ability to delegate. They rely heavily on their staffs.

Of course, their long-term tenure brings many benefits to the college, including stability, continuing build-up of good relationships and long-range vision.

Factors that directly influence presidential effectiveness can be found by starting with the search process. When Washburn was being considered for the top position, the search committee and board had very specific ideas of what they wanted in a leader. And after she was chosen, they consistently showed their support for their choice.

Rhodes cited other characteristics of effective leaders:

* She constantly promotes new ways to achieve the school's mission.

* She is consistently involved in long-term and strategic planning.

* She takes pride in others' accomplishments.

* She values innovation, unbound by the status quo.

* She possesses an entrepreneurial spirit.

* She works closely with the board chair.

* She assures that decisions are made at the appropriate level. Decisions are not pushed down nor passed up, and employees are not micromanaged.

Kouzes and Posner define leadership as challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others, modeling the way and inspiring the heart. Rhodes said effective presidents model these behaviors.

Her study considered the context in which Washburn came to Cottey, in particular the challenges she faced as well as her significant accomplishments. Her research asked: "What can this woman teach us about how to manage and lead at a particular time?"

In addition to her administrative work, Rhodes teaches English, journalism and leadership. Her journalism students interviewed four board members, the chair of the school's alumnae association, a former civic leader who was a close friend of Washburn's, and Washburn's son as part of the study. Themes emerged from the transcripts.

Characteristics of effective leaders

During the interviews, Washburn described her path to the presidency as nontraditional. "She came out of the public school system," said Rhodes, "and didn't have the typical academic pipeline experience."

Part of that atypical route can be attributed to her generation. No one expected Washburn to become a college president. She gained leadership experience with state and national counseling associations, where she learned about budgets and finances, two important topics for any leader.

One of the trustees who chaired the search committee recalled Washburn's interview. "She was very much at ease. Her mannerisms and appearance were professional. It was obvious she was a good communicator."

Her communication skills were in dire need at the time of her hiring, a period of union tensions.

Other themes emerging from the interviews were that integrity and sincerity were critical to Washburn's longevity. "A lot of leadership is being responsible," said Rhodes. "If there are problems or challenges, an effective leader will take the responsibility to make it better."

In discussions with the journalism students, Washburn characterized her leadership style as collaborative. "You can't be a leader in a vacuum," she said. Leaders must be adaptive and able to shift between styles as needed.

Perception was another topic Washburn addressed. "What you think of yourself and how others view you are two different things," she noted.

Washburn's own recipe for success includes these tips:

* Focus on the long-term and the strategic plan. "Her attitude was to approach something with the goal in mind," said Rhodes. "If the plan was not ready to be implemented, she took it off the table, set it aside and then re-examined it and brought it back later."

* Focus on developing leadership in self and others. Washburn noted that she had seen so many women who were really capable of being good leaders, managers and administrators, but who did not value their own knowledge and ability.

* Balance personal and professional lives. A president has to have energy and stamina because she plays a lot of roles. Especially if she is to last 18 years.

Voluminous accomplishments

During her 18-year presidency, Washburn had many major accomplishments, including:

* Developing a new center for women's leadership. "Several years into her presidency, Washburn was able to get an old home that had gone on the market," said Rhodes. "She had visited Wellesley College MA and was determined our students would have a similar site." Washburn had to overcome the board's initial opposition to using the house as a women's leadership center.

* Advancing the college's interests on a national level. While at the helm, Washburn focused efforts on improving the numbers of women in science and math through additional equipment, new technology and a emphasis on student recruitment.

* Increasing visibility and professional development at the college. "She improved the salaries and professional development funding for students, staff and faculty," said Rhodes.

* Improving constituent relationships including those in the community. The community of Nevada, Missouri has 8,000 residents, including a college with an attractive physical plant. One disappointment occurred when the college wanted to move a crosswalk. "The project didn't come to fruition because the community didn't want the college messing up the streets," said Rhodes. Washburn chose not to fight for it.

* Increasing institutional advancement and grow ing the infrastructure. When Washburn came on board, there was a small endowment. Now the endowment is $70 million.

* Overseeing two accreditation visits and getting 10-year accreditations both times, without revisits.

* Forming a diversity task force for the college community.

* Increasing contacts with the alumnae network.

* Leading two major construction projects. During her tenure, Washburn completed construction of both an academic center and a performing arts center.

* Creating a second-year trip program to Europe for all Cottey students who stay for two years. Students can go to Madrid, Paris or London.

* Focusing on technology and the curriculum.

Today's presidents are unlikely to last 18 years on the job. Maybe even six years is a stretch. But with proper preparation, continuous learning and an eye to the future, they can make a difference for their students--which is all they can really hope to accomplish.

Contact Rhodes at: (417) 667-8181 or mrhodes@cottey.edu

--MLS