Episode 58
Can New Presidents Save Financially-Distressed Colleges? with Robert Kelchen
Sarah Holtan sits down with Dr. Robert Kelchen, Professor of Higher Education at University of Tennessee - Knoxville, to ask the hard question: can a new college president truly turn around a university’s finances? If you’ve ever wondered why some presidents seem to steady the ship while others are just along for the ride, this is an episode you can’t miss.
Most people think hiring a new leader is a silver bullet, but Robert uncovers why financial miracles rarely happen overnight—especially at public universities. He reveals how private colleges, without state funding, are forced to make tough, often painful choices about staff and programs just to keep the lights on.
What are colleges getting right (and wrong) when they hire new leaders, and what can faculty and staff really do to survive the shake-up? Listen and learn from a leading higher ed finance expert.
Episode Highlights:
03:37 - At public universities, they're dealing with the state, dealing with governors, lawmakers, higher education boards, and that limits their ability to make changes as quickly.
05:46 - It's not reasonable for the first couple of years, but it's also something that is coming up in more job postings for presidents. So even if it's not realistic to expect it, institutions are expecting it.
13:10 - These are positions that they're emotionally draining and the expectations are often not realistic. And that's why you see both presidential salaries going up to basically get people to do the job, and also the tenure going down.
Sarah Holtan, PhD
Robert Kelchen
