Presidential Search Consultants in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature

The American Council on Education (ACE) study on the academic presidency reported that half of four-year college and university presidential searches finalized in 2001 utilized the services of an executive search consultant (Corrigan, 2002). This figure is up from 16 percent for searches conducted prior to 1985 (Ross & Green, 2000; Corrigan, 2002), and represents a continued expansion of the executive search consultant's role in higher education—specifically with regards to presidential searches. Although an estimated annual expense of more than $30 million is no insignificant sum, the cost of a consultant is far less than that of a failed search or a bad selection. An appointment resulting in a poor fit between the president and the institution could result in a short presidential tenure and require a repeat of the process within a few years. The literature reviewed herein is focused on how presidents are selected, and specifically on the involvement of presidential search consultants in the process. This socially significant process conducted more than 300 times a year is an important area of research requiring a greater understanding for the benefit of higher education practitioners and researchers alike. Marcus Lingenfelter is the executive assistant to the president and director of government relations and economic development at Widener University. He is also a Ph.D. candidate in higher education at The Pennsylvania State University. His research interests include issues of leadership, governance, and public policy. MARCUS LINGENFELTER 33 Presidential Search Consultants in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature