Being Unprecedented During Unprecedented Times: Transitions of Being the First Black President

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Layers of Leadership (Table 29)

Abstract

Being a university president is not easy. Being an institution’s first Black president comes with unique trials and celebrations. Navigating institutions through a global pandemic is exceptionally challenging. Transitioning as a Black university president during a global pandemic and nationwide racial reckoning is unprecedented. This paper uses novel longitudinal data collected during the first half of 2021 from four university presidents navigating the social implications of being the first Black president at their institution and the sociopolitical implications of multiple global crises on university operations. The results from this study implicate race as both novel and socially threatening for participants along with uncovering the unique decision-making processes needed to guide university communities through localized global crises.

Authors

• Jeffrey K. Grim, George Mason University

• Alford A. Young, University of Michigan

• Marie Ting, University of Michigan