A commitment to enlightened educational leadership

One of the highlights of this year’s Annual Meeting of the American Council on Education (ACE), held on March 12, was the presentation of the Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence. Sponsored and presented by the TIAA-CREF Institute, the Hesburgh Award is one of the most prestigious honors in academic stewardship.

The Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., is president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, and a nationally renowned educator and world humanitarian. The award that bears his name recognizes a current college or university president or chancellor who embodies the spirit of Father Hesburgh, and his commitment and contributions to higher education and society.

This year’s winners of the Hesburgh Award are Dr. Charles B. Reed, chancellor of the California State University system, and Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president of Miami Dade College. Dr. Reed was recognized for his efforts to build collaborative partnerships and award-winning outreach programs, as well as for his initiatives to improve research and benefit local businesses and communities. Dr. Padrón was honored for his role in transforming the role of community colleges across the country, raising their academic stature while preserving their mission to teach underserved populations.

This year’s ACE meeting was also the venue for the presentation of the Dr. John Hope Franklin Awards, established by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine and sponsored by TIAA-CREF. Dr. Franklin was one of the country’s most distinguished historians and, among his many achievements, the author of From Slavery to Freedom, which continues to serve as a textbook for college courses throughout the country.

The award was presented to Dr. Robert Corrigan, Christopher Edley, Jr. and Dr. Gary Orfield—distinguished leaders in their academic fields and nationally recognized voices on civil rights issues. Dr. Corrigan, president of San Francisco State University, was noted for his longstanding civic engagement and for bringing university expertise to community issues. Mr. Edley is dean and professor of law at the UC Berkeley School of Law, where he has built on a career of academic work in the areas of civil rights and administrative law. Dr. Orfield is professor of education, law, political science and urban planning at UCLA, and focuses on the impact of policy on equal opportunity.

During the meeting, ACE also released a new study: “The American College President,” which presents a comprehensive, in-depth look at presidents from all sectors of higher education. Produced with the support of the TIAA-CREF Institute, this edition of the study includes the latest data on presidents’ education and career path, as well as fascinating findings such as:

• Women have increased their representation among presidents — up to 26% in 2011 from 23% in 2006.
• When minority-serving institutions are excluded from the calculation, only 9% of presidents in 2011 belonged to racial/ethnic minority groups; unchanged from 2006.
• The trend in the aging of the presidency continues. In 2006 49% were 61 or older, while in 2011 that percentage increased to 58%.
• Presidents receive the most satisfaction on the job from working with students, administrators and faculty — but spend most of their time on fundraising, budgeting, community relations and planning.