Leading vs. managing by community college chairs.

Academic leadership usually refers to that at four-year schools, and leadership in the nation's community colleges is seen as an enigma, said Clarissa Craig.

Assistant dean in the science, health care and math division at Johnson County Community College KS, Craig discussed preliminary findings of her qualitative research at the University of Nebraska's Women in Educational Leadership conference held in Lincoln in October.

Community college leaders are considered a "unique body of educational practitioners" whose leadership elements are "distinct and singular." Unlike their peers at four-year schools, department chairs at two-year colleges have roles and tasks that are critical to a school's day-to-day success: The chair's position delivers the educational mission.

Yet much of the literature on chairs at two-year schools simply lists the position's roles, tasks and demographics, rather than identifying how chairs can help manage future change. Craig's interest in academic leadership by chairs is the topic of her doctoral dissertation.

Seeing and seizing opportunities

In setting up her multi-case study, Craig sought to identify how community college administrators in both career and transfer programs describe their leadership. Participants were nominated based on demonstrating effective leadership. She collected data from multi-structured interviews with 10 administrators working at a suburban and an urban community college, five women and five men.

Most worked in both career and transfer programs; all had been classroom faculty, and all but two had job descriptions. Although their job titles, job descriptions, reporting structures, functions within their programs and departments were not alike, they shared similar responsibilities.