The rate of transitions among community colleges’ top leaders — whether retiring, moving to another college or becoming a first-time CEO — has slowed since its peak seven years ago, but that may change within the next few years as a wave of presidents reach retirement age, according to a new report from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
At 13.5%, the 2016-17 academic year marked a high point over the last few years on CEO transitions at community colleges, with the appointments of 144 veteran and first-time CEOs. In the same year, there were 60 CEO retirements and another 59 CEOs were no longer in a community college CEO position.
AACC’s “The State of Community College Leadership: 2023” report analyzes data from the association’s membership database and from the American Council on Education’s recent American College Presidents Survey to determine trends among CEOs and what professional development and supports leaders may need. In addition to CEO transitions, the AACC report examined other aspects such as CEO demographics, including race/ethnicity and gender, pathways to the presidency, CEO education and more.
Transition trends
Until the 2016-17 academic year, the CEO transition rate was increasing. Since then it has steadily dropped, down to 8.3% in 2021-22 and 8.8% in 2022-23. The report notes that the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020 prompted a number of CEOs with plans to retire to postpone them and help their institutions through the crisis. But data show that CEO transitions may be increasing again, as more baby boomer and Gen X CEOs retire, and younger leaders assume the top posts.
“Looking at age data alone, we could begin to see more transitions happening in 2026 due to individuals in the 65-or-older age group deciding to retire,” especially as they reach age 67 to acquire full Social Security and other benefits, the report says.
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AACC analysis of ACE survey data shows one-fifth of participating CEOs said they are likely to retire within a year or two. Another 16.5% said that will probably happen in three to five years. That’s more than one-third of CEOs indicating they will retire within five years.
A further dive into the data shows more of those CEOs will be women. More than 22% of female community college CEOs think they will retire within the next two years, compared to 18% of male CEOs. And roughly one in five (19%) female CEOs are considering retirement within three to five years, compared to 15% of men. The AACC report notes this is likely because female CEOs are older (58.4 years old), on average, than male CEOs (57.4 years old), and are more likely to retire sooner than their male counterparts.
About 35% of men CEOs are age 60 or older (16% are 65 or older), compared to 33% of women CEOs (12% are 65 or older).
Tenure concerns
AACC also examined the tenure of community college CEOs. Based on AACC data from 2013 to 2023, it found that the average presidential tenure of all community college CEOs who transitioned out of that role at a particular college during that time was about nine years, with a median tenure of 7.5 years. For CEOs who transitioned January 1, 2020 or later, the figures were a little lower, averaging 8.4 years with a median of 6.8 years.
That’s a slight concern as two-year college presidents and chancellors noted for their student outcomes and innovations typically cite that it takes close to 10 years to change an institution, the report says.
“To date, CEO tenure is moving in the wrong direction,” it says.
Looking ahead
The report also provides thoughts on what future leaders will need and how boards of trustees can support them. For example, leadership development that provides hands-on experiences allowing leaders to deal with the complexities CEOs now face is “paramount.” Among those challenges is increased political divisiveness that’s increasingly interfering with community colleges’ missions and goals.
“Teaching CEOs how to continue to push forward in upholding community college ideals is important even in the face of adversity so that the progress made in the sector to ensure economic mobility for all continues moving ahead,” it says, adding that boards of trustees “must provide unwavering support to the CEO in upholding the mission, vision and values of the community college.”
Another emerging hurdle for community college CEOs is the “weaponizing” of no-confidence votes, which are being used to confront how leaders address challenges in business operations, the report says.
“In the last couple of months, we have seen No Confidence votes that have created trauma for CEOs who have tried to advance the goals approved by the district CEOs and/or boards of trustees. These leaders have decided to exit the profession,” the report says. “Boards of trustees must be cognizant of the requests that they are leveling at CEOs and the support that is required for them to be successful.”
