HBCU Leaders Find Support Among Peers at Harvard

For dozens of higher education institutions around the country, a new academic year marks the start of a new era of leadership. Stepping into the role of president at a college or university for the first time can be an overwhelming experience, as the ever-evolving academic landscape brings with it a wide array of challenges.

Since 1990, the Harvard Graduate School of Education has helped more than 1,500 new college and university presidents prepare for their new positions as part of the Harvard Seminar For New Presidents. Each year, the program brings a cohort of college and university presidents to Appian Way to provide the support of expert faculty and a community of peers for their first year in a challenging new role.

“One of the conversations taking place throughout the Seminar is institutional fragility” says Harvard Seminar for New Presidents faculty chair Judith McLaughlin. “Private colleges of all kinds — HBCUs, Catholic colleges, and independent colleges — are experiencing enrollment challenges, financial challenges, and accreditation challenges. Public colleges and universities, similarly, are feeling the effects of decreased government funding, heightened demands for institutional services, and increased calls for intervention into institutional policies and practices. And those institutions whose financial situation is more secure are confronting campus turbulence from students, faculty, and alumni who are deeply divided over global and national issues. Quite simply, it is not an easy time to begin a presidency."

This summer the program welcomed 55 higher education leaders, including 11 new presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — the first time such a large group of HBCU presidents has taken part in the program at the same time.

“It’s been a wonderful experience,” says Christopher Davis, president of LeMoyne-Owen College, an HBCU in Memphis, Tennessee. “HBCUs are a unique demographic. And even though we are all college presidents, I think our challenges, as well as our opportunities, are a bit different. So I think what I’ve been most excited about is the number of HBCU presidents here. Not only getting an opportunity to see them but [also] to introduce what we do and introduce our institutions to others who may not be as familiar with our work and with our story.”

Many of the cohort spoke about the “cone of silence” the seminar creates, a confidential atmosphere where presidents can discuss challenges freely and with a discretion many leaders have difficulty finding on their home campus.

“When you’re a college president, you have no peer on your campus,” says Chris Rey, who became Barber-Scotia’s president last July. “That’s a challenge, and one of the keys to being successful in those roles is making sure that you have a network of presidents that you can reach out to.”

Over the six days of the program, speakers discussed how to handle challenges in fundraising, financial management, and the needs and pressures from boards of trustees and other higher education challenges.

“One of the things that’s super exciting is we have a diverse set of institutions in terms of size, institutional type, and geography. What that means is there’s an incredible interchange of experiences that we are all bringing to the table,” says Ben Vinson III, president of Howard University. “I think everyone who is participating in the program is feeling not just a sense of camaraderie, but kind of an exponential growth in terms of some of the topics that are presented.”

Rey noted the seminar is an example of Harvard — as well as HBCUs — further investing in different ways to address the “inequity” still found by people of color in higher education across the country.

“It’s important because every child cannot come to Harvard. And every child cannot come to a Barber-Scotia. But how amazing and better are institutions when we are able to work together so that you have multiple institutions that are better for an individual to attend?” says Rey. “Harvard’s investment in multiple institutions, specifically HBCUs, has shown their commitment to making sure the playing field has been leveled.”

McLaughlin says the program’s cohort is slightly different each year, but the 35th has offered unique lessons for everyone attending.

“I think what’s special about having all of the HBCUs in the group is that they remind the rest of American higher education of their special heritage,” says McLaughlin. “They add important ideas to the conversation.”

McLaughlin noted the overall diversity of the cohort’s presidents, which includes four military service academies and seven Catholic colleges, along with a wide array of other public and private institutions. Many presidents, particularly those at HBCUs and other smaller institutions, will oftentimes face existential challenges during their tenures, she says. 

“For some of these HBCU presidents, their hope is to really write an important new chapter in the institution’s viability,” McLaughlin says. “One president years ago said to me I’m either going to be this institution’s best president or its last, and I think for some of these HBCUs there’s that sense that that could be the case.”

Several presidents — some of whom took part through HGSE and the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative's new partnership with Clark Atlanta University — noted that, while every higher education institution is unique, the challenges a president may face often has precedent. Sharing information, including tough lessons already learned by some, can make a big difference for leaders early in their tenure.

“HBCU presidents have had a very short tenure in recent years,” notes Said Sewell, president of Morris College. “I think it’s good for us to come together and learn some best practices that are being used throughout the landscape of higher education, but also to see some of the issues that we deal with are very much reflective of other schools that are not HBCUs. There are similar challenges with other smaller institutions. We’re not alone, struggling in this world by ourselves.”