The community college president as educational leader

The community college president is the educational leader of the institution. The purpose of this research was to produce a descriptive study that recommended a definition and profile of characteristics exemplified in the community college president who fulfills the role of educational leader with responsibility for managing the institution, interpreting and communicating the college mission, and creating a climate of support. The study incorporated characteristics associated with role fulfillment in the age of technology and analyzed the importance assigned to the role of educational leader.; A random sample of 272 presidents, superintendents, and chancellors of public two-year community colleges, whose colleges were members of the American Association of Community Colleges, were surveyed using a ninety-two item researcher developed survey instrument. Community college presidents indicated the extent to which they believed a series of statements to be representative of their behavior as an educational leader. The response rate was 78.1% (200 out of 256).; The findings of the study revealed that community college presidents encompass all areas of leadership responsibility to define and fulfill their role as educational leader. The study (1) recommended a definition of the community college president as an educational leader that encompasses the three primary areas of leadership: managing the institution, interpreting and communicating the college mission, and creating the campus climate; (2) recommended a profile of characteristics exemplified by the community college president who fulfills the role of educational leader in each of these leadership areas; and (3) found that community college presidents assign priority to fulfilling the characteristics associated with the role of educational leader. Characteristics assigned a low priority were associated with the president's own scholarship. The community college president perceives the role of educational leader from an applied perspective.; This research represented the first comprehensive study of the community college president as an educational leader. Recommendations for practitioners identified applied uses for the research, while recommendations for future research proposed that this study serve as the foundation for research that examines the role of the community college president as educational leader with greater depth and breadth.