A Phenomenological Study of Private Liberal Arts College Presidents' Leadership Experiences throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Minimal research has explored the leadership experiences of private liberal arts college presidents. The work of a college president is much more challenging and complex than at any time in our modern era. A literature review defined the college president's complex role and the importance of their leadership performance to support institutional effectiveness. Yet, there has been dismal inquiry regarding leadership experiences, perceived challenges, leadership skills, and professional experiences, to support the role of the contemporary college president in the 21st century. Focusing on small private liberal arts colleges throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, this qualitative phenomenological study sought to answer the following: How do private liberal arts college presidents perceive and describe their leadership experience? This phenomenological study was conducted with N = 10 presidents (served in their role for at least 1 year), N = 1 semi-structured interview and interview notes. Colaizzi's distinctive 7-step process was used to rigorously analyze the data. Five themes arose from this iterative, qualitative analysis: (a) perceived challenges of a college president, (b) critical experiences for college presidents, (c) impactful factors on leadership, (d) critical leadership skills for college presidents, and (e) leadership experiences of a college president. Each theme encompassed several subthemes and codes. As more private liberal arts college presidents retire, collecting information about their leadership experiences and challenges will contribute to the contemporary higher education landscape by enhancing workforce education and improving understanding of the complex and unique role of college presidents at private liberal arts colleges in the 21st century. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]