Changing Times, Complex Decisions: Presidential Values and Decision Making

Objective: The objective of this article is to delve more deeply into the thought processes of the key decision makers at community colleges and understand how they make decisions. Specifically, this article focuses on the role of the community college president’s personal values in decision making. Method: We conducted interviews with 13 community college presidents in one midwestern state. The participants represented approximately half of the presidents in a state with a very high rate of unemployment, large governmental deficit, and a decreasing population. Results: We found that community college presidents presented a wide range of approaches to decision making. The most significant influences on presidential decision making stemmed from each president’s personal approach to decision making and the impact on the college they led. Contributions: This study contributes to the scholarship on community college leadership and to the literature on the preparation of future community college leaders.