Full text of "ERIC EJ1139333: Interim Administrators in Higher Education: A National Study"

See other formats

Interim Administrators in Higher Education:
A National Study

Marie Thielke Huff, Ph.D, M.S.W.

Dean of the College of Health and Human Services

Bowling Green State University
100 Health and Human Services Building
Bowling Green, Ohio

Judy Neubrander, Ed.D., R.N.

Director of the School of Nursing
336 Health & Human Sciences Building
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

ABSTRACT

The focus of this paper is on the roles and experiences of interim administrators in higher education. A survey was
given to current and recent interim administrators in four-year public universities and colleges across the United
States. The goals were to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using and serving as interims, and to solicit
advicefor institutions and individuals who are considering the interim role. Results ofthe study indicate that partici¬
pants believe there are clear advantages to serving as an interim, such as gaining new skills and a broader perspective
of the academic community, but there are also disadvantages, such as a loss ofscholarship time and loss of colleague
relationships. This paper offers guidance for potential interims andfor the institutions where they are employed, as
well as recommendations for future research.

INTRODUCTION

As the saying goes, “There is nothing permanent except
change.” In the world of academia, change is a constant
and with that change comes the need for interim leader¬
ship. Interims by definition are individuals who serve in
a position on a temporary basis. Faculty agree to take on
the interim administrative role for a number of different
reasons, and the experiences of the interim are as diverse
as the number of roles they fill. The focus of this paper is
on the roles and experiences of interim administrators in
higher education. A survey was given to current and re¬
cent interim administrators in four-year public universi¬
ties and colleges across the United States. The goal of the
survey was to identify the advantages and disadvantages
of using and serving as interims, and to provide advice for
institutions and individuals who are considering the in¬
terim role.

LITERATURE REVIEW

There is a dearth of research and scholarly articles in the
professional literature regarding the selection and imple¬
mentation of interim administrators in higher education.
Although most of the published articles found on this

topic were anecdotal and described the experiences of one
or two individuals who served as interims, a number of
themes emerged. First, many of the authors delineated
the advantages and disadvantages for individuals who are
serving as interims, as well as benefits and drawbacks for
the department or institution using interim administra¬
tors (Huff & Neubrander, 2012; Munde, 2000). Most
of the articles also provide tips for new interims (Rud,
2004; Powers & Maghroori, 2006) as well as advice for
the institution seeking to hire a temporary administra¬
tor (Thompson, Cooper & Ebbers, 2012; Barbieri, 2005).
All of the articles found in the literature focused on the
qualitative experiences of one or more individuals who
had served as interim academic administrators, including
chairs, deans, provosts and presidents.

While individuals are frequently asked to accept an in¬
terim position with little notice or experience, some ad¬
vantages for individuals who agree to serve in this capacity
include being able to “try out” the job and gain valuable
experience before deciding whether or not to apply for the
permanent administrative position (Huft & Neubrander,
2012; Rud, 2004). Administrative experience attained
as an interim can also help to prepare individuals who
choose to apply for future administrative positions. In

Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education

Marie Thielke Huff & Judv Neubrander

Interim Administrators in Higher Education: A National Study

addition, serving in a leadership role provides individuals
with a new perspective as they begin to view the university
structure through a broader lens than was available with¬
in their previous roles (Huft & Neubrander, 2012; Rud,
2004). Rud (2004) suggests that once individuals serve
in an interim chair’s role, they learn to be less judgmental
and more appreciative of the chair’s role when they return
to faculty. Advantage identified for institutions that hire
interims is that it allows others to observe the individu¬
als in these roles before hiring them into the permanent
position (Vaillancourt, 2012; Rud 2004), it gives the
university more time to conduct a thorough search (Bar-
bieri, 2005) and provides the university with some salary
savings as they conduct the search (Huft & Neubrander,
2012 ).

There are also numerous disadvantages for interim ad¬
ministrators cited in the literature. For example, some¬
times individuals are called upon to perform a wide range
of administrative functions without managerial training
or experience (Powers & Maghroori, 2006). Vaillan¬
court (2012) argues that too often “interims are treated
like interims” and are not perceived as being qualified
enough to be appointed to the permanent role. In addi¬
tion, interims are expected to make effective decisions
that have both short and long-term implications for the
academic unit without the luxury of having the time to
build trust or long-term relationships with the faculty
and staff. While interims will inevitably make mistakes,
they may never have the chance to correct their mistakes
or show the faculty and staff that they have learned from
this experience because they are only in the position for a
short time (Munde, 2000). Barbieri (2005) suggests that
interims have a “short honeymoon period” because they
are forced to work fast to get the job done. When describ¬
ing her experiences as an interim, Vaillancourt (2012) dis¬
cusses what she calls the “perils of interim appointments”.
She argues that a major disadvantage for the interim who
wants to be considered for the permanent position is the
temptation to avoid making controversial decisions be¬
cause of the fear of how those choices will be perceived
by those individuals who have influence over the hiring
process. Having a policy that prevents the interim from
applying for the permanent position or hiring interims
from a professional firm are two alternative ways to ad¬
dress this potential conflict of interest (Munde, 2000).
Anyaso (2009) discusses the use of former administrators
who are able to “hit the ground running” since they have
a good understanding of the position. Because these indi¬
viduals would not be applying for the permanent position,
the institution is free to conduct a cleaner search and the
interim can focus on helping the institution prepare for
their new leadership.

Munde (2000) describes the interim job responsibilities as
being consumed by the routine tasks of leadership, which
can be less rewarding than making and implementing
long-term, strategic changes. He states that “leading in
limbo is the hallmark of the interim experience.” In addi¬
tion, faculty and staff who are not in agreement with the
interim’s vision may be content to “wait them out” until
a permanent administrator is hired while others may see
this as an opportunity to quickly push their own agen¬
das through the system (Huft & Neubrander, 2012; Rud,
2004; Munde, 2000).

The literature provides tips for new interim administra¬
tors based on the challenges experienced or observed by
the authors. For example, several articles advise interims
to focus on moving the institution forward and to fulfill
their job roles as if they are in the permanent position
(Thompson, Cooper Ebbers, 2012; Huft & Neubrander,
2012; Powers, & Maghroori, 2006; Barbieri, 2005; Rud,
2004). Simply serving as a placeholder administrator is
rarely an option since interims are expected to make im¬
portant decisions and strategic hires that will have both
long and short-term consequences for their departments.
Some of the responsibilities of the interim are directly re¬
lated to their predecessors and the unpopular decisions
that were made prior to them entering the interim posi¬
tion (Thompson, Cooper & Ebbers, 2012; Warner, 2009).
In these situations interim administrators are advised to
use this opportunity to help mend internal and external
relationships and to facilitate healing among the unit’s
faculty and staff. In their qualitative study of two interim
presidents, Thompson, Cooper and Ebbers (2012) identi¬
fied some common themes related to repairing poor in¬
stitutional morale caused by the previous administrators.
The authors suggest that interims should promote open¬
ness and transparency and seek the counsel of key stake¬
holders as they attempt to build cohesion and trust among
the staff. Similarly, Rud (2000) states interims should
consider setting up regular faculty conversations to “give
the impression of stability among change.” Powers and
Maghroori (2006) advise that it is important to remem¬
ber that socializing is part of the job and they encourage
interims to spend time visiting faculty in their offices to
build relationships and encourage open communication.

The literature also provides some personal advice to inter¬
ims and other aspiring administrators. For example, the
importance of being open to criticism and avoiding tak¬
ing things personally was suggested by several of the au¬
thors (Huft & Neubrander, 2012; Warner, 2009; Powers
& Maghroori, 2006). Barbieri, (2005) posits that being an
interim demands a “healthy dose of humility” because it
is so easy to get hurt feelings when one is reminded of the
search committee’s ongoing efforts to find a suitable re¬
placement. Interims sometimes hear some negative com¬

ments about their performance as a leader or previous de¬
cisions when they return to their original position (Rud,
2004). When this happens it is helpful to remember two
pieces of sage advice. First, as an interim you should “leave
your heart at the door” and not take criticism personally
and second, remember this is the job you signed up for
and be ready to move on when your services are no longer
needed (Huft & Neubrander, 2012; Barbieri, 2005).

METHOD

To find participants for this study a modified systematic
sampling approach was conducted. After the research¬
ers obtained a list of all four-year public universities and
colleges in the United States, approximately every tenth
school was selected while also ensuring that every state was
represented. A graduate assistant was assigned to call ad¬
ministrative assistants at those schools and/or to explore
their web sites to ascertain the names of interim academic
administrators at the selected institutions. A total of 201
emails were sent to potential participants asking them to
complete the survey in fall of 2013, with one email re¬
minder sent out three days later. The purpose of the study
and an informed consent was included in the email. Nine
emails “bounced back” and 99 (51%) of individuals who
received the email completed the online survey.

The survey questions were developed after the researchers
conducted a small qualitative study of interim academic
administrators in 2011. The survey focused on the per¬
ceived advantages and disadvantages of interim adminis¬
trators and for the department or unit where s/he was em¬
ployed. Other questions solicited advice for new interims
while additional sections highlighted policy issues related
to the hiring of interim administrators at their institu¬
tions. The information collected through this study can
benefit individuals who are considering an interim role
and will enable institutions to use interim academic ad-
ministators more effectively as they develop more fair and
consistent policies.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants were employed in a variety of adminis¬
trative roles, with 39% serving as interim dean, 26% as
interim department head/chair and 11% as interrim pro¬
vost. Other interim positon titles included associate pro¬
vost, associate dean, director and chancellor. The major¬
ity (78%) of participants stated they were recruited and/
or asked to take on this role by higher administration,
while 20% said they were in an assistant or associate posi¬
tion when they stepped into the interim role. The average
length of time that participants served in the interim role
at the time of the study ranged from six months to one

Spring 2015 (Volume 11 Issue 1)

year (39%) while 43% stated they were in the interim posi¬
tion for over a year.

When asked what happened to their predecessors the par¬
ticipants gave a range of responses. Twenty-one percent
stated that their predecessors left their university for an¬
other job, 20% reported that they had retired or resigned
in good standing, 19% stated they were fired or asked to
step down from the position and 16% stated their prede¬
cessors were promoted within the university. When asked
if they plan to apply for the permanent position, 51% of
the respondents said they were not applying while 11%
said they had already applied. An additional 21% stated
they were planning to apply and 25% indicated they were
unsure as to whether or not they would apply for the per¬
manent role.

RESULTS

Policy Issues

Few of the schools involved in this study have definitive
policies related to the hiring of interim administrators.
Only 31% of respondents said their schools had policies
regarding the salaries provided to interim administra¬
tors and a small percentage (18%) said they had policies
or guidelines related to the length of time one can serve
in an interim role. There is also an absence of policies as
to whether or not an individual serving in an interim role
is allowed to apply for the permanent position, with 83%
of respondents stating there was no policy to address this
issue at their institution. When asked if their university
tends to hire “internal” candidates into administrative
positions, 67% of the respondents reported that those
decisions tend to vary between positions, and only 9% of
respondents indicated that this tendency had any influ¬
ence over their decision whether or not to apply for the
position. There also seems to be a lack of clarity relating
to the terms “acting” and “interim” and only 9% of the
participants said their institution distinguishes between
the titles of “acting” versus “interim” administrative titles.

Disadvantages of Being in an Interim Role

Participants were asked about some of the challenges or
disadvantages they faced while serving in an interim role
(see Table 1). Many (60%) of the participants agreed that
being in an interim position limits one’s ability to do long¬
term strategic planning while about a third (34%) dis¬
agreed. Just over half (57%) of the participants indicated
that it is a disadvantage when faculty/staff view interims
as “temporary” while 21% disagreed with this statement.
A majority (66%) of participants agreed that a disadvan¬
tage for individuals serving in an interim role is having to

Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education

Marie Thielke Huff & Judv Neubrander

Table 1

Disadvantages of Being in an Interim Role **

A challenge or disadvantage of being in an interim role is...

Faculty/stafi tend to view you as “temporary.”

Faculty/staff seem to lack confidence in your ability to do the job.

It limits your ability to do long-term strategic planning.

Your concern that making tough decisions might negatively affect sup¬
port for you being selected the permanent position.

Faculty/staff are choosing to “wait you out” until you leave.

You make less money than you would in the “permanent” position.

Higher administration (e.g. Chancellor or President/Provost) does not
acknowledge you as the “leader” of your unit.

It is difficult to build community relationships as an interim.

It is difficult to begin and follow through with initiatives to raise money
because you are in an interim position.

Returning to a position with individuals whom you previously super¬
vised.

Having to put one’s own professional goals or scholarship on hold.

** Percentage of Respondents who selected strongly agree (SA), agree (A), neutral (N), disagree (D) or strongly
disagree (SD)

put one’s professional or scholarship goals on hold. While
the participants did not seem as strongly concerned that
there about the potential disadvantages for faculty and
staff who are working under an interim administrator (see
Table 2), 52% agreed that there is a sense of anxiety related
to perceived instability of the unit among the faculty and
staff when there is an interim administrator in place.

An analysis of the narrative comments yielded some inter¬
esting themes related to the disadvantages for interim ad¬
ministrators. Several respondents described the extensive
amount of work required for the interim while receiving

only a minimal pay increase. For example, some of the re¬
spondents commented on how their workload increased
because they were expected to continue to meet their pre¬
vious job responsibilities while also taking on new admin¬
istrative duties. One individual wrote that “it was a huge
amount of work for no sustained appointment.” Others
noted that their relationships with colleagues changed and
this was seen as a loss. One respondent stated, “the biggest
surprise was the change in attitude toward me by people I
considered colleagues and friends. I also saw a very differ¬
ent side to people in the way they treated others.” Another

Table 2

Disadvantages for Faculty/Staff/Department **

A Disadvantage for faculty, staff, or departments who are working with an
interim administrator is...

There is a sense of anxiety related to instability among the faculty/staff.

Programs cannot move forward with their own initiatives.

There is a lack of leadership within the department/unit.

There is perception that there is a lack of commitment to the depart¬
ment/unit from the interim administrators.

It contributes to low faculty/staff morale.

** Percentage of Respondents who selected strongly agree (SA), agree (A), neutral (N), disagree (D) or strongly
disagree (SD)

Spring 2015 (Volume 11 Issue 1)

Interim Administrators in Higher Education: A National Study

challenge identified by respondents was the difficulty of
working with a predecessor who is still employed at the
institution and is unable to give up full control of the posi¬
tion. One respondent commented that it was a challenge
because of the “inability of the person who formally held
the job and is still on campus to ‘give up the reins.’” Last,
respondents commented on the disadvantages associated
with beginning a job with little training or preparation
and/or with little institutional support, along with the
perception that one is seen as “good enough to be interim
but not good enough to be permanent.”

Advantages of Being in an Interim Role

Participants were asked several questions about the advan¬
tages of being in an interim role (see Table 3). Fifty-seven
percent of respondents agreed that having an interim ad¬
ministrator allows for difficult decisions and changes to
be made without compromising new long-term depart¬
mental leadership and 67% agreed that interims have the

advantage of being able to resolve long standing issues
before a permanent administrator is hired or begins. A
large majority of respondents (81%) agreed that serving
as an interim gives one an opportunity to “try out” the
job before applying for it and 94% agreed that being in
an interim roles gives one a broader university perspective
and understanding regarding the politics of conducting
university business.

The participants were also questioned about the advan¬
tages for the faculty and staff who work with an interim
administrator (Table 4). The majority (92%) of respon¬
dents agreed that having an opportunity to observe the in¬
terim’s leadership style and abilities was an advantage for
the individuals who work with them. Most (89%) agreed
that another advantage is that they are able to work with
someone they already know and with whom they have a
relationship. The majority (73%) also agreed that an ad¬
ditional advantage of using interims is that it give the
institution more time to conduct a thorough job search

Table 3

Advantages of Being in an Interim Role **

An ADVANTAGE of being in an interim role is...

...difficult decisions and changes can be made without compromising
new long-term departmental leadership

...you are able to resolve long standing issues before permanent adminis¬
trator is hired or begins.

...it gives you an opportunity to “try out” the job before applying for it.

...you are able to make more money than in your previous position.

...gives you a broader university perspective and understanding regarding
the politics of conducting university business.

** Percentage of Respondents who selected strongly agree (SA), agree (A), neutral (N), disagree (D) or strongly dis¬
agree (SD)

Table 4

Advantages for Faculty/Staff/Department **

An ADVANTAGE for faculty/staff/departments who are working with an
interim administrator is...

...it gives faculty/staff an opportunity to observe the interim’s leadership
style/abilities.

...the faculty/staff already “know” the person in the interim role and/or
have a relationship with that person.

...it gives the institution more time to perform a thorough job search
while providing the university with some salary savings.

...it provides stability and continuity within the department/unit.

** Percentage of Respondents who selected strongly agree (SA), agree (A), neutral (N), disagree (D) or strongly dis¬
agree (SD)

Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education

Marie Thielke Huff & Judv Neubrander

Interim Administrators in Higher Education: A National Study

while providing the university with some salary savings.
Last, the most participants agreed (77%) that having an
interim administrator provides stability and continuity
within the department or unit.

The narrative comments concerning the advantages for
the interim focused on the unique opportunity to try
out the job. Skills acquired in the new position were seen
as a great advantage along with exposure to a variety of
administrators and deans. Several respondents indicated
that serving in an interim role helps to prepare individuals
for future administrative positions and gives them a dif¬
ferent university perspective. One respondent commented
that having an interim in place gives the institution “time
to conduct a proper search while providing a nice transi¬
tion from the old leadership to the new”.

Advice for the Interim

Respondents were asked an open-ended question about
what advice they might give someone who is considering
taking on an interim administrative role. The most fre¬
quent advice given was to focus on the job “as if you are
not an interim”. One respondent stated, “act like you have
the permanent job and make decisions for the long term
and in the best interest of the organization.” New interims
were advised to have a frank discussion with their college
administrators regarding the job responsibilities, the in¬
terim salary and what will happen when the interim job is
over. They advised that individuals need to ask themselves
if this is a good lit for them in the long run and be ready to
give up time that is normally spent focusing on one’s own
scholarship. Many of the respondents commented that
serving in an interim role can be a great learning experi¬
ence for the individual who is interested in applying for a
future administrative position.

DISCUSSION

Taking on the role of an interim can be both an enriching
and a disheartening experience influenced by a number of
factors, including the circumstances that resulted in the
need for an interim in the first place. For example, was is a
planned exit where the predecessor left in good standing,
or was it a sudden exit caused by an extreme event such as
a firing, illness, death or a scandal? Was the predecessor a
respected administrator who left the unit in good shape,
or was s/he a poor manager who was reviled by the fac¬
ulty and staff? The extreme circumstances can result in an
extra layer of work for interims. Not only do they have
to learn on the job, but they have to potentially deal with
grief or mistrust by the faculty and staff as they work to
repair broken relationships and build cohesion and trust
within the unit. The circumstances under which an in¬

terim takes over are significant and should be taken into
consideration as one decides whether or not to take on the
interim role.

It is advisable for potential interims to ask for expectations
in writing such as salary, length of position, option to ap¬
ply for the permanent position and details about how/if
they might return to their previous position. All these
particulars should be determined prior to taking the posi¬
tion. Individuals who neglect to attend to these details at
the beginning of their term risk serving in the interim role
for an extended period of time with a lower salary than is
desirable, while putting one’s own professional goals and
scholarship on hold.

Individuals should decide if the opportunity to serve as
an interim is a good fit for them depending where they
are in their own career path. Becoming an interim takes
a new mindset, and they have to function like they are in
a permanent role while also keeping in mind that their
days in this position are limited. Paradoxically, higher
administration often expects interims to function as if
they are the permanent administrator. For example, they
may be charged with working with faculty on unit strate¬
gic plans knowing they are unlikely to be around to help
implement it. Successful interims somehow find a way to
balance these expectations while making the tough deci¬
sions, thinking long-term and implementing the job as
if they are in the permanent role. In doing so, interims
should know they also risk being unpopular and losing
friendships among their colleagues. They also learn new
perspectives related to the university structure and gain
valuable skills as they prove to themselves and others that
they can do the job effectively. They leave the position and
the college/unit better than they found it.

The results of the survey suggest that the interim position
can be a big advantage to both the faculty member and
to the university. It give both parties the chance to “test
drive” the relationship without a long-term commitment.
One should keep in mind that being an interim has its
own unique challenges, including having to do the job in
a short, time-limited period without the luxury of having
time to nurture collegial relationships and build rapport.
Also, every decision and mistake will be closely monitored
by the unit faculty and staff which can put them some¬
what at a disadvantage if they are being compared to ex¬
ternal candidates who are also applying for the position. It
can also be awkward as they go through the interviewing
process. They should expect fewer people to show up for
their presentation or open interviews than would come to
meet with an external candidate who is not known to the
faculty or staff'.

LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
FUTURE RESEARCH

A limitation of all survey research is the risk that those
who had a very positive or negative experience may have
decided not to participate in the study. In addition, some
potential respondents may not have received the survey
because they had left the position or the university before
receiving the email request to participate in the study.
There were also a number of questions that were not ad¬
dressed in the survey and some potential questions for fu¬
ture research are outlined below.

► What percentage of interim administrators
choose to resign if they are not selected for the
permanent position, and what is the long-term
impact on the university?

► What impact does gender and ethnicity have
on the selection of interims, their salaries and
whether or not one is selected for the permanent
position?

► What percentage of universities have specific poli¬
cies related to the use of interim administrators,
and how do these policies affect the individual
interim and the institution?

► At the end of the interim experience, whether or
not one is selected as the successful candidate, it is
helpful to remember that this is what you signed
up for. It is important to effectively manage and
make decisions that have long term impact on the
unit, interims must also make personal prepara¬
tions for the position to end. One of the partici¬
pants of this study summed up the feelings of
many of the respondents by stating, “the experi¬
ence was tough but rewarding. And I am glad it is
over.”

REFERENCES

Anyaso, H. H. (2009). Interim expertise. Diverse Issues in
Higher Education. 26(20). 14-15.

Barbieri, R. (2005). Experience of an interim. Indepen¬
dent School Magazine, 64(2) 68-75.

Huff, M. T. & Neubrander, J. (2012, August). Navigating
the interim role and avoiding the traps and pitfalls. The
Department Chair, 23(1). doi: 10.1002/dch

Munde, G. (2000). My year as an interim: Six things I
learned for free. College and Research Library News,

51(5). 416-419.

Spring 2015 (Volume 11 Issue 1)

Powers, C. & Maghroori, R. (June 9, 2006). The acciden¬
tal administrator. Chronicle of Higher Education. C2-
C9.

Rud, A. (2004). The interim chair: Special challenges and
opportunities. New Directions for Higher Education,
126. 45-54. doi: 10.1002/he.l47

Thompson, M., Cooper, R. & Ebbers, L. (2012) Presiden¬
tial transition: The experience of two college interim
presidents. Community College Journal of Research and
Practice, 36, 300-309. doi:10.1080/10668926.2012.63
7869

Vaillancourt, A. (January 13, 2012). The perils of interim
appointments. Chronicle of Higher Education, 58(19).
pA25-A25.

Warner, J.R. (May 8, 2009). When the dean dies. Chroni¬
cle of Higher Education. A37-A39.

Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education