Copyright by Charlotte A. Sullivan 2002 This Dissertation Committee for Charlotte Ann Sullivan Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Presidential Leadership: A Documentation of the Defining Issues Confronted by Presidents of The University of Texas at Austin from 1967 to 1997 Committee: James P. Duncan, Supervisor William F. Lasher Norvell W. Northcutt Michael P. Thomas, Jr. Patricia Witherspoon Presidential Leadership: A Documentation of the Defining Issues Confronted by Presidents of The University of Texas at Austin from 1967 to 1997 by Charlotte Ann Sullivan, B. S., M.A.Comm., M.Div.B.L. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August 2002 Dedication To my Dad, Robert S. Sullivan (1932 – 2001), who taught me the value of hard work and determination, tempered by a great sense of humor and a genuine concern for others. Acknowledgements Initially, my interest in the issues encountered by university presidents developed after witnessing three troubled presidencies while obtaining my second Master’s degree and teaching as an adjunct instructor. In one case, the president was unceremoniously fired. In a second case, the faculty took a vote of “no confidence” in the institution’s president and provost, while the third institution’s faculty voted no confidence in the “administration.” As a graduate student and junior faculty member, I became acutely aware that institutions of higher education can not effectively carry out their primary mission of transforming the lives of students through education if the position of chief executive officer is in peril. For that reason, this treatise seeks to assist institutional leaders in better understanding the demands placed on them by their unique leadership position. It is my hope that such understanding will contribute to the awareness of the difficulties these individuals face and demonstrate the fortitude necessary to meet the challenges of leadership. Working on this dissertation has proven to be a rich and rewarding experience thanks to the many individuals associated with this study. I am indebted to Norman Hackerman, Lorene Rogers, Peter T. Flawn, William H. Cunningham, Robert M. Berdahl, Robert Mettlen, Don Zacharias, Ronald Brown and William S. Livingston, who allowed me to interview them and glean information from their vast experience. Also, to the late Stephen H. Spurr, who provided his own presidential insights through contributions to the literature of v higher education. The chance to collect first hand accounts from these individuals proved to be an invaluable opportunity. Special thanks also go to the folks at the Center for American History, the Office of Public Relations, Office of General Faculty and the Texas Ex-Students’ Association. Their assistance contributed to my efforts in collecting the historical documents utilized in the study. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to my dissertation supervisor, James P. Duncan, whose class in Executive Leadership provided the foundation for this study. His collegiality, patience, counsel and sense of humor helped me throughout the process. Without his support and encouragement, this work would be a hollow achievement. To the diligent members of my dissertation committee – William F. Lasher, Norvell W. Northcutt, Michael P. Thomas, Jr. and Patricia Witherspoon – I would like to express my gratitude for their willingness to lend their expertise and guidance. Collectively and individually, they provided a constant source of stimulation and support. Dr. V. Ray Cardozier also provided careful and critical readings of select portions of this manuscript. I owe gratitude to many individuals who helped me persevere during this time. Numerous friends endured my wandering thoughts and supplied intermittent diversions, reminding me that life is to be cherished and enjoyed: Carrie Beaird, Alaine McAfee, Jim Morris and Buddy Walker. Support also came from folks at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Many thanks to the founding members of the Mariä-und Christi-Himmelfahrtsverein des Guten- vi Hirtesgemeinde, who romanticized the notion of writing a dissertation to such an extent that I believed it myself. Most notably, I am grateful to my family. Billy and Barbara Vaughn constantly expressed their faith in me, while my brother, Michael Sullivan, and his family supplied holiday amusement and concern. My greatest support came from my mother, Shirley J. Sullivan. From an early age, she taught me to love reading and writing and instilled in me an insatiable curiosity about the world. vii Presidential Leadership: A Documentation of the Defining Issues Confronted by Presidents of The University of Texas at Austin from 1967 to 1997 Publication No._____________ Charlotte Ann Sullivan, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2002 Supervisor: James P. Duncan American colleges and universities represent the most diverse system of higher education in the world. Institutions vary in many dimensions and managing a single institution of higher education with all of its complexities requires considerable energy and training. Demands upon institutional leaders are numerous, as campus constituents require constant attention. In working with these individuals and groups, a wide-range of issues is encountered. The university president, as the institution’s chief executive officer, is usually the central figure around which such issues revolve and the one held accountable by constituents to fulfill the institution’s mission. Therefore, this study examined viii issues encountered by university presidents in order to provide insight into the complexities associated with this position. Specifically, a case study was conducted investigating the issues faced by presidents of The University of Texas at Austin (UT) between 1967 and 1997. UT is a large public, research intensive institution located in close proximity to the Texas Capitol, the center of legislative activity, and serves as the flagship of The University of Texas System, the state’s largest and most complex higher education system. These elements add to the complicated nature of the UT president’s responsibilities. The researcher used six general issue themes – governance, finance, academics, student life, legal actions and significant incidents – identified at the national level during the same time period as a guiding framework to perform the document analysis. The primary document chosen for analysis was The Daily Texan, the student newspaper. Supplemental sources were also consulted: the Alcalde (the UT alumni magazine), University Council minutes, presidential addresses to the General Faculty and “state of the university” speeches or both, as well as archived information (articles, speeches, press releases, letters of correspondence) found in the UT Office of Public Affairs. In all, approximately 6,700 documents were analyzed. The specific issues identified provided the basic framework for interviewing the former UT ix presidents or members of their cabinet in order to record their perceptions related to the issues pertinent to their time in office. x Table of Contents List of Tables................................................................................................xiii List of Figures ..............................................................................................xiv Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................1 Purpose of the Study..................................................................................13 General Methodology................................................................................14 Terminology ..............................................................................................17 Organization of the Study..........................................................................18 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................19 Leadership.................................................................................................19 University Presidential Leadership...........................................................27 Culture.......................................................................................................32 The Culture of Higher Education..............................................................35 Issues Encountered by Higher Education (1967 – 1997) .........................53 Texas Higher Education............................................................................63 The University of Texas System.................................................................64 The University of Texas at Austin .............................................................65 Conclusion.................................................................................................67 Chapter 3: Methods and Procedures..............................................................69 Selection of Methodology ..........................................................................69 Case Study.................................................................................................71 Subjects......................................................................................................74 Procedures for Classifying Document Data .............................................75