Presidential duties are not all fun and games, and the visible nature of the presidential position is not always so desirable. This volume examines the position of the president during times of great controversy at an institution. Five presidents describe highly charged events on their campuses when constituents disagreed sharply and all were certain that righteousness and virtue were theirs alone. For the president, there was no way to avoid taking a position and no decision that would please, or even appease, all. The presidents describe the episodes on the campuses, explain the decisions they made, and assess their actions retrospectively.
This is the 128th issue of the Jossey-Bass quarterly series New Directions for Higher Education.