The Effective Community College Academic Administrator: Necessary Competencies and Attitudes

Abstract

Existing research about the skills and competencies needed by chief academic officers at community colleges often has relied upon functions identified by researchers. The authors report the results of an exploratory survey directed at a national sample of community college chief academic officers to elicit their perceptions of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to be effective as an academic administrator, both now and in the future. The authors articulate a set of six professional competencies and five professional attitudes based on the survey data, which was coded according to Stark, Lowther, and Hagerty's (1986) outcomes of professional education. They compare respondents' perceptions of competencies and attitudes needed now and in the future, and discuss their relative importance.