S3 Eps 6 - The politics of the college presidency
About The Episode
College presidents serve for less than six years on average. For women and people of color, that tenure is even shorter – a full year shorter. So what’s going on? College presidents are under fire for what they say about issues like systemic racism, abortion access and war in the Middle East, as well as what they do — or don't do — about campus protests. So why would anyone want to be a college president? And, as a student, does it even matter who your president is? What questions should students and their families be asking of a colleges’ top brass? We talk to former Colorado College president Song Richardson, who left her dream job because she wanted to speak freely about hot-button issues, and the current and former presidents of Macalester College, Suzanne Rivera and Brian Rosenberg, to learn more about what's driving people away from jobs at the top of the academic ladder.