Survey stresses fundraising

Fundraising seems to be the name of the game when it comes to college presidencies, according to a new survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The survey found that 53 percent of college presidents said they worked on fundraising at least daily, and that 65 percent of presidents at private, non-denominational colleges engage in fundraising daily.

Jack Dunn, University spokesman, agreed that fundraising is a significant task for a college president. "Fundraising is a major component of Fr. Leahy's job, as it is of every American college president," he said.

Dunn said that University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., spends approximately 33 to 40 percent of his time fundraising.

Dunn acknowledged that fundraising can appear to be a consuming venture. "Inevitably, students at BC and other colleges say, 'We wish we could see more of the president.' But they also say, 'We want state-of-the-art-facilities. A new rec plex, a new student center, among other things,'" he said. "The reality is, presidents are often away from campus, because they are raising money for these important amenities."

Other major components of Leahy's job as president include strategic planning, making decisions around institutional policy, and leadership in representing the institution before its various constituencies, according to Dunn. "As his spokesman, I can attest that it is not unusual for him to work 80 to 100 hours per week."

The Chronicle of Higher Education conducted its survey in June and July 2005. The survey was sent to 1,338 presidents, 764 of whom responded. The survey included a number of specific questions, as well as spaces for respondents to offer comments.

The survey found that 59 percent of presidents said that big-time college athletics is more of a liability than an asset. Dunn said that neither Boston College nor its president fits this mold.

"Boston College is the rare American university in that, through Fr. Leahy's leadership, we have found a successful balance between academics and athletics," he said. "Last year, Boston College won the American Football Coaches' Award for the highest graduation rate in Division IA football, at 100 percent."

Dunn said that every year, the same five colleges vie for the highest student athlete graduation rate in the country: BC, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, and Notre Dame.

"We are fortunate to have a healthy balance and an energetic and supportive fan base, as well as a presence in the nation's foremost athletic conference that enables us to have successful sports programs from a financial standpoint," he said.

A common thread among many of the comments provided by survey respondents regarded the ability of college presidents to speak out on public issues.

"Of deep concern should be the neutering of presidents to speak out on public and political issues because of pressure ... from trustees, donors, public officials," said the male president of a doctoral-level university.

Since the survey was filled out anonymously, names of respondents and their institutions were not provided by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

"We need to engage in public discourse without fear of retaliation," said the female president of a doctoral-level university. Dunn said that certain conditions must exist for Leahy to comment publicly on certain issues.

"For Fr. Leahy to speak publicly on an issue, it would have to be related to the mission of BC," he said. "For example, he led the nation in the aftermath of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in speaking out as to what we as Catholic colleges and universities needed to do to help the church to restore trust. He has also spoken out for increased federal aid for student loans."

The survey also found 75 percent of presidents felt that colleges should be held more accountable for their students' educational outcomes.

Forty-one percent of respondents said they were very well prepared for their first presidential job.

Only 19 percent of respondents were selected from within the university for which they are president.