Resilient and Ready

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Resilient and Ready How to thrive and excel
through Presidential Transition
Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues, York University Brenda
Buzynski, University of Northern Iowa
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What are presidential transitions
Transitions are critical moments in the lives of
organizations and individuals...one needs to
understand what transitions mean, not only from
ones own perspective, but also from the
viewpoint of others. Thomas N. Gilmore (1988)
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Change and transition
Change is not the same as transition. Change is
situationalwhile transition is the psychological
process people go through to come to terms with
the new situation. William Bridges (1980)
The process of transitioning is the way in which
the president and others respond to these
changes.
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Why managing a transition is important

• Change and transition affect both individuals and
  institutions so it is critical to strategically
  manage a presidential succession and transition.
• Transitions present opportunities.
• Transitions are imperfect progress.

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Role of the Presidential Assistant

• A carefully planned and executed entry becomes
  the new presidents first act of leadership
  (Judith Block)

• Get Prepared.  
• Reach out.  
• Update Documents.
• Plan and Implement.
• Recognition of the past.
• Make an impression.

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Role of the Presidential Assistant
Plan for five conversations to build your
relationship with the President-Designate

• Understand how he/she sees the situation at the
  University.
• Understand the Presidents expectations
• Understand his/her working style
• Discuss what resources are critical to move
  his/her priorities forward
• Discuss how your role will contribute to your
  professional development

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Transition Stages

• I. Ending
• Ending a university chapter, celebrating a legacy
  
•  
• II. Neutral
• Clarity of start date for new president, ensure
  celebration and respect of sitting president
• III. New Beginning
• Ground rules for the transition, opportunity to
  launch new excitement

Moore, J. W., Burrows, J. M., (2001).
Presidential Succession and Transition
Beginning, Ending, and Beginning Again. American
Association of State Colleges and Universities
(AASCU), Washington, DC.
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I. ENDING

• Transitions begin with endings the process of
  accepting the inevitability of the impending
  change and learning to let go of the past.
• Exiting president
• The university is ending a chapter
• Celebrating a legacy (depends on the situation)
• One reason organizational change fails is that no
  one thought about endings or planned to manage
  their impact on people. Presidents are owed a
  dignified ending to the presidency.
• How an organization handles the ending of one
  president is an indicator of how they will handle
  the incoming president.
• The ending of a presidency reflects on the
  university and on the presidents office.

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I. ENDING
Example documents for Exiting a President.

1. Ending Checklist
2. Proclamation
3. Highlights (one-page)
4. Highlights (comprehensive)

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II. NEUTRAL

• Managing the neutral zone/overlap between a named
  new president and a sitting president.
• Coping with the ambiguities associated with the
  end of one, and the newness of moving between a
  previous president and a new president.
• Clarity of start date for new president, ensure
  celebration and respect of sitting president

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II. NEUTRAL

• For new president, designate a transition
  coordinator/leader to manage communications and
  orientation activities.
• Communicate to the campus community and other
  constituencies the ground rules pertaining to
  the management of the transition. (Once new
  president is named, the flurry of emails,
  correspondence begins for the new president.)
• Coordinate campus visits for the new president.
  Ensure new president gets to know the campus
  constituents (internal) before embarking on
  meeting the external constituents.
• Discuss transition planning with
• the new president.

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III. New Beginning

• Before you can begin something new, you must end
  what used to be.
• New beginnings involve letting go of the past,
  redefining who you are, adjusting to new roles,
  and accepting a new reality.
• Beginnings involve new understanding, new
  attitudes, new values, and new identities.
• Avoid the twin errors of moving too quickly and
  too slowly.
• Determine ground rules for the transition
• This is an opportune time to launch new
  excitement on-campus.

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TRANSITION PLANNING BEST PRACTICES

• Steering Committee to guide transition
• Create a Learning Network for the
  President-designate  
• Use Presidential transition to raise
  institutional awareness and priorities of the
  university.
• Use a variety of channels to welcome, educate and
  orient the President-designate.
• Orientation Activities with a variety of
  audiences  
• Seek input from the university community on
  orientation activities for the President-designate

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III. NEW Beginning
Example documents for Entering President.

1. Communicating with Incoming President
2. Operational To-Dos once President is named
3. First Questions for President
4. Presidential Transition Committee-Agenda
5. Presidential Introduction Committee
6. Potential Orientation Process
7. Relationship Building Brief list

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CASE STUDY UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
UNI Midwestern Public Comprehensive University,
enrollment 13,200 August, 2012 President
announced retirement no later than July 1,
2013 Sept., 2012 Board of Regents, State of Iowa
initiated search 22 member search committee and
utilized search firm Parker Associates.

• Search
• Mid-Jan. interviewed 10 candidates
  Minneapolis airport
• At announcement time only 3 names released
• 3 to campus late Jan./early Feb. then 1
  withdrew 2 remaining
• Feb. 7 am 2 interviewed with the Board
• Feb. 7 330 pm Board announced their selection
  (media present)
• Feb. 7 430-630 pm reception held immediately
  for the named president 

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CASE STUDY UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
Visit 1 Feb. 28-Mar. 1 Incoming President
trip to campus Meet with faculty leaders,
direct reports, have a campus-wide welcome
reception, meet with sitting president, take
care of house logistics etc.   Visit 2 Mar.
19-21 (spring break on-campus) potential visit
to Des Moines visit legislators and to campus
to visit with academic leadership   Visit
3 Early - April potential 3rd visit to campus
visit with faculty, staff and student leaders
etc.   Late May relocate to Pres. house   June
1 start date
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THANK YOU! GOOD LUCK With Your presidential
Transition
Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues York University
Brenda Buzynski University of Northern Iowa
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References
ACE. (2008). The Presidency The American Council
on Educations magazine for higher Education
Leaders. Special Supplement. Winter. Washington,
DC American Council on Education. ACE. (2008).
King, J., Gomez, G., On the pathway to the
presidency Characteristics of higher
educations senior leadership. The American
college president 2007 edition. Washington, DC
American Council on Education. Bridges, W.,
(2003). Managing Transitions Making the Most of
Change. 2nd Edition. Da Capo Press. ISBN
0738208248 Fethke, G., Policano, A., (2012).
The Precarious Profession of University
Presidency. The Chronicle of Higher Education,
July 23. Kiley, K., (2012). A Pre-Presidential
Initiative. Inside Higher Ed. March 5. Martin,
J., Samels, J. E., (2004). Presidential
Transition In Higher Education. Baltimore Johns
Hopkins University Press. Martin, J., Samels,
J. E., (2005). Closing Remarks The End of the
Beginning Recognizing successful presidential
transitions. Council for Advancement and Support
of Education (CASE). Moore, J. W., Burrows, J.
M., (2001). Presidential Succession and
Transition Beginning, Ending, and Beginning
Again. American Association of State Colleges and
Universities (AASCU), Washington, DC.