Dr. Charlie Nelms, senior scholar at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and senior consultant for the Association of Governing Boards
Retired university presidents are sometimes still active at the institution that they once led, such as teaching courses as a tenured faculty member. During leadership transitions, that can mean a new president must strike a careful balance between their vision and the prior president's institutional memory.
“For the most part, I don’t think this is a problem, though it depends on the prior president’s level of involvement in the institution,” said Dr. Robert T. Palmer, an associate professor and chair in the department of educational leadership and policy studies at Howard University. “A prior president staying around can be a role model for current students by teaching a course or by serving the institution in some other beneficial capacity. I think this becomes a challenge if that person gets really involved in trying to sway the administration, to exert influence without allowing the new president to give life to his or her vision.”
Dr. Charlie Nelms has held three university presidencies, including as the chancellor of North Carolina Central University. Like Palmer, Nelms stressed the importance of prior presidents stepping back and making space for their successors — and, for successors, of respecting past presidents’ choices. Nelms is a senior scholar at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and he is a senior consultant for the Association of Governing Boards.
“I must say that in my three presidencies, I have never had a situation where the prior president was still involved with the institution, especially in any inappropriate way,” said Nelms. “And one piece of advice I give to all new presidents is this: never get yourself in a position of criticizing your predecessor. You don’t know what her, his, or their situation was — and whatever it was, it wasn’t what you’re dealing with now. I’m sure those people did the best they could under the circumstances they were dealt — just like you are doing now.”
H. Patrick Swygert, president emeritus and professor of law at Howard University, agreed. From 1995 to 2008, Swygert served as the president of Howard, and he remains committed to the university as well as the presidents who succeeded him. Recently, Swygert led an effort to secure a $16.8 million award from PNC Bank for Howard's School of Business, funding which established the Howard University and PNC Bank National Center for Entrepreneurship.
"Every incoming or new president has his or her own vision and is committed to that vision," he said. "And the one thing that an outgoing president in my view should not do is to in any way interfere with that vision."
