Community college administrators

In this qualitative grounded theory study, I interviewed participants from and analyzed documents associated with three community/state colleges in Florida. Additionally, I have included the perspective of key informants from the state and/or the Florida College System. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to develop a substantive theory to explain the process by which senior administrative leaders engaged in fiscal decision-making due to shifting funding sources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although prior decision-making theories exist, such as rational choice theory and garbage can theory, these theories do not address how fiscal decisions are made in higher education institutions during times of extended crisis exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic leaders sought to establish resilience as part of their fiscal decision-making process to ensure their ability to lead and maintain viable institutions of higher education. Moreover, through the fiscal decision-making process, the leaders in this study did not permit themselves or their institutions to accept the status quo, rather they extended themselves and their organizations to stretch beyond prior capabilities to respond to ever changing needs of students as well as external stakeholders brought about from the COVID-19 pandemic. The collective experiences of these leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the resilient stretching theory of community college fiscal decision-making, which will be further expounded upon throughout this research study.

Filling the pipeline to the community college presidency with diverse and qualified candidates who mirror the demographics of the student population and who are prepared to lead amidst the complexity of the 21st century institution can be accomplished through a variety of strategies. This study focuses on the impact of current community college presidents' mentoring activities on the career advancement of their proteges---in whom they see the potential to fulfill the requirements for community college leadership as a president. The profile of contextual factors (age, gender, ethnicity, geographic location and duration of the mentoring relationship) and mentoring activities developed through this study reveals that current community college presidents are involved in guiding their proteges by teaching the job, providing challenge, and teaching the politics of the job. They are helping their proteges through career help, protection and sponsorship, and they are encouraging their proteges through career counseling, friendship and demonstrated trust. Of the contextual factors and mentoring activities, the two which are most significant in predicting protege career advancement are the duration of the mentoring relationship and the teaching of the politics of the job. Implications and recommendations derived from this study include training and development of mentor/protege relationships within the community college system for better awareness and understanding of the mentoring activities and continued emphasis on increased mentoring opportunities for minorities.