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The prevalence of higher education systems warrants examination of their governance, which refers to the structure within which decision making occurs.
According to the National Association of System Heads (2015), there are over 40 systems across the United States enrolling more than 5.6 million students. Despite their prevalence, the scope of knowledge on higher education systems is limited and becomes increasingly narrower as one examines specific types of systems, such as community college systems. For this reason, this study will extend knowledge about higher education systems, and more specifically, community college systems.
Though the literature on governance is expansive, scholars have not examined governance to a considerable extent within the context of community college systems. In fact, only two studies examine decision making in community college systems and both of these studies focus on locations of decision making as manifestations of either a centralized or decentralized structure (Henry & Creswell, 1983; Ingram & Tollefson, 1996). Hence, the proposed study will provide greater depth of knowledge of governance in community college systems, particularly considering the fact that systems have changed over time to meet state needs. The evolution of systems suggests that studies conducted in 1983 and 1996 are not necessarily applicable to an examination of community college systems in the present.
The studies that Henry and Creswell (1983) and Ingram and Tollefson (1996) conducted take a structural approach to decision making because they examined degrees of centralization and decentralization. This structural approach reinforces the limited theoretical understanding of decision making in community college systems. The
proposed study will explore presidential decision making in KCTCS and apply relevant theory from the literature to an understanding of the phenomenon. As such, the study will contribute to the development of theory by applying it to a community college system.
The community college presidency is changing with growth in community college systems. Leadership in systems requires a different set of skills and abilities to be effective given the role and contributions of system boards, system presidents, and college presidents (Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, National Association of System Heads, and American Association of State Colleges and Universities, 2009). Moreover, literature on the community college presidency is limited to trends in personal and professional characteristics of presidents, influence and leadership succession, faculty and board relations, and competencies for effective leadership. The proposed study will contribute to literature on the community college presidency and further expand knowledge of leadership in community college systems.
KCTCS was selected as an exploratory site for this study because it is representative of other community college systems in terms of organizational structure and legislative authorization; however, because its creation was prompted by particular state economic, political, and social influences, the site warrants examination. Since its inception, several studies have examined the governance reform legislation resulting in the creation of KCTCS as well as the early years of the system. Despite studies examining community colleges in Kentucky, the literature is limited and does not examine current governance of the system.
Because KCTCS has been established since the 1990s, it serves as a useful site for exploring presidential decision making. Decision making processes are likely embedded
in the operations and culture of the system. Still, particular state economic, political, and social contexts that resulted in the creation of KCTCS likely permeate decision making processes. Stebbins (2001) suggests that exploration is the preferred approach when a group, process, or activity: (a) has received little or no scientific, empirical inquiry; (b) has been largely examined using research orientations of prediction and control as opposed to flexibility and open-mindedness; or, (c) has changed so much that it warrants new exploration. Because governance in community college systems has not been examined to a considerable extent, KCTCS was selected to explore presidential decision making in a community college system. KCTCS represents the predominant organizational structure of higher education institutions as cited in the literature (McGuinness, 2013; NASH, 2015). Moreover, presidential decision making represents an everyday or commonplace practice occurring in higher education systems, and more specifically, community college systems.
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