Rutgers GSE CMSI

New Infographic Explores Trends Among HBCU Presidents 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Natalie Passov | natalie.passov@gse.rutgers.edu | 848-932-0728

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ, September 7, 2022— The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) has published a new infographic that explores trends across presidents at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

The infographic notes the functional areas producing the most presidents, which include fundraising, student affairs, and academic affairs, among others. Research shows about 56% of presidents have never worked outside of academic affairs and the most common position held before securing a presidency is overwhelmingly a Vice Provost for Academic Affairs or a Provost.

Additionally, 72% of HBCU presidents are in their first presidency and 4 years is the average senior administration or cabinet tenure before assuming a presidency. The infographic also notes the average time in higher education before becoming an HBCU president, where HBCU presidents earned their undergraduate and doctoral degrees, whether at an HBCU or a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), and which institutions are educating the most presidents. 

“CMSI hosts the Minority Serving Institutions Aspiring Leaders Program, and as such, we’re always thinking about presidents – where they hail from, their areas of expertise, and their influences. This infographic is a fun depiction of HBCU presidents – their preparation and origins,” shared Marybeth Gasman, Executive Director of the CMSI and Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair at Rutgers University. 

The infographic is freely available on CMSI’s website here.


About the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions 

The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) brings together researchers and practitioners from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. CMSI’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions is part of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity and Justice (Proctor Institute) at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. For further information about CMSI, please visit http://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/.

Date: 
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Press Release type: