Leading for community college excellence: an investigation of leaders’ proficiencies and aacc competencies

One of the challenges facing community colleges is the vast number of successful CEOs
and leaders who are leaving or have already left their positions. This challenge is compounded
by one of the biggest problems facing community colleges, a lack of senior leaders who have the
competencies and skills to be knowledgeable leaders to step into these vacated presidencies.
This sequential explanatory designed mixed-methods research study focused on the
AACC Competencies for Community College Leaders focusing on the senior-level
competencies. The study investigated senior leaders of a midwestern consortium of community
colleges, and examined aspects of community college leadership development: to assess
community college leaders’ understanding of the AACC competencies, to assess how
community college leaders self-assess their current level of proficiency with the AACC
competencies, and to examine how community college leaders’ experiences have affected their
use of the AACC competencies for their own leadership development.
Phase 1 of the study was an online survey, using the exact wording of the AACC’s 59
competencies and associated behaviors, to assess the proficiencies of senior leaders from
Michigan community colleges in the AACC competencies. Phase 2 interviews with a subgroup
of the survey respondents investigated the leaders’ process in acquiring knowledge and
proficiency in the AACC competencies, as well as to gain insight into how they plan to continue
proficiencies through professional development activities.
The six key findings of the study include the extent to which the AACC competencies are
utilized by senior leaders, the top ten people-focused competencies, the lowest ranked hard-skills competencies, methods used by senior-leaders to develop their current knowledge of the AACC
competencies, plans for continuing to acquire knowledge for leadership development, as well as
the activities that were considered essential to acquiring the knowledge and skillset outlined by
the AACC Competencies for Community College Leaders.