Higher education is coming off a year marked by swift, unplanned exits, not just in the president’s office but across campus administration. So many comings and goings of leaders can feel unsettling. But ubiquitous departures — whether it’s the retirement of a long-serving dean, the abrupt quitting of a talented vice president, or the cyclical appointment of a chair — need not have a wholly destabilizing effect.
Now, perhaps more than ever, colleges need to develop a transition plan that can be adapted to the particulars of each leadership change.
No one doubts the value of clarifying what people want in a new leader and devising a comprehensive search plan. Colleges also need to guide what happens in those few months just before and just after the new leader takes office. Beyond the logistical and practical elements, a coherent transition plan tackles the larger questions, too: How will you recognize a departing leader? Support a new arrival? And, ultimately, ensure that the place emerges stronger?
That academe is experiencing more turnover than usual is clear: A 2022-23 survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources found that the rate of voluntary turnover among higher-ed staff members was the highest it’s been since the survey began in 2017-18. For full-time, exempt staff members (meaning, salaried employees exempt from federal overtime-pay rules), the report said, “turnover has increased from a low of 7.9 percent in 2020-21 … to 12 percent in 2021-22 to 14.3 percent in 2022-23. Turnover for full-time, nonexempt staff increased from 9.4 percent to 12.8 percent to 15.2 percent during this same period.”
Leadership changes cannot always be predicted or prevented. But a solid transition plan gives a vital sense of stability during the fragile moments of in-betweenness.
A transition plan is a framework, not a to-do list. Transition plans need to do a lot of things in service of many audiences. One marker of an effective plan is the ability to onboard and equip a new leader, but a great plan enables the organization to affirm its mission and values, celebrate cherished relationships, signal where it’s going, and embrace a sense of excitement and possibility for the future.
A transition plan is a governing strategy — a shared set of principles that can be adapted to the context of a particular leadership change. Roughly 60 percent of any transition plan is evergreen while the other 40 percent is specific to the person/role. For example, a cocktail party with trustees might be part of the transition for a new provost but not for, say, a new chair of the chemistry department.
How long should it last? Putting a time estimate on a transition plan is an arbitrary exercise, but six months feels about right. A leadership transition usually takes longer than a semester, but less than an academic year. It should provide sufficient time for goodbyes, introductions, onboarding, and adjustment.
Who gets a say in drafting it? Ensuring that various perspectives are included — shared-governance groups, operations, university relations, communications — means the resulting plan will best serve the whole institution during a moment of change. Exemplary plans are governed by a sequential logic — they help incoming leaders prioritize their time and distinguish between tasks best done on their first day, first week, and first month.
The Essential Components
While all transition plans should be customized to the context, the best share a few common elements. At minimum, your plan should:
1: Recognize the departing leader and their legacy. As tempting and exciting as it can be to focus squarely on the needs of a new leader, a well-crafted transition plan thanks an outgoing leader meaningfully and authentically for their service. In the case of an abrupt termination, this step may require careful phrasing — but institutions should seize every opportunity to acknowledge collective, positive achievements.
2: Formalize unwritten rules and expectations. A good transition plan leaves little to chance. It clarifies how the departing administrator can best help their successor and then makes it easy for that ex-leader to detach and step away. If a former president or dean is returning to the faculty, finalize the details in writing (e.g., their teaching load, salary, research expectations). Ensure a clear hand-off for unresolved issues, such as pending legal matters. In the digital age, a fair bit of work involves changing who has access to electronic files and shared repositories.
To minimize awkward future interactions, openly discuss what role (if any) the ex-leader might continue to play in campus life. Are there upcoming events when their presence might be welcome — such as an alumni tailgate or the ribbon cutting of a new building project? Are there times when it would be best for the former leader not to attend or to play a less visible role? Where should the former provost sit at the next faculty assembly (if they attend at all)?
3: Reflect the new leader’s priorities and preferred ways of learning. It is tempting to have a complete transition plan in place before a new leader arrives — offered up as a well-crafted welcome gift along with office keys and a branded coffee mug. But rather than finalize the plan for new leaders, devise it with them.
Perhaps a few weeks before the new hire arrives on the campus, gather key figures by videoconference. Include the new leader and some trusted advisers: the board chair for a new president, an associate dean for a new dean, a faculty senate chair for a new provost. Ask everyone to come to the meeting with a few notes. The new leader can state their preferences and exert agency: “I’d like to see these documents in advance” and “It’s important to me to get a lot of face time with people in the first few days.” Attendees can share relevant institutional knowledge and suggestions: “Let’s get some time for you to meet with this loyal donor” or “Given our upcoming accreditation visit this fall, what do you need right now?”
Not only does this approach create a customized plan, it accelerates the process of building functional working relationships.
4: Balance listening, learning, showing up, and telling. Good transition planning enables new leaders to get to know their institution, and vice versa. A customary “listening tour” affords an incoming leader time to collect information before getting down to the hard work of leadership. But leaders should not mute themselves while they listen. Campuses are hungry to learn about the new leader’s values, temperament, and personality.
To satisfy all parties, leaders might interact with people in formal meetings during the transition period but also show up at events where the new hire isn’t the star of the show. For a new dean, this combination might include scheduling a lunch with pre-tenure faculty members to learn about their experiences or attending a sporting event or a musical performance on the campus to chat with attendees.
5: Make thoughtful use of the web. Social media is increasingly important in helping stakeholders (especially students and alumni) get to know new leaders. Use platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to tout their achievements and post photos that show them on the job. Student-friendly platforms like Instagram and TikTok provide space to share personal information but keep it simple: Think photos of a family pet or a defining memory from the new administrator’s college years. Run brief Q&As with new leaders on the college website or in its alumni magazine.
Use digital platforms to direct visitors on how to share their ideas, advice, questions, and criticisms with the newcomer. Providing an email address or the details for an upcoming town hall will help you receive this information in a productive format, rather than letting the comment feed devolve into a free-for-all.
6: Mark the end of the transition. A coordinated transition strategy will not erase all the uneasiness associated with leadership change. But to help relieve some of the discomfort that accompanies ambiguity, it is wise for your transition plan to include a marker to signal that the transition period is, in effect, over.
New leaders never stop learning and adjusting. But a symbolic end point marks the closure of one phase of leadership and the start of another. For a dean, this might be hosting a town hall to share themes from their listening tour. A president might prepare a report to the trustees identifying immediate priorities and goals. A vice president for student affairs might convene a meeting with divisional directors to identify shared goals for the year.
Symbolic gestures are crucial for new leaders and stakeholders: They mark that we are passing over the threshold and getting down to it.
What about unplanned transitions? When things end well, colleges enjoy some advanced notice of a leader’s departure. Better yet, a senior administrator’s exit will align with natural milestones, like the completion of a capital campaign or the end of an academic year. With a longer runway, you can develop transition plans that are both comprehensive and balanced.
But the unexpected resignation, firing, or even death of a leader requires a two-stage transition strategy: the immediate response and the longer-term plan. Take, for example, the case of a president’s abrupt resignation or firing. In the first 24 hours, a college might cobble together an immediate reactive strategy to provide institutional stability and curb reputational damage. Later, once the dust has settled, there will be ample time to craft something more comprehensive. But first things first.
Taking a “concentric circles” approach can be useful in such circumstances. First prepare those closest to the exiting leader in the center. Senior campus leaders, designated spokespeople, and sometimes trustees need a few concise talking points about the situation, the timing, and the next steps. As you move to progressively outer bands — other campus leaders, the faculty, the staff, students, alumni — the communications can flow. Often, each outer constituency requires slightly less detailed information. Ensuring that leaders at every level are briefed and encouraged to cascade essential information will help facts spread faster than rumors.
While an unexpected leadership transition can feel overwhelming in the moment, it can be reassuring to remember that, while individual leaders come and go, institutions endure. A well-developed transition strategy — one that considers the needs of newly appointed leaders and of the broader campus — enhances the likelihood that the college will emerge stronger in the end.
