The Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund recently released a new report discussing the competencies and structural conditions necessary to retain successful, long-term presidents at historically Black colleges and universities.
According to the Payne Center, prior research has shown that it takes approximately 10 years for a college president to implement meaningful systemic changes at their institution. However, the average tenure of HBCU presidents is just 4.9 years, suggesting an urgent need for governing boards, search firms, federal agencies, corporations, higher education associations, and aspiring leaders themselves to review what makes an HBCU leader successful.
For their report, scholars at the Payne Center reviewed national data on HBCUs and conducted surveys with 29 sitting presidents of public and private HBCUs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Their findings highlight presidential strengths across leadership domains and provide insight into the relationship between tenure length, increased competencies, and effectiveness.
The report authors highlight that effective presidential leadership at HBCUs is not predicated on pedigree or traditional credentials but rather grounded in demonstrated skills across eight critical areas: leadership, communication, strategic planning, budget management, student affairs, human resources, conflict resolution, and faculty affairs. These skills are all teachable and can be developed, weighted, and strengthened through efforts like effective onboarding and support systems.
As the average HBCU leader leaves their post before hitting the five-year mark, the authors note there is an opportunity to invest in professional development, strategic sabbaticals, and coaching for mid-career presidents. Notably, the authors mention that effective board governance — as well as dedicated and aligned support from federal agencies, philanthropies, corporate partners, and academic accreditors — is crucial for shaping these retention practices.
“The time for action is now — not in five years when more institutions have entered crisis, not after another wave of premature presidential departures, not after more students have turned away due to institutional instability, but now,” the report authors write. “Stewarding the legacy of HBCUs is a national imperative demanding nothing less than a national strategy.”
The full report, “Stewarding the Legacy: A National Strategy for Building Resilient HBCU Presidential Leadership,” can be read here.
