Publication Date
5-2025
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
2-28-2025
Type of Culminating Activity
Dissertation
Degree Title
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration
Department
Public Policy and Administration
Supervisory Committee Chair
Chris Birdsall, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Luke Fowler, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Stephanie Witt, Ph.D.
Abstract
Faculty votes of no confidence (VNCs) in college and university presidents have become increasingly common in U.S. higher education, with more than 250 recorded from 1990 to 2021. During 2000-2009, VNCs increased by 34% over the prior decade, followed by a 62% rise between 2010 and 2019 relative to the 1990s. The years 2020-2021 saw a further 73% increase over 1990-1991. Despite the media attention these events attract, little empirical research has examined their causes, consequences, or effectiveness. Even less is known about how a president’s demographic characteristics influence their likelihood of departure following a VNC. This dissertation addresses these gaps through a three-essay analysis using a ten-year panel dataset on U.S. public universities. Essay 1 investigates the institutional and state-level conditions under which VNCs occur, identifying key factors associated with these events. Essay 2 examines how presidents’ personal demographic characteristics shape post-VNC departure risk, revealing significant disparities—including evidence that women presidents are significantly more likely than men to leave office following a VNC. Essay 3 evaluates the organizational impact of VNCs and president departures on key institutional performance metrics, such as graduation rates, in subsequent years. Findings from this research offer novel insights into the conditions that are associated with VNCs, the demographic disparities in post-VNC presidential stability, and the adverse effects of leadership turnover on institutional performance. These results hold important implications for institutional efforts to effectively engage key stakeholders in shared governance, conflict resolution, leadership accountability, equitable retention, and institutional resilience in higher education.
DOI
10.18122/td.2361.boisestate
Recommended Citation
Banner, Kent L., "Voting 'No Confidence' in the University President: An Analysis of Institutional, Individual, and Performance Factors" (2025). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 2361.
10.18122/td.2361.boisestate