As higher education has evolved, so has the role of the college president. Community college presidents shoulder the expectations of the faculty, staff, board, alumni, politicians, and other community stakeholders. A changing political landscape demands flexibility, societal expectations demand empathy, socioeconomic turmoil demands creativity, technological advancements demand innovation, emerging crises demand alacrity, and the prevalence and permanence of information demands perfection. In fact, Martin (2021) described college presidents as “influential leaders and living logos who bring vision and change” (p. 100). Such demands can distance administrators from the reason they first began their career in higher education: the students.

How can college administrators attempt to recenter their focus on the student experience after years spent attending and facilitating meetings, fielding crises, and serving as “living logos”? Moraine Valley Community College’s President, Dr. Pamela J. Haney, endeavored to bridge the student-leader gap during the spring 2025 semester through President for a Day, an initiative during which Haney swapped places with a student on campus.

While on the surface, President for a Day may seem like a fun opportunity for a lucky student on campus, the impact it had on the administrators involved was profound.

The Need to Engage With Students

A 2025 survey of college and university presidents indicated that managing institutional finances/budgeting, personnel issues, and strategic planning/innovation take up most presidential working hours (Custer & Flaherty, 2025). Such responsibilities leave little time for leaders to engage directly with students—even amid declining public confidence in higher education.

“There is often a noticeable gap between student life and institutional leadership, largely due to differences in daily experiences, priorities, and perspectives,” Haney shared. She continued,

While many students are invested in the realities of academic pressure, financial stress, and navigating campus resources, college leaders are typically focused on strategic planning, policy, and institutional outcomes. This disconnect can lead to decisions that unintentionally overlook the practical challenges students face.

Emulating a Genuine Student Experience

Haney proposed the idea to research what student life is like on campus. She said,

I implemented the President for a Day initiative because I believed it would provide meaningful insight into what students truly experience daily. This opportunity allowed me to step into their world and better understand the realities they face—attending classes, navigating campus resources, fulfilling responsibilities in an on-campus job, and participating in extracurricular and athletic events. By walking in their shoes, I hoped to gain a deeper appreciation for the challenges and opportunities that shape student life.

This initiative simulated genuine student and presidential experiences through carefully crafted agendas for Haney and student Caroline Song, who provided a list of personal passions and interests prior to the swap to aid in building her schedule for the day. Aside from completing an assignment for an upcoming class, Haney did not prepare in advance to ensure an authentic experience.

Song, a computer engineering major and international student from South Korea, completed her final semester at the college in May 2025. She noted,

I’m involved in a lot [of activities and groups] on campus, and I thought it would be fun to see Dr. Haney in my shoes as well as see what it’s like to do the job of someone in charge of a lot of people.

The day for each began with a photo op, with Song dressed in a suit and heels and Haney sporting a Moraine Valley sweatshirt and jeans.

President Pamela J. Haney arrived on campus in a college sweatshirt and jeans,
prepared to fulfill her responsibilities as a student for the day.

Song met with administrators across campus, many of whose roles are not considered student-facing. She discussed personal interests, such as creating internships for STEM students, improving the engineering program and mental health services, and addressing international student issues.

Dr. Ryen Nagle, Vice President of Academic Affairs and a member of the Executive Leadership Team, shared that meeting with Song was valuable as an administrator. “My eyes and ears are the deans and faculty,” Nagle said. “I think it’s a really good experience to work with a student in an empowering role and hear their point of view.”

In a previous role as Dean of Science, Business and Computer Technology, Nagle oversaw the college’s Engineering Pathways Program. He found that Song’s perspective as a computer engineering major provided beneficial program insights, noting that her feedback confirmed some of the program’s challenges and inspired possible solutions.

Dr. David Kleinberg, Director of International Student Affairs, whose responsibilities include recruiting international students and ensuring a smooth visa and immigration process, talked to Song about her interest in advocacy on behalf of international students. While Kleinberg’s door is always open to students, he mentioned that his role is largely administrative. He noted, “When I get the chance to meet with students or work with them one-on-one, I really enjoy that.”

Dean of Career Programs, Dr. LoShay Willis, simulated a donor meeting with Song. While Willis previously served as a faculty member for six years and Department Chair for one year, interaction with students is a priority for her now that she is no longer in the classroom regularly.

Meanwhile, Haney took on Song’s busy schedule as President of the college’s Phi Theta Kappa honors society and International Student Ambassadors, Assistant Editor-in-Chief of The Glacier student newspaper, employee in the Student Life Office, and tutor in the TRIO program.

As an honorary student employee for the day, Haney reported to the Director of Student Support Services and the Manager of Student Life—Song’s supervisors and employees who otherwise would consider Haney a superior. At one point during the day, she found herself rushing across campus from class to her on-campus job, determined to be on time. Due to her high-profile role on campus, many wanted to stop and talk with Haney. “By the time I arrived, I was five minutes late,” she said.

The supervisor—doing exactly what they should—kindly reminded me to call ahead next time and let me know that another delay might earn me a write-up. It was a valuable reminder that student life moves fast, distractions come easy, and time management is important in balancing their many daily responsibilities.

Haney attended a History 202 class, for which she completed an assignment ahead of time in preparation for discussion. She even attended a baseball game to cheer on the college’s Cyclones.

Haney’s desire to relate with students and accurately capture their day-to-day activities provided a level of interaction that can positively impact students’ perceptions of the college. Corder and Timm (2021) highlighted the role college leaders play in shaping students’ views of their institution, stating that, “It is critical for presidents to seek out as many opportunities as possible to engage and interact with students” (p. 15). They further noted that, “seeing the president talking to students on campus and speaking at events were profound moments that inspired students to attend the institution, get more involved and embrace their leadership opportunities” (p. 15).

Haney explained, “This initiative is an innovative approach in higher education leadership, signaling a commitment to student-centeredness and demonstrating that effective leadership often requires listening, learning, and stepping into students’ shoes to experience college life from their perspective.”

Leading With Intentionality

Corder and Timm (2021) explain that college presidents must consider student impressions of them and their performance as key qualitative data that lead to long-term relationships. After all, engaged students can become engaged alumni who become engaged community stakeholders who become engaged donors, especially at the community college level, where graduates often stay within their local community.

Student Caroline Song sits at President Haney’s desk,
which is outfitted with her own nameplate.

While students certainly were impacted by sitting next to their college president in class or hearing her deliver announcements over the cafeteria loudspeaker, administrators across campus were influenced by their interactions with Song. Haney noted that Song’s international student status led to enlightening conversations:

I was unaware of the perceived impact of college policies on international students. Caroline was very interested in meeting with college leaders to express the concerns of our international students and ask questions. She was able to receive clarity about many issues and offered significant recommendations for the administration’s consideration.

She added that bridging the knowledge and information gap,

Requires intentional efforts to include student voices in decision-making, foster open and ongoing communication, and create opportunities for leaders to engage directly with student life—such as shadowing students, hosting listening sessions, or participating in initiatives like President for a Day.

Lessons Learned

In a post-pandemic world, administrators must be strategic and creative in engaging with students to understand their needs. Moving to a student-centered institution could assist in ensuring the relevance and viability of higher education (Ruch et al., 2023). However, as Haney alluded, to truly center an institution around the student, administrators must first know their students.

Nagle mentioned that his interactions with Song reminded him that “engaging with students is the core function of what we do.” One way he does so in his administrative role is through frequent interviews with student reporters at The Glacier. He said the questions asked by students inform him and, in turn, allow him to gather insights from students about their experiences at Moraine Valley.

Kleinberg added that Song’s unique perspective as an international student who has attended Moraine Valley for two years was invaluable. He noted that feedback from students like Song gives context for communicating effectively with students who often are younger and have different backgrounds than administrators. He recommends that college administrators find ways to intentionally engage with students by attending campus events. “We can’t expect them to find us; we need to go out and find them where they are,” he said.

Willis was also impacted by the initiative and shared that engaging with students must be a strategy for administrators. “I think a lot of times students don’t think that administrators are approachable. This was a great opportunity for [Song] to get insight that we’re just people.” Furthermore, she shared that getting to know students, to understand their individual circumstances and purpose for pursuing education, helps administrators fulfill their purpose as well. She encouraged administrators to “be more active in events that are hosted around campus, and if there aren’t any that allow for that interaction, develop some activities where students can meet with the administrators—be a mentor, always.”

The President for a Day initiative was an exercise in understanding and empathy. Song shared of her experience:

The most interesting part was seeing backstage of how the college is run, or how things are carried out. As a student, it’s not something you get to see. It was interesting to see how the different departments work. I was in a lot of meetings and talked to a lot of people. Dr. Haney has much more responsibilities than me, but whenever I see her, she’s always smiling and has the energy. I don’t know how she does it.

Song added, “I learned a lot. It was motivating because I felt I could give my input as a student to the higher-ups, so hopefully that helped them and incoming students.”

As for Haney, she described the experience as incredibly meaningful, enriching, and transformative, stating that, “When leaders actively seek to understand and empathize with the student experience, they are better equipped to make informed, compassionate, and student-centered decisions that enhance the overall campus environment.”

Planning for the Future

In the spirit of ongoing learning and enrichment, Haney intends to repeat this initiative annually. “Some instructors stated that the day brought increased visibility to the president’s engagement with students on campus, and many students asked if the college would consider offering the day in the fall and spring,” she noted. However, “for now, this will be an annual event that takes place in the spring semester.”

References

Corder, M., & Timm, D. (2021). Student impressions of community college presidents. Journal of Research on the College President, 5(1), 3-18. https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/f/330/files/2017/12/V5-Article-1-Community-College-Presidents-Corder-ok.pdf

Custer, S., & Flaherty, C. (2025). 2025 survey of college and university presidents. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/reports/2025/02/25/2025-survey-college-and-university-presidents

Martin, Q., III. (2021). The aspiring college president: A critical review. Journal of Research on the College President, 5(7), 99-108. https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/f/330/files/2017/12/V5-Article-7-Aspiring-Presidents-Martin-ok.pdf

Ruch, C. P., Coll, K. M., & Ruch, C. B. (2023). Presidents and student success: repositioning to a student-centered institution. Journal of Research on the College President, 7(3). https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=jrcp

Lead image: Caroline Song meets with the president’s executive leadership team.

Madisson Younglove is Assistant Director, Communications, at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois.

Opinions expressed in Leadership Abstracts are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the League for Innovation in the Community College.