As he exited his post this summer as president of Maryland’s Bowie State University, Dr. Mickey L. Burnim took a pause to reflect on his more than two decades at the helm of two state institutions — each for more than 10 years.
“It’s always been broad and far reaching,” says Burnim, describing the historical role of a college or university chief executive.
Today, the role is the same in many respects, he adds, yet it has also changed.
“External scrutiny has really increased significantly,” says Burnim, as have more aggressive challenges from an increasing number of directions. “The expectation for fundraising has intensified and increased dramatically,” he notes, saying that fundraising for public and private institutions has risen in priority from being one of many chores on a president’s to-do list.
Top institution officials must still play the role of chief administrator, visionary and ambassador, Burnim says, recalling that one of his last duties on the job was responding to a 6:45 a.m. call on a Saturday morning to console the family of a graduating student murdered hours earlier by an unknown assailant on another campus. The incident occurred just a few days before Bowie State’s graduation — Burnim’s final one — where the student was to graduate with honors.
“The president has to field that call to deal with parents and the media,” says Burnim. “You are never really off duty.”
Still, the “broad and far reaching” part of being an institutional leader is much broader and more far reaching, he says, in offering advice to future and aspiring presidents and chancellors. This assessment is based on years of personal experience. “Make sure your motives are service-oriented,” he tells those who want to be college presidents. “It’s more than a notion and requires great personal sacrifice.”
