NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Columbia University, Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania and more than three dozen other schools around the United States currently have the "interim" qualifier attached to their titles, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday.
"It is a sign of the tumultuous state of American higher education, where student protests, donor discontent, political scrutiny and distrust from the general public have left presidents with a thankless -- and very insecure -- job. These interim presidents are being tasked with calming stormy campuses and priming the school to attract top-notch candidates for the official role down the line," it said.
School trustees say they are leery about committing too quickly to long-term leaders, particularly in light of the political upheaval of last school year, according to the report.
"Interim presidents also hold appeal because they aren't necessarily gunning for the job on a permanent basis, say search-firm executives and trustees. That frees them up to make difficult or unpopular decisions, like cutting budgets," it added. ■