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National Census on Chief Academic Officers: A Survey

The American Council on Education is undertaking the first national survey of chief academic officers (CAOs). This survey will profile those serving in this important leadership role and provide critical baseline information on the leaders who ensure the academic viability of colleges and universities. The findings will be of interest to current and future CAOs, presidents, boards, policy makers, researchers and the public. The national portrait of CAOs will include demographic information, length of service, career path and aspirations, and the nature and challenges of the job. The results of the National Census on Chief Academic Officers will be released at the 2009 ACE Annual Meeting.

This research is a sister survey to the American College President Study that ACE has conducted for the past twenty years. An executive summary of that report is available. The American College President Study is the definitive source of information on the presidency, and we expect that this research will serve that same purpose with regard to chief academic officers.

For information about the survey and the forthcoming report, or to request a copy of the survey instrument, please contact Peter Eckel, Director, Programs Initiatives, Center for Effective Leadership (Leadership_Programs@ace.nche.edu or 202-939-9728).

ACE is grateful to the TIAA-CREF Institute for its generous support of this project.