Hard Year for College Presidents Ending

But Anne Neal, of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, says the problem is trustees caving in to faculty pressure, and failing to give presidents the support they need to impose tough-love changes like curriculum reform and holding teachers accountable for the progress of their students.

Some veterans of the job say college presidents should be held to a high standard, but worry it's become an unforgiving one.

"The slightest transgression by anybody on campus is brought to the president's threshold," said Stephen Trachtenberg, who recently _ and without any particular controversy _ announced plans to retire after 19 years as president of George Washington University. "The president is supposed to not only do a mea culpa, but fall on their sword."

Asked about how his work has changed, Trachtenberg describes a list of grievances piling up on his desk. One example: A donor has written to protest the honorary degree GW awarded to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, promising not to give another nickel.

Plus, Trachtenberg adds good-naturedly, "I've got 1,500 faculty who've all got free speech. In fact, they think they have a multiplier of free speech."

Modern college presidents must be "intellectual leaders, scholars, managers, sensitive to people, knowledgeable about monetary affairs and investments, boosters of athletics, culture and dance, good with neighbors, agile fundraisers," he said. "The job description is so expansive and so unforgiving that what is impressive is there are as many people as are willing to stand up and take a shot."

And yet, plenty do. There is ample prestige, the company of erudite colleagues and perks like a free house and 50-yard-line football seats. Median compensation for presidents of research universities is about $470,000, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education's latest survey (compensation is about half that at smaller schools). Trachtenberg's most recently released annual compensation figure was more than $700,000. That's less than CEOs of top corporations make, but pretty good for an academic.

A Chronicle survey last fall reported 94 percent of college presidents would choose the job again.

"I have had 20 of the most privileged professional years that anybody could want," Trachtenberg said. "If I hadn't been able to do this, I would have had to be a lawyer."