Date of Award
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College
College of Business
First Advisor
Grace Lemmon
Abstract
This research explores crisis leadership in higher education, specifically how college presidents navigate the challenges of shrinking presidential tenure and the impending enrollment cliff. The study investigates the concept of temporal discounting—prioritizing immediate over future outcomes—examining if it is influenced by leaders' typically shorter tenures and how it impacts strategic decisions during this slow-building crisis. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research analyzes how leaders' temporal orientation and decision-making styles affect critical institutional outcomes, such as financial health and survival. Ultimately, this work aims to offer insights for navigating crises and enhance crisis leadership theory by highlighting the role of temporal discounting at the executive level.
Copyright
Copyright © 2026 St. Arbin Smith
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Smith, St. Arbin, "Crisis Leadership in the Ivory Tower: Surviving the Enrollment Cliff and the Tenure Time Trap" (2026). Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University. 55.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/theses-dissertations/55