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for Una Dyer Dr. James Maddirala, Director Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change, Ph.D. Program invites you to the Public Defense Dissertation Wednesday, April 24, 2024 4:00 PM AST Join via Zoom https://uvi-edu.zoom.us/j/95727623343?pwd=MGNxbUJHSHZkNTFJVDAyK3Y2emVMZz09 Meeting ID: 957 2762 3343 Passcode: 881512 TOPIC “The Development Of A Composite Leadership Profile Of Presidents Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities: Building A Model For Crisis Leadership” ” ABSTRACT Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played a vital role in providing educational opportunities and advancing the socioeconomic status of African America n students for generations. Despite their profound legacy of achievement, HBCUs fa ce significant vulnerabilities, heightened risks, and disproportionate crises that threaten th eir viability, relevancy, and sustainability. These crises include economic challenges du e to systemic underfunding and resource constraints; reputational setbacks resulting from leadership instabilities and negative media perceptions; distinct vulnerabilities to n atural disasters exacerbated by their geographical concentration in areas prone to extreme weather events and negative disaster outcomes; and public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic that have amplified existing inequities and pervasive campus violence. This qualitat ive study aimed to explore the essence of the crisis leadership phenomenon in HBCUs by inv estigating the lived experiences of HBCU presidents during these various crisis situations. ABSTRACT Employing a phenomenological approach, this dissertation examined the presidents' leadership styles and decision-making processes within the context of each crisis typology. Fifteen HBC U presidents participated in the study, providing rich, authentic descriptions of their liv ed experiences. By delving into the unique challenges faced by HBCUs and the multifaceted and complex nature of crisis leadership in these institutions, this study aimed to fill the knowledge gap in the existing literature and contribute to the broader discourse on crisis leadership in higher education institutions, particularly within the context of HBCUs and minority-serving institutions. Keywords: crisis leadership, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), leadership styles, decision-making, phenomenological study, higher education Dissertation Committee Dissertation Committee Timothy A. Akers, Ph.D. Committee Chairperson & Methodologist James Maddirala Ph.D. Program Director & Faculty Sponsor Willie D. Larkin, Ph.D. Content Specialist Jennifer Palmer Crawford, Ph.D. Peer Reader