Mr. Romo and Ms. Jackson, too, said race was not a factor in their selection. Before coming to San Antonio, Mr. Romo was vice provost for undergraduate education at the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Jackson believes that her credentials won her the Rensselaer job. Ms. Jackson's and Mr. Romo's career paths aside, more and more presidents, like Ms. Wheelan, are being plucked from other presidencies. In 1998, 25.2 percent of presidents had been a college chief executive in their previous job, up from 17.3 percent in 1986.
Colleges also seem to be hiring more career presidents.
In 1998, 9.4 percent of those surveyed were on at least their third presidency, up from 5.9 percent in 1986. The proportion hired from provost positions fell to 20 percent in 1998, down from 22.5 percent in 1986, when it was the job from which presidents most often ascended. Multiple presidencies, coupled with an increase in presidents' average age, suggests an increasingly conservative approach taken by governing boards in filling the top job, says Ms. Ross, director of the study. Boards are hiring the tried and true. Private institutions were more likely to use consultants than public ones, 43.8 percent to 38.3 percent.