Book Review: Enhancing Campus Capacity for Leadership: An Examination of Grassroots Leaders in Higher Education, by Kezar, A. J., & Lester, J. (2011)

Abstract

Kezar.A.J., & Lester, J. (201 I). Enhancing Campus Capacity for Leadership: An Examination of Grassroots Leaders in Higher Education. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 368 pp. $60.00 (cloth). ISBN: 9780804776479.We are not alone. This is the message of Kezar and Lester's rich study of grassroots leaders in higher education. Although the isolated environment of many academics may lead to a sense that progressive leaders are few in number, Kezar and Lester reveal that grassroots activists can be found in many departments and institutions. These individuals, who often do not have formal authority, from the bottom up, and pursue organizational changes that challenge the status quo.Grassroots leaders are critical to the future of higher education, especially in public institutions, since the commitment of faculty and staff is one of the few resources institutions can potentially expand in this era of increasing financial austerity. But at the same time, the need for progressive leadership, at all levels of the organization, is undermined by the increasing tendency of administrations to move away from shared governance models. Because of this development, Kezar and Lester believe that increasing confrontations between faculty and administrations lie ahead. They suggest that cooperation between faculty and institutional administrations may be waning and that we may be entering a time of further unionization.Kezar and Lester themselves are longtime activists on their campuses who have a lengthy history of grassroots leadership as well as publications that highlight what can be accomplished in the higher education framework. In this study they have collected and analyzed the experiences of dozens of progressive leaders in the faculty and staff ranks. They have also synthesized the wide-ranging literature on leading change without the benefit of formal authority in the organization. Yet for all the optimism that can be generated by success stories, they paint a grim picture of the overall dynamics of campus politics in the age of academic capitalism and new managerialism.This book is rich because it starts from the perspective that leadership is about change, not maintaining the status quo. This perspective is supported in Part 1 of the book by a review of the literature on leadership in organizations without official position or authority, on community-based grassroots leadership in social movements, and on the obstacles faced by grassroots leaders and the motivations that drive them. These literatures serve as the foundation for examining several case studies. These case studies focus on and concern a range of higher education institutions. These institutions range from a major research university to a regional public university to a polytechnic college, a small liberal arts college, and a community college.The book is also strengthened by the authors' application of the tempered radicals framework developed by Meyerson (2003). Tempered radicals are activists who essentially work within the system to achieve change, as compared to those who use more confrontational strategy and tactics. Of course, any institutional context will probably include a mix of ideas about how to achieve change. But, Kezar and Lester argue that the tempered radical approach, focusing on educational strategy and tactics, is most appropriate to the world of higher education. Their case studies highlight issues such as the need to advance family-friendly policies, the development of sustainability curriculum, and the strengthening of programs that assist students and faculty of color.In Part 2 of the book, the authors introduce us to several grassroots leaders and the reader is provided with a personal and almost intimate account of how these leaders worked to advance their objectives. Some of these leaders were faculty; some were staff in student affairs or elsewhere. While most of the leaders achieved at least some measure of success, each had to navigate a variety of obstacles, resistance, and personal turmoil in the process. …