Anthropologist‐Administrators and the Practice of Leadership in Higher Education

ABSTRACT

Anthropologists serve at all levels of university administration, suggesting that anthropology faculty feel they have something to contribute to academic administration, and that universities value the contributions that anthropologists make to university leadership. But what do anthropology and anthropologists contribute to higher education administration? Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with 28 current, former, and retired anthropologist‐administrators at 25 research universities across 15 US states, this paper explores how anthropology informs administrative practice. The findings indicate that anthropologist‐administrators maintain an anthropological worldview, which shapes how they engage in the problem‐solving dimensions of their administrative roles. Recognizing anthropologist‐administrators as practicing anthropologists benefits the discipline and the university by directing attention to core anthropological values, perspectives, and sensibilities that shape all modes of anthropological practice. This understanding can be used to enhance university leadership and better position the discipline and its academic departments within the university.