Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Community College Leadership

Committee Director

Mitchell R. Williams

Committee Member

James E. Bartlett

Committee Member

Christopher N. Poulos

Abstract

Mid-level academic leaders in community colleges play a critical role in the success of community colleges. Beyond performing administrative tasks, they advocate for faculty, staff, and students as well as implement directives. Their work is affected by localized disruptions. However, limited research has examined how these leaders experience such disruptions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mid-level community college leaders experience and make sense of those unexpected operational disruptions and their emotional responses to those events. Guided by Weick’s theory of sensemaking, this study used the critical incident technique (CIT) to collect detailed accounts of the events considered the most disruptive by the participants.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with mid-level academic administrators employed at rural community colleges. Participants were asked to describe their most memorable disruptive incident and to reflect on their responses, emotions, and subsequent actions. Findings revealed that the disruptions experienced fit into one of two categories, either institution-centered or people-centered. Communication served as a foundational element of sensemaking across all stages of the process. Participants’ sensemaking was also shaped by their organizational positionality of “being in the middle,” as well as their strong commitment to the mission of community colleges. The emotions experienced by participants were complex and had lasting effects, highlighting the significant emotional labor required in these positions. These findings underscore the need for evaluation of institutional practices and targeted professional development to better support mid-level leaders.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). 

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25777/bfb2-ef36

ISBN

9798197809629

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