Washington, DC, March 11, 2024—W. Joseph King has been appointed as the Distinguished Presidential Fellow by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for the term spanning 2024-2025.
Well-known in higher education circles for his bold advocacy, commitment to diversity and inclusion,“Joey” King, merges as an eminent figure in higher education leadership. With a tenure of 13 years as a CLIR board member and the founding principal of Academic Innovators, a higher education consultancy, King brings a wealth of experience and innovation to this fellowship.
This prestigious appointment, spanning two years, running from January 2024 through December 2025, will see King embarking on another research project focused on the business of higher education. Collaborating with retired Bucknell University president Brian C. Mitchell, King’s focus will be on completing a groundbreaking third co-authored book titled “The Reckoning in American Higher Education,” slated for publication by Johns Hopkins University Press.
King says he is committed to addressing the pivotal challenges confronting higher education through rigorous scholarship. “I’ve been thinking about the hard problems facing higher ed and I’ll be working on a book about them.”
His forthcoming book will delve into multifaceted issues including leadership dynamics, mentorship efficacy, pedagogical strategies, tuition affordability, and the evolving landscape of higher education in response to the needs of contemporary learners and scholars. He presents a significant question: “What will colleges do to survive and stay relevant?”
This forthcoming publication builds upon King’s successful collaborations with Mitchell, including the acclaimed works “Leadership Matters: Confronting the Hard Choices Facing Higher Education” and “How to Run a College: A Practical Guide for Trustees, Faculty, Administrators, and Policy Makers,” both published by Johns Hopkins University Press, which garnered rave reviews from national media outlets.
King’s distinguished career includes serving as the 18th president at Lyon College and offering strategic guidance as a senior advisor at Emory & Henry College. Additionally, his leadership at the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, Southwestern University, and Rice University’s Connexions underscores his commitment to advancing educational accessibility and innovation.
CLIR president Charles Henry lauded King’s appointment, affirming, “Joey King, one of the most insightful scholars of higher education, is a successful entrepreneur, academic leader, and voice of commitment to diversity, epitomizing qualities essential for sustaining post-secondary education.” He added, “Dr. King has throughout his career focused on building vital communities of purpose and practice, inclusive of and transcending the current institutional models of research and learning, in service to the public good.”
Expressing gratitude for the fellowship’s financial support which will be used to support the completion of the forthcoming book, King said, “It’s a great honor. I am pleased to see CLIR aligning itself with higher education, finding its footing in the 21st century and determining its destiny going forward.”
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is an independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning. CLIR promotes forward-looking collaborative solutions that transcend disciplinary, institutional, professional, and geographic boundaries in support of the public good.
