Interview with The President of Al-Bayt University

Much of my research here in Jordan has involved interviewing policymakers, international organizations, university faculty and university presidents. 

When I went to interview the President of Al-Bayt university, he had to squeeze me in between two other meetings -- so I got only about 20 minutes with him. Of course it was an honor to get to meet the president -- I have to admit it was a bit of a surprise to have the head of PR come in and take a picture of us, and then insist that I get copies of my photos down in the basement of the first floor of the administration building (which I did as you can see!)

I've just found that some university presidents are a lot like political appointees -- in the sense that they are very diplomatic, and are not necessarily interested in developing a particular long-term vision of the university, but rather, in pursuing small projects or view the position as a short-term station. 

My interviews have been very insightful though, and I realized that this short-term frame of reference does make sense for many presidents, given the nature of their job. In the public sector, university presidents have to be approved by the King himself, so in that sense, they are quite political-- and any highly political talk might result in their being dismissed. The President's term is a set 4 years, and I've heard that while most do complete their term and have the option for a renewal of another four years, in fact, it is also quite possible to be dismissed before your term is up.

In the private sector, which operates under completely different policy structures, presidents' jobs are often on the line because private universities primary motive is actually to make money. As a result, presidents' reforms that are not particularly beneficial to the pocket book may also result in the forced resignation/firing of a university president.  

So, part of my research is understanding how these two very different policy sectors function -- and in general my interviewees suggest that neither one is particularly well-suited or long-term reform of universities.