In August 2007, the Chronicle of Higher Education created a stir by reporting that the appointment of Sean Buffington to the top job at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts had boosted the number of openly gay university presidents in the United States to three. The others cited were Ralph Hexter of Hampshire College and Roosevelt University’s Charles Middleton, who said a “Plexiglas ceiling” had been keeping gays out of academia’s top administrative job. Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force at the time, told the Chronicle the number was a disgrace given that “there’s no shortage of gay people” in higher education.
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Three years later, one informal count puts it at 25. “It’s a healthy sign that there are so many of us are out and identifiable in such a short period of time,” Middleton says. “But I also think it’s a negative commentary on the openness of higher education that there are so few of us.” According to the Higher Education Directory, there are 4,662 accredited, degree-granting academic institutions in the U.S.—so those 25 are filling about one half of 1 percent of the possible spots.
Scheduled for August 6-7 at Roosevelt and the Adler School (which probably won’t have completed its move from 65 E. Wacker to new digs at 17 N. Dearborn by then), the meeting will have the chiefs huddling over subjects like professional development and how to work with board members as well as the mission, shape, and future of the new group. And because a college president’s spouse is traditionally expected to play at least a ceremonial role on campus, participants’ partners will be on hand, holding a confab of their own.
As for closeted gay presidents, Crossman doesn’t think there are many anymore. “It’s become culturally and emotionally less possible,” he says, “and everything comes out when you’re having your candidacy vetted for one of these roles. The interview process includes bringing your spouse to the campus.” Crossman says his partner of 15 years, artist Christopher Dillehay, had to pass muster before Adler gave him the job. “People had to decide if he was going to represent the institution well. And that’s why we’re having partners as part of the meeting.”
