When Ralph Hexter
assumed the presidency of Hampshire College in western
Massachusetts in 2005, his partner of 25 years, Manfred
Kollmeir, was officially welcomed with all the
trappings of a presidential spouse. Over Labor Day
weekend, the couple made it official, exchanging vows in a
private ceremony (Massachusetts is the only state allowing
same-sex marriage) and breaking the news last week to
the campus community.
Earlier this
month, the Chronicle of Higher Education
identified 11 openly gay college leaders, a small number
but one that is growing. There are more than 4,000 colleges
and universities in the United States.
The Associated
Press chatted with Hexter earlier this month about some of
the issues facing gay college presidents. His responses are
excerpted below.
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AP:Overall, academia is viewed as a welcoming
profession for gays and lesbians. So why do you
think so few have become presidents?
Hexter: In many parts of academia, whether it's
religious-based schools, many community colleges, it
isn't as welcoming, but you're right, overall as an
"industry," higher education is comparatively
welcoming. There is a glass ceiling in most places. I think
it has to do with the fact that the president is the chief
fund-raiser. In the older institutions there's a fear
that some of the alumni who provide the greatest
support and who are more conservative may be put off
by this.
AP:Is there any legitimacy to those concerns? After
all, a president can't lead a college effectively
if he or she can't raise money.
Hexter: I would say to an institution you have to
decide whether you believe in your own values, if they
extend to not discriminating on the basis of sexual
orientation. If you believe this is the best
individual to lead your college, it may or may not have that
impact, but wouldn't it be a shame if out of your own
fears, you shied away from choosing this person? If
you appoint the person, you may have a chance to
discover that your fears were not well-founded.
AP:Hampshire is a small school with a reputation of
being quite liberal and open. But do you expect
anytime soon to see an openly gay president at, say, a
Big Ten school or a large, prominent state
university in the South?
Hexter: It would surprise me if this development
occurred first in the South, at least for an out gay
president. State universities on the one hand have to
be concerned about their legislatures, so they might be
behind. On the other hand, they may might rely less on
donors. The University of California has appointed an
openly gay chancellor. If we could fast-forward 10
years, I'm certainly hopeful that the senior
executives at leading universities of whatever size will
reflect the diversity that exists at lower ranks.
AP:Do you believe there are really only a dozen or so
gay presidents? Or are there others who remain in
the closet?
Hexter: There's an intermediate stage, where it's
widely known but you would not, say, have your partner
cohosting events. Our Christmas cards say President
Hexter and Mr. Kollmeir. But I know that there are
many in the closet. After I wrote a piece in January for
Inside Higher Ed (a Web publication), I got e-mails
from community college presidents saying, ''I salute
you -- you're very fortunate, but if we were out, we
would lose our jobs.''
AP:Is the job of a same-sex presidential spouse any
different from that of an opposite-sex one?
Hexter: Part of my and our sense of the great fit of
Hampshire was the way the search committee and the
board wanted to get to know [Kollmeir], to get to know
us as a couple. I could not do the job without him.
It's important the role he plays in the social arena, but
also just helping me remain sane in such a taxing job.
He's cohosted with me at our home, he has represented
me at our home when I have been unable to be there,
and he is much loved by the board, students, and faculty.
He's just great. (Justin Pope, AP)