Confessions of a Chancellor: The Politics of Higher Education

During his seven years as chancellor of the University of Arkansas, David Gearhart was outspoken on many issues, including putting students first, advocating for undocumented and minority students, and raising the profile of the university as a nationally-recognized research leader. But on some of the most controversial issues of the day he maintained a diplomatic silence.

In this account, filled with candid descriptions of private boardroom deliberations and personal correspondence, Gearhart shares his honest opinions on everything from the selection of high-profile executives to the Sandusky scandal to his true feelings about the University of Arkansas System.

Beginning with his early years growing up in Fayetteville, where his family had long connections to the university, and continuing all the way up to his retirement as a professor in 2022, Gearhart's reflections focus on his 17 years as chancellor and vice chancellor at the University of Arkansas. He left the university with enrollment at an all-time high and an endowment approaching $1 billion.

Touching on themes from finance and fundraising to academics and athletics, the author also tells his side of the story regarding deficits in the advancement division-including details of his appearance in front of state legislators-and the investigations that cleared his name.

This book is for anyone with an interest in higher education, leadership, fundraising, or Arkansas politics. Full of engaging stories, it's both a highly personal accounting of events and a primer on navigating the personalities and politics of the ivory tower and the halls of power.