Would a Position at a Community College Pigeon Hole Me?

[downer]

Looking at your own university administration, were any of them hired from community colleges?

I've known quite a few faculty with some administrative experience move to CC admin jobs, but they have all stayed in the CC realm.

Would you be looking to be hired with tenure in a department? That might be a factor.

[Cheerful]

nevermind.  deleted.

[Golazo]

I agree with everything that has been written here, as it applies to R1 or R2 and private SLAC types of 4-years. If you were interested in regional comprehensive 4-years with primarily undergraduate teaching missions, it is possible to move from an admin position at a CC to a 4-year, provided the missions are similar. At my current regional "directional" state university, we have more in common and work much more closely with our colleagues at our local CCs than we do with the large state universities. But we have an undergraduate teaching mission, and are an access institution. We also share the frustration also with our CC colleagues of having folks come in with no awareness of our mission, talking about research, grad students, and objectives that are valuable but not primary to us. You should think about what you value in an institution and focus your efforts on places that are a mutual good fit.

I agree with this, though I would add lower tier private LACs to this (though there is always a question with many of these as to how long they will be open). I think that 4-4 schools won't care that your experience is at a CC though you might need to make a lateral move. But the commentators above are right that a school with research aspirations won't want a provost who was a dean at a CC.