Philip Acree Cavalier, Eureka College (IL) - The Council of ...

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CONFERENCES 2012 Presidents Institute Champions of the Liberal Arts: Presidential Leadership in Independent Higher Education the 2012 presidents institute will be held January 4–7 at the Marco island Marriott in Marco island, Florida, and will feature presentations on the college president’s role as chief spokesperson for the distinctive features of one institution, as well as for the advantages of smaller, private, liberal arts colleges and universities in general. presidents’ opportunities to articulate the case for independent higher education are often hampered by the demands of their day-to-day management responsibilities. Meanwhile, as expectations mount among policymakers and journalists for lower prices, increased access, and narrowlyfocused professional training, the risks grow that the public may overlook the core value of a liberal arts education. emphasis on the central mission of preparing students for successful futures requires effective and articulate presidential leadership. Speakers and sessions will explore such questions as: How can the proven value of a liberal arts education over a lifetime be presented persuasively? How can presidents articulate the institution’s distinctive mission in compelling and nuanced ways? in what ways do the liberal arts foster workforce development and global competitiveness? How can an education grounded in the liberal arts be meaningfully connected to a lifetime of career success, personal fulfillment, and civic engagement? during the institute, participants will learn about the practical successes of many college presidents, hear from distinguished plenary speakers, and gain insights from experts who bring fresh perspectives on the higher education enterprise. Keynote speaker Nannerl O. Keohane, distinguished former president of duke University and Wellesley College, will issue a call to action rooted in the intrinsic importance of the liberal arts and the importance of presidential commitment to this goal. Keohane is Laurance S. Rockefeller distinguished Visiting professor in the Woodrow Wilson School and the Center for Human Values at princeton University. noted economist Ronald G. Ehrenberg will outline both the economic challenges and genuine opportunities for independent colleges and universities. ehrenberg is irving M. ives professor of industrial and Labor Relations and economics at Cornell University. White House advisor and founder and president of interfaith Youth Core, Eboo Patel, will explore ways in which presidents of private colleges 4 Independent | Summer 2011 and universities can lead their institutions to foster civility, interfaith understanding, and civic engagement. A special closing plenary session on the “enduring Role of independent Colleges in American Higher education” will feature Charles Currie, SJ, who has just retired after 14 years as president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities; Marylouise Fennell, RSM, who has served for two decades as senior counsel of the Council of independent Colleges; and David L. Warren, president of the national Association of independent Colleges and Universities (nAiCU) since 1993. A range of other presenters, including experienced college presidents and knowledgeable consultants, will offer stimulating and practical sessions on numerous topics—championing firstgeneration and low-income student success, developing trustees as fundraisers, planning effective board retreats, enhancing the career placement of liberal arts graduates, lessons from the Community College Linkage project, developing an effective marketing strategy, new digital tools for presidential leadership, the college student gender gap, the president’s role in revising the liberal arts curriculum, and presidential contracts and compensation, among others. Gordon Winston, Orrin Sage professor of political economy and emeritus director of the Williams project on the economics of Higher education at Williams College (MA), has been selected to receive the 2012 Allen p. Splete Outstanding Service Award. Special workshops will explore the following topics: • navigating the “new normal”: Where does the Money Come From? Where does it Go? What does it Buy? • presidential Leadership for Student Learning and Accountability • The Future of the Humanities in independent Higher education • Leadership and Liberal education in a Global Context in addition, the institute will include a full presidential Spouses program. preliminary program and complete registration information is available at www.cic.edu/PresidentsInstitute.
CONFERENCES New Presidents Program Focuses on Mentoring and Support CiC’s long-standing new presidents program will again be offered on January 3–4, 2012, at the Marco island Marriott immediately preceding the annual presidents institute (January 4–7). planners of the 2012 new presidents program have completed the list of program presenters and are anticipating 35–50 participants. A parallel program for new spouses will run concurrently with the new presidents program. Being a college or university president requires broad vision, yet a new president typically comes with background in only a few of the many areas of presidential responsibility. Many presidents say they did not fully realize the magnitude of the difference in perspective until they assumed office. The first few months on a new campus can be overwhelming for a new president; missteps at this time can be critical to longterm success. Recognizing these special needs and concerns, the new presidents program—the oldest of the many programs to serve chief executives—focuses exclusively on the presidential leadership of small and mid-sized independent colleges and universities. Since 1989, some 675 college presidents have completed the program, which offers opportunities for new presidents and their spouses to meet and exchange ideas with others new to the office. The presenters are experienced presidents, many of whom are alumni of the program. Joseph G. Burke, who recently retired as president of Keuka College (nY) where he had served since 1997, has been selected to direct the new presidents program, taking over the leadership from Marylouise Fennell, RSM, who coordinated the program for two decades. program topics are driven by evaluations from the preceding year. “We want to be as responsive as possible to the actual issues facing new presidents,” Burke said. “it is, after all, one thing to recognize the challenges of a presidency in the abstract but quite another to confront them.” each president who participates in the new presidents program is provided with a seasoned presidential partner who serves in an advisory capacity. “These experienced campus leaders can help new presidents successfully negotiate the perils and pitfalls while capitalizing on the opportunities that the first year represents,” Burke said. At times, a mentor’s role will be primarily to help the new president reach clarity, said Cynthia Zane, president of Hilbert College (nY). “A president may need only to speak to a mentor by telephone or, conversely, to spend a half-day or entire day talking an issue through, exploring the options and consequences of various courses of action.” Eureka College (iL) president david Arnold, who not only participated in the program as a new president but has been a Participants in the 2011 New Presidents Program heard from experienced presidents about both opportunities and “perils and pitfalls” of the first year in office. presenter said, “The role of a mentor is not to tell a new president what to think. Rather, it is to help focus him or her on what to think about. For example, the mentor might ask, ‘What are your burning issues, and how are you handling them?’ The entire process opens up the give-and-take that enables a new president to consider crucial issues from fresh and more productive perspectives.” instead of being pressed to make major decisions under time pressure, Arnold added, a president can be helped by a mentor who offers sound advice in an unhurried manner, helping a new president sort through multiple priorities. “The new presidents program was very beneficial because it gave me the opportunity to know and listen to the advice of seasoned presidents. it helped me to begin to establish a network of relationships during the first year,” said earl Brooks, who became president of Trine University (in) in 2000. Subjects typically covered in the program include financial fundamentals, board relations, fundraising, balancing priorities, responding to controversial issues, balancing attention among constituencies, and responding to unexpected situations. “We hope to save new presidents the anxiety of worrying about the wrong things while possibly overlooking major issues that they should be addressing,” Burke said. “A solid sounding board, an independent set of eyes and ears—these advantages of a mentoring program are absolutely indispensable to the long-term effectiveness of a new president. expectations for new presidents are very high, and the 24/7 nature of the position offers little or no opportunity for learning on the job. The CiC new presidents program fills that need. it provides both the ‘need to know’ tools and the counsel that will get that all-important presidential transition off to a running start,” he added. Independent | Summer 2011 5
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