COUNCIL OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES

NETWORKS, PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, AND SERVICES CIC'S NETWORKS, PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, AND SERVICES SUPPORT ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN KEY AREAS THROUGH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR MID-LEVEL AND SENIOR CAMPUS OFFICERS AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS THROUGH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR STATE COUNCIL MEMBERS.INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES LEGACIES OF AMERICAN SLAVERY: RECKONING WITH THE PASTTHIS INITIATIVE, GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION AND OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GILDER LEHRMAN CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SLAVERY, RESISTANCE, AND ABOLITION (GLC) AT YALE UNIVERSITY'S MACMILLAN CENTER, WAS DESIGNED TO HELP CIC MEMBER INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES EXPLORE THE CONTINUING IMPACT OF SLAVERY ON AMERICAN LIFE AND CULTURE. SEVEN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SERVED AS REGIONAL COLLABORATION PARTNERS. EACH PARTNER FOCUSED ON A THEME OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, ORGANIZING REGIONAL ACTIVITIES WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO A NATIONAL CONVERSATION THROUGH RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, UNDERGRADUATE COURSES, CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT, AND PUBLIC EVENTS. IN SUMMER 2020, THE PROJECT RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH). A FINAL CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ON SEPTEMBER 1921, 2024, WITH MANY SESSIONS LIVESTREAMED AND LATER SHARED AS RECORDINGS ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE. A SERIES OF PROJECT SUMMARIES AND REFLECTIONS FROM THE REGIONAL COLLABORATORS WAS POSTED TO THE PROJECT WEBSITE IN MAY 2025, WHICH COLLECTIVELY SERVES AS A FINAL REPORT. HUMANITIES RESEARCH FOR THE PUBLIC GOODWITH SUPPORT FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION, THIS PROGRAM BROUGHT SCHOLARSHIP IN THE HUMANITIES INTO LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH STUDENT-LED PUBLIC PROGRAMS THAT DREW UPON INSTITUTIONAL LIBRARY OR ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS. FORTY-NINE INSTITUTIONS DEVELOPED COMMUNITY-FACING PROJECTS WITH SUPPORT FROM THIS PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WAS DIRECTED BY ANNE M. VALK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN SOCIAL HISTORY PROJECT/ CENTER FOR MEDIA AND LEARNING, CUNY GRADUATE CENTER. A MULTIMEDIA REPORT, HUMANITIES RESEARCH FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD: A CIC INITIATIVE TO CONNECT COLLEGES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH STUDENT RESEARCH AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS, WAS RELEASED IN MARCH 2025 AND INCLUDES BEST PRACTICES AND EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS.CONSORTIUM FOR WORK-BASED LEARNINGTHE WORK-BASED LEARNING CONSORTIUM IS A FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM THAT BEGAN IN 2023 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RIIPEN, AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PLATFORM, TO CREATE A NATIONAL NETWORK OF INSTITUTIONS THAT INTEGRATE WORK-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES INTO THE CURRICULUM. CIC HAS ALSO CONTRACTED WITH ITHAKA S+R, AN EXTERNAL RESEARCH FIRM, TO LEAD AN INTENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THIS CURRICULUM ON STUDENTS, FACULTY MEMBERS, AND EMPLOYERS. TWENTY-FIVE MEMBER INSTITUTIONS WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT PROJECT.CAMPUS FREE EXPRESSION PROJECTIN AUGUST 2024, THE CAMPUS FREE EXPRESSION PROJECT (CFEP) MOVED TO CIC TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ACADEMIC LEADERS AT INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. LAUNCHED IN 2019 AT THE BIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER, THE CFEP HAS DEEPLY ENGAGED LEGISLATORS, POLICYMAKERS, PRESIDENTS, AND OTHER CAMPUS STAKEHOLDERS IN SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT. THE CFEP BRINGS TRUSTED, TESTED APPROACHES TO MEETING LEADERSHIP NEEDS. CIC RELEASED UPDATED REPORTS TO THE TASK FORCE'S SIGNATURE PUBLICATION, CAMPUS FREE EXPRESSION: A NEW ROADMAP, WHICH EXAMINES THE FACTORS THAT MAKE FREE EXPRESSION SO CHALLENGING ON A WIDE VARIETY OF CAMPUSES, WITH TAILORED ADVICE FOR PRESIDENTS, TRUSTEES, FACULTY MEMBERS, AND STUDENT AFFAIRS OFFICERS. THE ROADMAP IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT TO CIC'S MEMBERSHIP OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AS MOST MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC LEADERS TASK FORCE ON CAMPUS FREE EXPRESSION HAVE LED AND SERVE AT CIC MEMBER INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING BAYLOR UNIVERSITY (TX), CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY, DEPAUW UNIVERSITY (IN), DILLARD UNIVERSITY (LA), MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE (VT), RHODES COLLEGE (TN), AND THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND (VA). KIT AND FIT BENCHMARKING REPORTSTHE KEY INDICATORS TOOL (KIT) IS A CONFIDENTIAL ANNUAL BENCHMARKING REPORT THAT PROVIDES MEMBER INSTITUTIONS WITH 20 COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ON STUDENTS, FACULTY, REVENUE, AND EXPENDITURES. THE FINANCIAL INDICATORS TOOL (FIT) IS A CONFIDENTIAL ANNUAL BENCHMARKING REPORT THAT PROVIDES MEMBER INSTITUTIONS WITH COMPARATIVE INDICATORS OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DERIVED FROM FOUR KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS. BOTH ARE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE TO INSTITUTIONAL MEMBER PRESIDENTS. REPORTS ARE BASED ON US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INTEGRATED POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION DATA SYSTEM (IPEDS) DATA AND PREPARED BY THE AUSTEN GROUP, A UNIT OF RNL. THE 2025 KIT AND FIT REPORTS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN APRIL 2025. CONSULTATIONS AND CUSTOM BENCHMARKING REPORTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS. CIC HAS CONTRACTED WITH UQ SOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE INTERACTIVE AND ENHANCED REPORTS, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE IN FALL 2025. ADDITIONAL BENCHMARKING REPORTSIN RESPONSE TO MEMBER NEEDS AND REQUESTS, CIC HAS DEVELOPED TWO NEW BENCHMARKING REPORTS THAT ARE BASED ON VOLUNTARY DATA SUBMISSIONS FROM MEMBERS USING IPEDS DATA THAT IS REPORTED TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BUT WILL NOT BE PUBLICLY RELEASED UNTIL THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR. KIT PART C REPORT CONTAINS DATA BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMING. FIT SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT ALLOWS INSTITUTIONS TO PROVIDE IPEDS DATA THAT WERE JUST REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND BENCHMARK AGAINST OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT VOLUNTARILY REPORTED THIS EARLY DATA. HIGHER EDUCATION DIGEST OF RECENT RESEARCHWITH SUPPORT FROM THE ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS, CIC PUBLISHED TWO ISSUES OF THE DIGEST OF RECENT RESEARCH PER YEAR THAT HIGHLIGHT TIMELY AND PERTINENT RESEARCH PRESIDENTS AND SENIOR CAMPUS LEADERS MIGHT FIND HELPFUL. THE MOST RECENT DIGEST WAS PUBLISHED IN SPRING 2025 AND WAS EDITED BY BETHANY L. MILLER, ASSOCIATE PROVOST AND CHIEF DATA OFFICER AT MACALESTER COLLEGE (MN), AND PHILIP T. DUNWOODY, SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION HEAD AND PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT JUNIATA COLLEGE (PA). UNDER THIS NEW EDITORIAL OVERSIGHT, EACH ISSUE SHARED RESEARCH AND RESOURCES ON A THEME. THE SPRING 2025 THEME WAS IMMIGRATION POLICY, INTERNATIONAL ENROLLMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP, AND THE IMPACT ON HIGHER EDUCATION. THE FINAL ISSUE WAS PUBLISHED IN FALL 2025 AND FOCUSED ON THE IMPACTS OF FEDERAL POLICY. THIS IS THE FINAL YEAR OF FUNDING FOR THE DIGEST OF RECENT RESEARCH. SOLUTION CENTERIN JANUARY 2025, CIC INTRODUCED THE SOLUTION CENTER MARKETPLACE, A DYNAMIC PLATFORM BUILT FOR THE CIC COMMUNITY AND DESIGNED TO HELP INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FIND TAILORED SOLUTIONS, SERVICES, AND PRODUCTS ON ONE PLATFORM. MANAGED BY CIC, THE MARKETPLACE CONNECTS INSTITUTIONS TO COMPANIES AND CONSULTANTS DEDICATED TO THE INDEPENDENT HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR, FREE OF CHARGE. IN SPRING 2025, THE SPONSORS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WERE ADDED AS SUPPLIERS TO OFFER THEIR SERVICES TO CIC MEMBERS. AS OF JUNE 2025, THERE ARE MORE THAN 70 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES TO SEARCH AND CONNECT WITH MORE THAN 500 SUPPLIERS.GRADUATE PROGRAM STUDYUNDERSTANDING THE LANDSCAPE OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS IS A REPORT THAT SUMMARIZES THE FINDINGS OF A 2024 SURVEY OF PRESIDENTS AND CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS AT CIC MEMBER INSTITUTIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW INDEPENDENT COLLEGES BUILD, SUPPORT, AND SUSTAIN GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND STUDENTS. THE REPORT SHARES THE CONTEXT IN WHICH INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS ARE OFFERING GRADUATE PROGRAMMING AND INSIGHTS FROM THEIR SURVEY RESPONSES. A VARIETY OF FACTORS HAS LED TO THE GROWTH OF AND DEMAND FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS. CIC INTENDS TO USE THE FINDINGS FROM THIS SURVEY TO ASSIST INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSITY LEADERS IN ANTICIPATING GRADUATE MARKET TRENDS AND BUILDING SUSTAINABLE GRADUATE PROGRAMS THAT SERVE STUDENT NEEDS AND DELIVER TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES. SUPPORT FOR MAKING THIS STUDY AVAILABLE FOR FREE WAS PROVIDED BY EDUCATIONDYNAMICS.PRESIDENTIAL COMPETENCIES REPORTIN SEPTEMBER 2024, ACADEMIC SEARCH RELEASED THE 2024 COMPETENCIES FOR THE COLLEGE PRESIDENCY: A NATIONAL STUDY OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND CIC. THIS SURVEY OF MORE THAN 700 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS IDENTIFIES THE LEADERSHIP TRAITS NECESSARY TO SUCCEED IN TODAY'S CHALLENGING AND POLITICAL HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE. SEVEN COMPETENCIES FOR EFFECTIVE PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDY: TRUST BUILDING, DEMONSTRATING RESILIENCE, COMMUNICATION SAVVY, CRAFTING A CABINET AND BUILDING A TEAM, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, LEADING WITH COURAGE, AND DATA ACUMEN AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. THE STUDY'S RESEARCHERS SHARED THEIR INSIGHTS DURING A SESSION ("CREATING A RESILIENT PRESIDENCY") AT THE 2025 PRESIDENTS INSTITUTE AND THE 2025 ANNUAL STATE COUNCILS CONFERENCE.

CONFERENCES AND OTHER EVENTS CIC'S INSTITUTES, CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, AND WORKSHOPS PROVIDE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE 2025 PRESIDENTS INSTITUTE EXPLORED THE THEME "ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND PARTICIPANTS EXPLORED WAYS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES CAN EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE COMMUNITIES AND ACQUIRE TOOLS TO HELP REFRAME DISRUPTION AND PURSUE NEW OPPORTUNITIES. PLENARY PANELS OFFERED DIRECTION AND STRATEGIC ADVICE ON MITIGATING CONFLICT, PRESERVING CULTURES OF FREE EXPRESSION, AND EFFECTIVELY NAVIGATING THE FEDERAL POLICY AGENDA. CONCURRENT SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS PROVIDED INSIGHTS AND INTERACTION FROM PEERS ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, LEGAL CHALLENGES, BELONGING, DATA MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY, GRADUATE PROGRAMMING, AND MORE. CIC AGAIN OFFERED A PARALLEL PROGRAM FOR SPOUSES AND PARTNERS OF COLLEGE PRESIDENTS, AS WELL AS THE NEW PRESIDENTS PROGRAM. TWO WORKSHOPS WERE HELD AFTER THE INSTITUTE, "PRESIDENT-BOARD RELATIONS AND "FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THEM." THE 2024 INSTITUTE FOR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS, WITH THE THEME OF "ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP NOW & NEXT," INVITED CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS AND THEIR TEAMS TO COLLABORATE ON WAYS TO BUILD ALLIANCES, CREATE INNOVATIVE ACADEMIC PATHWAYS, AND UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF EDUCATION FOR MORE STUDENTS. INTERACTIVE SEMINARS AND CONCURRENT SESSIONS FOCUSED ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, BRIDGING ACADEMIC MISSION AND THE MARKETPLACE, PRISON EDUCATION, AND EXECUTIVE COACHING TO SUSTAIN ENERGY AND PASSION, IN ADDITION TO OTHER RELEVANT THEMES AND TOPICS. THERE WERE THREE PRE-INSTITUTE WORKSHOPS, "WORKSHOP FOR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS IN THEIR THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR OF SERVICE," "WORKSHOP FOR DEANS AND ASSOCIATE PROVOSTS/ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS, AND "WORKSHOP FOR NEW CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS."