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Presidents Program
The Presidents Program is designed to assist presidents
in affirming their own sense of vocation, in the context of the missions
of the institutions they lead. The program, funded by a generous grant
from the Lilly Endowment, will include up to 20 college and university
presidents and their spouses. Information on the program and how to apply
is provided below. The application deadline is March 31, 2005.
Click
here to view the Presidents Program brochure. (This
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Vocation and Mission
Individuals often bring to a presidency—or discover
as president—a deep sense of vocation or calling. This sense
of vocation is likely to have multiple origins, representing a unique
composite of an individual’s experiences and professional competence,
as well as an appreciation of the kinds of endeavors that offer personal
satisfaction, a sense of meaning, and in many cases a spiritually
grounded belief about the importance of this work as president. Such
a calling offers the promise of self-knowledge at a level that can
contribute significantly to the success of a presidency. Yet frequently
the call is not sufficiently nourished and strengthened.
Institutional mission and self-definition, too, typically
spring from multiple sources. They may include the values of a founding
religious denomination, the history of a place or a region, characteristics
of a student population, and a particular educational philosophy.
Each institution, as a result, has a distinctive self-definition.
The institutional self comes to life in oft-repeated stories, beloved
campus features, cherished events, and memories of respected individuals.
Leaders need to grow in their ability to know their
own vocation and to understand the full texture of the institutions
they lead. Out of that self-knowledge and understanding they can construct
a compelling narrative that guides their work as president, while
also shaping a vision for the institution’s future. Leaders
in touch with these deep wellsprings of personal calling and institutional
meaning will be more likely to lead effectively as well as craft a
more appropriate context for decision-making. To foster such leadership,
CIC has developed this program.
The program has several components:
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A summer seminar (July 2005)
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Telephone consultations (Fall 2005 and Spring 2006)
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A winter follow-up meeting (January 2006)
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Readings (throughout)
Spouses are welcome and encouraged to participate in the entire program.
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Program
Structure
This program—offered for the first time in 2005—provides
20 presidents and their spouses the opportunity for candid, intense,
small group discussion among their peers. Guiding the discussions
will be facilitators who are expert on matters of personal vocation
and institutional mission—from both spiritual and secular perspectives.
Seminar Topics
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Theological, philosophical, historical, and psychological
frameworks for understanding vocation
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Personal vocation: how to discern it
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Institutional mission: how to understand it
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Connecting vocation with institutional mission
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When we have strengthened the connection, what will
we do?
The “bookend” features of this program are a three-day
summer seminar and a one-day winter reprise of the seminar (see Preliminary
Schedule). Other activities before the summer seminar, between the
two events, and after the follow-up event are as follows:
Before the Summer Seminar (Early Summer 2005)
Participants will be expected to read selected essays in preparation
for the summer seminar. The readings will emphasize vocation, with secondary
attention to mission. Each participating president will write two short
pieces for distribution in advance to all participants:
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Reflections on vocation, or your own personal statement
of vocation, in 100 words or less
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A distillation of your college’s mission into
50 words or less
Between the Summer Seminar and the Winter Follow-Up
(Fall 2005)
Each participant will consult by telephone twice with one of the seminar
leaders, in September and in November. The purpose of the consultations
for presidents will be to consider how the reflections on vocation and
mission from the summer have influenced their leadership on campus.
Participants will read several more selections before the winter
follow-up meeting.
After the Follow-up Event (Spring 2006)
Each participant will have one telephone consultation with a seminar
leader in March or April. The topics of the final consultation will
be:
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Changes in my own sense of personal vocation
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Changes in my own understanding of institutional mission
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Benefits realized from my participation in the program
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My future plans in light of the program
Costs
Most costs, including reimbursement of travel to the summer seminar,
lodging, meals, consultations, and materials will be covered by the
program. The registration fee is $250 for the president and $125 for
an accompanying spouse.
Leadership (to date)
The following people will be involved in advising, planning, and leading
sessions at the seminar:
William V. Frame, president, Augsburg College, and CIC Senior Advisor
(project director)
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, director, Quality of Life Research Center,
Claremont Graduate University
Paul J. Dovre, president emeritus, Concordia College at Moorhead (MN)
Jean A. Dowdall, vice president, Witt-Kieffer, and former president,
Simmons College
Douglas Jacobsen, distinguished professor of church history and theology,
Messiah College
Stephen G. Jennings, president, University of Evansville, and former
president, Oklahoma City University, Simpson College, and College of
the Ozarks
Mary Pat Seurkamp, president, College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Shirley H. Showalter, vice president, programs, Fetzer Institute, and
former president, Goshen College
Raymond B. Williams, director emeritus, Wabash Center for Teaching
and Learning in Theology and Religion
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Application
Information
Prospective participants can direct questions about
the program to Frederik Ohles, CIC’s vice president for advancement,
by telephone at (202) 466-7230 or e-mail at fohles@cic.nche.edu.
Application Procedure
Interested presidents should follow the application instructions included
in this announcement and write a brief statement of (a) their sense
of vocation, (b) their reflection on the role of institutional mission
in higher education, and (c) the benefits they anticipate for themselves
and their institutions from participation in the program.
The completed application should be submitted as a single
package to CIC’s office by mail or express delivery to One Dupont
Circle, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20036; by fax to (202) 466-7238;
or by e-mail to vocationpresidents@cic.nche.edu.
Applications received by March 31, 2005, will be given full consideration.
Selection Criteria
If the number of applicants exceeds the program capacity, these criteria
will be used to select participants:
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What evidence is there of the individual’s
commitment to the program’s purpose—the relationship between
personal vocation and institutional mission?
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How will the institution and the individual benefit
from the program?
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How will the individual’s participation contribute
to the diversity of perspectives and experiences in the program?
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Application
Instructions
On a cover sheet, please provide the following information:
1. Name
2. Position
3. Name of institution
4. Street address
5. City, state, zip code
6. Telephone
7. Fax
8. E-mail
9. Years in current position
10. Prior positions in the past 15 years
11. Prior professional development programs
12. Marital status
13. Name of spouse, if married
14. Will your spouse participate in the program?
(Yes, no, uncertain, not applicable)
Attach a statement of no more than two pages on (a) the role of vocation
in the college presidency, (b) your reflection on the role of institutional
mission in higher education, and (c) the benefits you anticipate for
yourself and your institution from participation in this program.
Please send the completed application to CIC for receipt
by March 31, 2005.
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Preliminary
Schedule
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| Monday, July 25, 2005 |
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| 4:00 p.m. |
Arrival and registration |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. |
Reception |
| 6:00-7:00 p.m. |
Dinner |
| 7:00-8:30 p.m. |
Introduction to the program and introduction of the participants |
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Opening reflection exercise on institutional mission and
personal vocation |
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| Tuesday, July 26, 2005 |
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| 8:30-10:30 a.m. |
Small group discussions of personal vocation, drawing upon
readings |
| 10:30-Noon |
Reflection exercise for whole group on personal vocation,
drawing upon readings |
| Noon-1:00 p.m. |
Lunch |
| 1:00-2:00 p.m. |
Free time |
| 2:00-3:00 p.m. |
Small group discussions on understanding institutional mission,
drawing upon the participants' distillations of missions |
| 3:00-4:30 p.m. |
Reflection exercise for whole group on institutional mission,
drawing upon the participants' distillations of missions |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. |
Reception |
| 6:00-7:00 p.m. |
Dinner |
7:00-8:30 p.m. |
Small group discussions on the alignment of personal vocation
and institutional mission |
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| Wednesday, July 27, 2005 |
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| 9:00-10:30 a.m. |
Small group exercises on personal vocation in practice and
institutional mission in crisis |
| 10:45-Noon |
Reflection exercise for the whole group on mission and vocation |
| Noon-1:00 p.m. |
Lunch |
| 1:00-2:00 p.m. |
Free time |
| 2:00-3:00 p.m. |
Plenary discussion of essential presidential skills as they
relate to personal vocation and institutional mission |
3:00-4:00 p.m. |
Closing plenary session |
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Winter Follow-up Agenda |
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Saturday, January 7, 2006 |
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| 1:30-2:00 p.m. |
Opening plenary session |
| 2:00-4:00 p.m. |
Small group discussion of mission and vocation—drawing
upon readings and experiences on campus during the fall |
| 4:30-6:00 p.m. |
Plenary session on key themes from the small group discussions |
7:00 p.m. |
Dinner with reflections by seminar leaders |
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| Sunday, January 8, 2006 |
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| 9:00-10:30 a.m. |
Small group discussion of discernment—experiences in
person and on campus during the fall |
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. |
Plenary session on key themes from the small group discussions |
Noon-1:00 p.m. |
Lunch and adjournment |
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Questions
If you have questions about the Presidential Vocation
and Institutional Mission Program, please contact Fred Ohles, CIC
Vice President for Advancement, at (202) 466-7230 or fohles@cic.nche.edu.
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