Several CIC services to presidents, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and the H.J. Heinz Company Foundation that were launched by CIC in 2003, have enabled presidents to meet in order to advise one another, brought together presidents and trustees, and provided consultants on such issues as financial management and president-board relations.

Presidential Forums
Since 2002, 77 presidents have signed up for one of eight regional Forums. Each Forum convenes an ongoing group of presidents for three to four meetings each year to discuss professional concerns “off the record.” Each meeting involves five to seven presidents who came to the presidency from different backgrounds and who usually lead non-competing schools. Among the topics that have been discussed at the Forums:
     Governance—the governance system and how to improve it; trustee recruitment; board leadership; how best to involve board members in meaningful discussion; building board leadership; and how to select the chair and work with a chair who is a micro manager.
     The Presidency—presidential life cycles (seasons in the life of a president); how to carve out a personal life in the midst of the many demands on a president; how to make the office of the president more efficient; keys to more effective use of time; the president’s role in a successful financial campaign; and succession planning.
     Finances—collaboration and outsourcing; how and when to invest in your institution; how to balance the need to balance the operating budget with the need to invest in the future; health insurance in an era of rising costs; funding financial aid; and how to create new sources of revenue.
     Mission—what it means to be a church-related college in the 21st century; under what circumstances is it appropriate to cancel a student performance of questionable taste; and how to build diversity on campus.
     The Presidential Forums program is directed by George Houston, president emeritus of Mount St. Mary’s University (MD). “The key to a successful Forum is a commitment to attend the three or four meetings a year regardless of what other demands on the president’s time may be,” Houston said. “These Forums offer presidents an opportunity to discuss some of their most pressing issues and to benefit from the collective experience of the other presidents present.” Houston can be reached at (202) 466-7230 or via e-mail at ghouston@cic.nche.edu.

President-Trustee Dialogues
Nearly 100 presidents and trustees from 44 institutions have participated in one of six President-Trustee Dialogues sponsored by CIC over the past year. These regional meetings bring together presidents and one or two trustee leaders to examine board governance, president-board relations, and institutional strategy. Besides familiar topics such as trustees’ responsibilities and the board’s role in planning, participants have considered “best practices” for board meetings, the emerging role of the “committee on trustees,” and the “curriculum” necessary to develop a strategic board.
     Response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive. Bill Crouch, president of Georgetown College (KY), said “the dialogue was a wonderful time for me and my chair to collaborate. We brought back several ideas that we plan to implement.” James W. Coghlin, Sr., a trustee of Nichols College (MA), said he is “totally confident” that participants “garnered several new ideas that will help them in their roles as presidents and trustees within their own colleges’ environments.”
     The Dialogues have been hosted by Xavier University (OH); Johnson C. Smith University (NC); St. Edward’s University (TX); Northwestern College (MN); The Sage Colleges (NY); and Albright College (PA). Additional meetings are envisioned for the coming year in locations such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Information will be mailed to all presidents in late summer. The program was launched in July 2003 and is directed by Tom Flynn, former president of Millikin University (IL), who serves as CIC
senior advisor. He can be reached at (202) 466-7230 or via e-mail at tflynn@cic.nche.edu.

Presidents Consulting Service
Retired presidents who comprise the Presidents Consulting Service conducted nine consultancies during the 2003-04 academic year. The consultants advise (via phone or a campus visit) sitting presidents on issues including crisis management, financial management, president-board relations, and administrative reorganization.
     Presidents who have used the service have found it helpful. “As a new president, the Presidents Consulting Service enabled me to gain an independent perspective on the college’s finances, alternative methods of viewing those finances, and insights regarding personnel. Our consultant quickly became a mentor to me and the recommendations enabled our administration to establish priorities and create a plan of action in working with the college finances,” said William Johnson, president of Iowa Wesleyan College.
     CIC Senior Advisor Allen Splete, who arranges the consultancies, said inquiries regarding use of the Presidents Consulting Service increased significantly in 2003-04. “New presidents, in particular, have found this opportunity for assistance very worthwhile. We anticipate a strong level of activity in 2004-05.”
     For questions about the Presidents Consulting Service, Allen Splete can be reached at (202) 466-7230 or via e-mail at asplete@cic.nche.edu.

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Last updated: August 2004
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