Kenyon Conference Report

Representatives from 37 colleges and universities, including seven presidents, attended The Conference at Kenyon 2006: Integrating Library and Computing Services. CIC cosponsored the event, held at Kenyon College (OH) in March. CIC member participants included Allegheny College (PA), Bethany College (WV), Centre College (KY), Bridgewater College (VA), Champlain College (VT), Earlham College (IN), Goddard College (VT), Goucher College (MD), Hannibal-LaGrange College (MO), John Carroll University (OH), Marian College (IN), Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH), Rhodes College (TN), Ripon College (WI), Rockford College (IL), Rollins College (FL), Sewanee: The University of the South (TN), The College of Wooster (OH), Thiel College (PA), Urbana University (OH), Wheaton College (MA), Xavier University (OH), and Young Harris College (GA). The conference premise was that “merged information services organizations create the best environment for fostering breakthrough scholarly activity.” Participants explored how this concept offers advantages in identifying and addressing strategic issues and how faculty members’ teaching and scholarly work can benefit from integrated library/computing services organizations.

CIC in the News

As a result of increased media activities, CIC has lately reaped more publicity for its projects and programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education in its June 1–2 edition published an opinion piece by CIC President Richard Ekman on “Many Small Colleges Thrive with Modest Endowments.” And in The Chronicle’s March 24, 2006 edition, a two-page spread featured several campuses that are participating in CIC’s Historic Campus Architecture Project. Senior Writer Lawrence Biemiller accompanied Barbara Christen, director of the project, to North Carolina in summer 2005 on a tour of places of historical significance at Guilford, Salem, Davidson, and Belmont Abbey Colleges as well as Johnson C. Smith University. The resulting story, “From Modest to Magnificent,” included numerous photos of historic buildings and landmarks on the campuses. Campus Technology (a monthly publication focusing exclusively on the use of technology across all areas of higher education) featured a report with photo coverage on CIC’s Transformation of the College Library Workshop held in Chicago in October 2005. Reporter Mary Grush’s story on technology and campus libraries appeared in the February edition of the publication. In addition, CIC President Richard Ekman has been quoted in several publications on topics that include accountability issues raised by the Commission on the Future of Higher Education (The Chronicle of Higher Education and Insidehighered.com); presidential pay (The Des Moines Register); and the formation of a consortium of small colleges to share content for online education programs (Chronicle).

Staff News and Notes

In addition to giving the opening address at the Conference at Kenyon in March (see above), CIC President Richard Ekman delivered the commencement address at Lyon College (AR) in May, where he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He also addressed a workshop hosted by the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority, and meetings of the boards of directors of the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. In addition, Ekman’s essay, “Selective and Non-Selective Alike: An Argument for the Superior Educational Effectiveness of Smaller Liberal Arts Colleges,” was published in the American Council of Learned Societies’ Liberal Arts Colleges in American Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities. Copies of this publication are available on request (free while supplies last) from CIC.

Director of Research Hal Hartley presented findings from his research on the religious engagement of first-year students, at the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Annual Forum in May. In addition, he made presentations on CIC’s Making the Case website, and, along with Mike Williams of The Austen Group, on CIC’s Financial Indicators Tool (FIT) at the AIR Forum. He also co-presented research on the relationship between cultural capital and student persistence at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in April. In March, Hartley served on a technical review panel for the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Stephen Gibson has been promoted to Director of Projects in recognition of his growing responsibilities at CIC. Gibson has taken on increased leadership for an ever-wider range of projects since he joined CIC in 2001 as Projects Coordinator, then in 2004 became Projects Manager.

CIC Senior Counsel Marylouise Fennell with Scott Miller, president of Wesley College (DE), launched a new publication, Presidential Perspectives, in March that features essays written by and for college presidents. The 2006 series, “Creating Competitive Advantage,” will address “how higher education institutions can achieve their vision and mission, and gain competitive advantage by leveraging the nonacademic environment.” The essays can be found at www.presidentialperspectives.org.