After the CIC Board of Directors elected eight new members during its meeting in Marco Island, Florida, earlier this year, CIC President Marjorie Hass remarked, “The Council is in the midst of implementing many exciting new member services projects and needs passionate and wise guidance to oversee their planning and execution. CIC is pleased to welcome these experienced campus leaders to the Board of Directors, and I look forward to working with each of them.”
Elected for Three-Year Terms
Amine Bensaid became president of Al Akhawayn University in Morocco in 2019. Previously, he was president of Université Mundiapolis in Casablanca and chair of the board of the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange, which administers the Fulbright Program in Morocco. He is a member of the board of Morocco’s agency for evaluation and quality assurance and of Morocco’s national commission for higher education. A computer scientist by training, his interests focus on the role of higher education in the employability and success of millennials in our fast-changing world.
Why did you choose to serve on CIC’s Board of Directors?
“I come from a part of the world where liberal arts college education is very scarce. I simply cannot think of better company than CIC and its members to serve a distinctively holistic approach to higher education, where we seek to inspire and empower our students for individual transformation, and as we strive for impact.”
David W. Bushman was named president of Bridgewater College (VA) in 2013. Previously, he was the founding dean of the Mount St. Mary’s University (MD) School of Natural Science and Mathematics, and earlier, president of Lees-McRae College (NC). Prior to that presidency, Bushman served in a variety of roles at Mount St. Mary’s, including dean of academic services, director of assessment, chair of the department of science, and associate professor of biology. He has served in leadership capacities for several higher education groups, including as chair of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia.
Why has service in the independent sector been a priority for you?
“The breadth and vitality of American higher education depends on a commitment to excellence in both the public and private sectors. Not every seat at every institution is interchangeable—the uniqueness of institutional mission and history is critical to student fit and success. Service to the health of independent higher education—through my own institution and through service on the CIC Board—is how I can make a difference for students today and for many years to come.”
Harry E. Dumay became the 11th president of the College of Our Lady of the Elms (Elms College) (MA) in 2017. Previously, he was senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer at Saint Anselm College (MA). Earlier, Dumay served as chief financial officer and associate dean at Harvard University’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, associate dean at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work, and director of finance for Boston University’s School of Engineering. Dumay serves as commissioner of the New England Commission for Higher Education and as a member of the board of directors for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, the board of trustees of Endicott College (MA), and of the Student Aid Policy Committee for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Why did you choose to serve on CIC’s Board of Directors?
“CIC is a uniquely beneficial organization for independent colleges: The association highlights the importance of small independent colleges when the public often focuses on large research institutions. It has unique programs and services—such as NetVUE, the Tuition Exchange Program, and the Presidential Vocation and Institutional Mission program—that benefit the sector. I personally benefited from the Presidential Vocation seminar and was happy to be asked to serve as a facilitator for this important program. Finally, I am excited to work with and support Marjorie Hass as she begins her tenure as the leader of CIC.”
Logan C. Hampton became the tenth president of Lane College (TN) in 2014. He previously held positions at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, including as vice provost for student affairs, associate vice chancellor, and director of the Donaghey Student Center. Earlier, he was associate dean of students at the University of Central Arkansas. Hampton is an ordained elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and served as a pastor for more than 25 years. He has served on the board of directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and as a faculty member for CIC’s New Presidents Program.
What has been your proudest moment while president of Lane College?
“Each commencement provides ‘wow’ moments. For example, a young single father graduated from Lane College who was the first in three generations of his family to graduate from high school or college. Now, he’s busy lifting up young folks in his career.”
Elizabeth MacLeod Walls became the 15th president of William Jewell College (MO) in 2016. She previously served in numerous academic and senior leadership roles in higher education, most recently as dean of University College at Nebraska Wesleyan University. A scholar of English literature and classical rhetoric, she nurtures a strong belief in higher education as a component of civic vitality. She was named one of the “2022 Icons of Education” in Kansas City by Ingram’s Magazine and serves on several Kansas City area boards.
What has been your proudest moment while serving as president of William Jewell College?
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have many proud moments as the president of William Jewell: For instance, when a first-generation son of migrant farm workers graduated from our nursing program and changed the trajectory of generations of family members; when one of our Oxbridge Honors Program graduates, who had been homeless when he came to Jewell, was accepted into a PhD program at Columbia University working with one of the top scientists in the world; and when our board raised $17 million in under a year to support a bold new strategic plan at a time when the college was at a historic crossroads. All of these and so many other experiences have been my privilege to witness and celebrate.”
Amy McCormack has been president of Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN) since 2017. She previously was senior vice president for finance and administration at Dominican University (IL), where she also taught accounting in the executive MBA program in Poland. Earlier, she served Dominican as vice president for business affairs. In 2015, McCormack received a Fulbright scholarship for the International Education Administrators Program to study higher education in France. She serves on several boards and councils in Indiana and is treasurer of the Independent Colleges of Indiana.
Why did you choose to serve on CIC’s Board of Directors?
“I am honored to join the CIC board with well-respected colleague presidents from across the country. I feel strongly that education can transform lives and communities. I am committed to making higher education affordable and accessible. At Calumet College of St. Joseph, our mission calls us to do so, and to provide the welcoming and supportive environment to enable our diverse students to be known, be successful, and belong.”
Elected for Two-Year Term
Katie Conboy became the 14th president of Saint Mary’s College (IN) in 2020. She previously was provost and senior vice president at Simmons University (MA). Earlier, Conboy served Stonehill College (MA), first as professor and department chair of English and then as the provost and vice president for academic affairs. She has published widely on British fiction, feminist theory, and Irish literature. Conboy has chaired CIC’s Chief Academic Officer Task Force and served on the board of directors of the American Conference of Academic Deans and the advisory board for the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education.
What do you consider the key benefits of a liberal arts education?
“I think the particular value of a liberal arts education is that it is broadening, deepening, and liberating. It’s broadening because it ensures that a college education is more than a narrow training for a particular occupation. It’s deepening because it invites students to study well beyond their chosen majors and to think about the interconnectedness of knowledge and how to use it. And it’s liberating because it demands that students question critically the preconceptions they brought with them, consider the perspectives of others, and become better and more complex versions of themselves.”
Elected for One-Year Term
Jeff Abernathy became the 13th president of Alma College (MI) in 2010. He also teaches environmental literature courses for the Alma College English department. Previously, he served as vice president and dean of Augustana College (IL), vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at West Virginia Wesleyan College, and as a faculty member in English at Illinois College, where he also served as associate dean. His primary area of study is African American literature; he is the author of To Hell and Back: Race and Betrayal in the Southern Novel.
Why did you choose to serve on CIC’s Board of Directors?
“The challenges for independent colleges today are many and growing. CIC is the nation’s leading organization working to support leadership and advance excellence at our colleges while also doing the vital work of educating the public on the value and impact of CIC institutions. Our work has never been more important, and I am delighted to serve on the board and to support President Hass’s leadership.”